--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: you can decide what, specifically…" description: "\"“you can decide what, specifically, something means to you and what you intend to do about it, if anything; if you can use a placeholder as a reminder ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ede/david-allen-2835_decide_you-can-decide-what-specifically-somethi_248892.png" --- # you can decide what, specifically, something means to you… ![“you can decide what, specifically, something means to you and what you intend to do about it, if anything; if you can use a placeholder as a reminder of what you need to attend to;” quote by David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ede/david-allen-2835_decide_you-can-decide-what-specifically-somethi_248892.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ede/david-allen-2835_decide_you-can-decide-what-specifically-somethi_248892.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ede/david-allen-2835_decide_you-can-decide-what-specifically-somethi_248892.png) > ““you can decide what, specifically, something means to you and what you intend to do about it, if anything; if you can use a placeholder as a reminder of what you need to attend to;”” [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. You can assign personal meaning to tasks and use reminders to focus on what truly matters. **In simple terms:** Define meaning, use cues to act. Key Takeaway Clarify purpose, set reminders. Themes productivity mindfulness clarity Mood motivational reflective Type strategic inspirational When to use this quote - daily planning - goal setting - habit formation Key Concepts intentionality task management psychology Questions to Reflect On - What meaning do you attach to your goals? - How can reminders improve focus? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on placeholders may cause procrastination. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“My whole marriage to her, I finally realized, was a placeholder, leading me to this very day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-avon/my-whole-marriage-to-her-i-finally-realized-was-a-placeholder-leading/) [Barbara Avon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-avon/) > [Heart is decide u want in ur life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raajni/heart-is-decide-u-want-in-ur-life/) Raajni > [What you believe in, is the life you decide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keshia-chante/what-you-believe-in-is-the-life-you-decide/) [Keshia Chante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keshia-chante/) > [It’s as easy as we choose to make it,” he murmured, pressing his forehead to mine. “At least, this decision is. Nothing’s truly easy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/it-s-as-easy-as-we-choose-to-make-it-he-murmured-pressing-his/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [We cant choose our lives, but we can decide what to do with the joys or griefs were given.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/we-cant-choose-our-lives-but-we-can-decide-what-to-do-with-the-joys/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Fear is going to be a player in your life, but you get to decide how much!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carrey/fear-is-going-to-be-a-player-in-your-life-but-you-get-to-decide-how/) [Jim Carrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carrey/) > [All the people ought to decide, but now most states are tossed on the scrap heap and ignored](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-anderson/all-the-people-ought-to-decide-but-now-most-states-are-tossed-on-the/) [John Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-anderson/) > [“Do you keep pace with those around you, or do you decide yourself just how you will live your life? 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To succumb to the preponderance of one set of influences over another set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/decide-v-i-to-succumb-to-the-preponderance-of-one-set-of-influences/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) ## More by David Allen > [“Klara Sztucinski, and Elliott Kellman. The administrative”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/klara-sztucinski-and-elliott-kellman-the-administrative/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [Your ability to generate power is directly proportional to your ability to relax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/your-ability-to-generate-power-is-directly-proportional-to-your/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [“Too much information creates the same result as too little:”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/too-much-information-creates-the-same-result-as-too-little/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [You don't actually do a project; you can only do action steps related to it. 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To succumb to the preponderance of one set of influences over another set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/decide-v-i-to-succumb-to-the-preponderance-of-one-set-of-influences/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [We do not know which irresponsible Israeli prime minister will take office and decide to use nuclear weapons in the struggle against neighboring Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordechai-vanunu/we-do-not-know-which-irresponsible-israeli-prime-minister-will-take/) [Mordechai Vanunu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordechai-vanunu/) > [In New York, you are constantly faced with this very urgent decision that you have to make, about every twenty minutes...you have to decide,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/in-new-york-you-are-constantly-faced-with-this-very-urgent-decision/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [Nothing is more private than a woman's body; it is her physical, emotional, and moral citadel. 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The truth is...only you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/do-you-keep-pace-with-those-around-you-or-do-you-decide-yourself-just/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) > [All the people ought to decide, but now most states are tossed on the scrap heap and ignored](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-anderson/all-the-people-ought-to-decide-but-now-most-states-are-tossed-on-the/) [John Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-anderson/) > [Fear is going to be a player in your life, but you get to decide how much!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carrey/fear-is-going-to-be-a-player-in-your-life-but-you-get-to-decide-how/) [Jim Carrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carrey/) > [We cant choose our lives, but we can decide what to do with the joys or griefs were given.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/we-cant-choose-our-lives-but-we-can-decide-what-to-do-with-the-joys/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [It’s as easy as we choose to make it,” he murmured, pressing his forehead to mine. “At least, this decision is. Nothing’s truly easy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/it-s-as-easy-as-we-choose-to-make-it-he-murmured-pressing-his/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [What you believe in, is the life you decide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keshia-chante/what-you-believe-in-is-the-life-you-decide/) [Keshia Chante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keshia-chante/) > [Heart is decide u want in ur life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raajni/heart-is-decide-u-want-in-ur-life/) Raajni > [I think hopefully we've got enough brain cells left to decide if our music is really worth something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-champion/i-think-hopefully-we-ve-got-enough-brain-cells-left-to-decide-if-our/) [Will Champion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-champion/) Browse all 1,644 Decide quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“you can decide what, specifically, something means to you and what you intend to do about it, if anything; if you can use a placeholder as a reminder of what you need to attend to;”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Allen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/you-can-decide-what-specifically-something-means-to-you-and-what-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Decide" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/you-can-decide-what-specifically-something-means-to-you-and-what-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ede/david-allen-2835_decide_you-can-decide-what-specifically-somethi_248892.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ede/david-allen-2835_decide_you-can-decide-what-specifically-somethi_248892.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ede/david-allen-2835_decide_you-can-decide-what-specifically-somethi_248892.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“you can decide what, specifically, something means to you and what you intend to do about it, if anything…” — David Allen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David Allen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“you can decide what, specifically, something...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/you-can-decide-what-specifically-something-means-to-you-and-what-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/you-can-decide-what-specifically-something-means-to-you-and-what-you/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```