--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I started at nine, I was told what to do…" description: "\"I started at nine, I was told what to do, when to do it, how to do it from the age of nine till I was 38 so it's tough when you're coming out of that a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/emile-heskey-16665_age_i-started-at-nine-i-was-told-what-to-do_2144111.jpg" --- # I started at nine, I was told what to do, when to do it… ![“I started at nine, I was told what to do, when to do it, how to do it from the age of nine till I was 38 so it's tough when you're coming out of that and trying to navigate during that as well.” quote by Emile Heskey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/emile-heskey-16665_age_i-started-at-nine-i-was-told-what-to-do_2144111.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/emile-heskey-16665_age_i-started-at-nine-i-was-told-what-to-do_2144111.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/emile-heskey-16665_age_i-started-at-nine-i-was-told-what-to-do_2144111.jpg) > “I started at nine, I was told what to do, when to do it, how to do it from the age of nine till I was 38 so it's tough when you're coming out of that and trying to navigate during that as well.” [Emile Heskey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-heskey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker describes a lifelong, rigid schedule and the difficulty of adapting after leaving that structure. **In simple terms:** Leaving a strict routine makes adjustment hard. Key Takeaway Seek flexibility and self‑direction. Themes career habit transition Mood reflective hopeful Type advice motivational When to use this quote - career change - education - parenting - retirement Key Concepts structured upbringing autonomy Questions to Reflect On - What new habits can replace old directives? - How to build self‑discipline? A Different Perspective Old habits may limit new growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) ## Related quotes > [Lost in this young world, I'm just trying to navigate See the pie sliced, I'm just trying to grab a plate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-eazy/lost-in-this-young-world-i-m-just-trying-to-navigate-see-the-pie/) [G-Eazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-eazy/) > [When I started, they told me I only needed 3 chords and the truth... It turned out I could manage with 2 and some vague ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-strummer/when-i-started-they-told-me-i-only-needed-3-chords-and-the-truth-it/) [Joe Strummer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-strummer/) > [Obviously, it was tough for me, coming from high school and being that guy who was always playing and then having to sit and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquem-griffin/obviously-it-was-tough-for-me-coming-from-high-school-and-being-that/) [Shaquem Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquem-griffin/) > [Honestly, in the beginning, it was really tough. 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Look at someone like Wayne Rooney - having to deal with it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-heskey/its-easy-to-underestimate-how-much-scrutiny-players-are-under-in/) [Emile Heskey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-heskey/) > [My childhood was spent in a poorish neighbourhood in Leicester so that makes you cherish money more than if youd had a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-heskey/my-childhood-was-spent-in-a-poorish-neighbourhood-in-leicester-so/) [Emile Heskey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-heskey/) > [After 20-plus years of looking purely from an individuals point of view as a player, now I have to look at it from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-heskey/after-20-plus-years-of-looking-purely-from-an-individuals-point-of/) [Emile Heskey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-heskey/) > [When you went to Old Trafford, you feared what was going to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-heskey/when-you-went-to-old-trafford-you-feared-what-was-going-to-happen/) [Emile Heskey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-heskey/) > [But I loved my time with Liverpool - they were great times, fun times and emotional times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-heskey/but-i-loved-my-time-with-liverpool-they-were-great-times-fun-times/) [Emile Heskey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-heskey/) > [Growing up, playing in a World Cup, scoring in a World Cup, is what you dream about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-heskey/growing-up-playing-in-a-world-cup-scoring-in-a-world-cup-is-what-you/) [Emile Heskey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-heskey/) > [Ive never been one for having a huge number of fast cars. 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I won four League Cups, FA Cup, UEFA Cup, Super Cup and two Charity Shields. I went to two World…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-heskey/i-was-lucky-enough-i-won-four-league-cups-fa-cup-uefa-cup-super-cup/) [Emile Heskey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-heskey/) [Explore all 39 Emile Heskey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-heskey/) ## More Age quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. 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That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/) [Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/) [Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I started at nine, I was told what to do, when to do it, how to do it from the age of nine till I was 38 so it's tough when you're coming out of that and trying to navigate during that as well.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Emile Heskey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-heskey/i-started-at-nine-i-was-told-what-to-do-when-to-do-it-how-to-do-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Age" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-heskey/i-started-at-nine-i-was-told-what-to-do-when-to-do-it-how-to-do-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/emile-heskey-16665_age_i-started-at-nine-i-was-told-what-to-do_2144111.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/emile-heskey-16665_age_i-started-at-nine-i-was-told-what-to-do_2144111.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/789/emile-heskey-16665_age_i-started-at-nine-i-was-told-what-to-do_2144111.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I started at nine, I was told what to do, when to do it, how to do it from the age of nine till I was 38 so…” — Emile Heskey", "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": "Emile Heskey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-heskey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I started at nine, I was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-heskey/i-started-at-nine-i-was-told-what-to-do-when-to-do-it-how-to-do-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-heskey/i-started-at-nine-i-was-told-what-to-do-when-to-do-it-how-to-do-it/#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 } } ] } ```