--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The goal is not necessarily to succeed…" description: "\"The goal is not necessarily to succeed but to keep trying, to be the kind of person who has ideas and see them through.\" — Esme Raji Codell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/esm-raji-codell-26371_goal_the-goal-is-not-necessarily-to-succeed-b_1790772.jpg" --- # The goal is not necessarily to succeed but to keep trying… ![“The goal is not necessarily to succeed but to keep trying, to be the kind of person who has ideas and see them through.” quote by Esme Raji Codell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/esm-raji-codell-26371_goal_the-goal-is-not-necessarily-to-succeed-b_1790772.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/esm-raji-codell-26371_goal_the-goal-is-not-necessarily-to-succeed-b_1790772.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/esm-raji-codell-26371_goal_the-goal-is-not-necessarily-to-succeed-b_1790772.jpg) > “The goal is not necessarily to succeed but to keep trying, to be the kind of person who has ideas and see them through.” [Esme Raji Codell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esm-raji-codell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success is less about outcomes and more about perseverance and seeing ideas through to completion. **In simple terms:** Keep trying and finish what you start. Key Takeaway Persist and follow through on ideas. Themes perseverance creativity growth Mood inspirational reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - teaching - entrepreneurship - personal projects Key Concepts education motivation resilience Questions to Reflect On - What ideas are you nurturing? - How do you sustain effort over time? A Different Perspective May ignore practical constraints and resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goal Necessarily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal-necessarily-423168/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Keep trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keep-trying/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Necessarily Succeed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessarily-succeed-1942593/) [Person Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-ideas-1942594/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Succeed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succeed/) [Succeed Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succeed-trying-487008/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) ## Related quotes > [“The goal is not necessarily to succeed but to keep trying, to be the kind of person who has ideas and see them through.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esm-raji-codell/the-goal-is-not-necessarily-to-succeed-but-to-keep-trying-to-be-the-2/) [Esmé Raji Codell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esm-raji-codell/) > [I don't know if the goal is necessarily to hit the ball in the air; I think when my swing is right it just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buster-posey/i-don-t-know-if-the-goal-is-necessarily-to-hit-the-ball-in-the-air-i/) [Buster Posey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buster-posey/) > [Hollywood has never been a goal, necessarily - there was no 'Conquer America' game plan for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-poulter/hollywood-has-never-been-a-goal-necessarily-there-was-no-conquer/) [Will Poulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-poulter/) > [And the truth is, those who are terrorists only have to succeed once, and those of us who are trying to build an inclusive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-miliband/and-the-truth-is-those-who-are-terrorists-only-have-to-succeed-once/) [David Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-miliband/) > [It's not just how hard you try, it's how well you will succeed from trying hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-thompson/it-s-not-just-how-hard-you-try-it-s-how-well-you-will-succeed-from/) [Miles Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-thompson/) > [You learn more about a person from the people around that person than you do from the person themselves. We all have our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-kinnear/you-learn-more-about-a-person-from-the-people-around-that-person-than/) [Greg Kinnear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-kinnear/) > [Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/be-sympathetic-with-the-other-person-s-ideas-and-desires/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [“Metaphorically speaking, a person's ideas must be the building he lives in - otherwise there is something terribly wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/metaphorically-speaking-a-person-s-ideas-must-be-the-building-he/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [No other person's ideas, and none of my own ideas, are as authoritative as my experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rogers/no-other-person-s-ideas-and-none-of-my-own-ideas-are-as-authoritative/) [Carl Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rogers/) > [“the measure of a person was her ideas”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fagone/the-measure-of-a-person-was-her-ideas/) [Jason Fagone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fagone/) > [“To failure at something is an attempt to succeed. Be strong and try again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/to-failure-at-something-is-an-attempt-to-succeed-be-strong-and-try/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Nothing in this life comes easy, sometimes we try so hard to succeed and still fail but remember anything worth having is worth fighting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/telisa-mclaughlin/nothing-in-this-life-comes-easy-sometimes-we-try-so-hard-to-succeed/) [Telisa McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/telisa-mclaughlin/) > [If you never try you'll never succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/if-you-never-try-you-ll-never-succeed/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [When you fail to succeed the first time, keep trying. It's called life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cranch-bond/when-you-fail-to-succeed-the-first-time-keep-trying-it-s-called-life/) [William Cranch Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cranch-bond/) > [My favorite job is the next one. Its such a gratifying experience getting to creatively keep trying something new and push things in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-craig-smith/my-favorite-job-is-the-next-one-its-such-a-gratifying-experience/) [Roger Craig Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-craig-smith/) ## More by Esme Raji Codell > [“Nobody really knows which is happening when the teacher closes the door. At worst, mediocrity. At best, miracles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esm-raji-codell/nobody-really-knows-which-is-happening-when-the-teacher-closes-the/) [Esmé Raji Codell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esm-raji-codell/) > [A library is a platform upon which we catch trains to Every Where and Any Place, Another Time and Across Space. All aboard!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esm-raji-codell/a-library-is-a-platform-upon-which-we-catch-trains-to-every-where-and/) [Esme Raji Codell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esm-raji-codell/) > [“And when you go to God's house, it ain't got to be no fashion show. You just come as you are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esm-raji-codell/and-when-you-go-to-god-s-house-it-ain-t-got-to-be-no-fashion-show-you/) [Esmé Raji Codell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esm-raji-codell/) > [But certain people just think it's their job to freak out. As long as they're freaking out, they feel busy, like they must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esm-raji-codell/but-certain-people-just-think-it-s-their-job-to-freak-out-as-long-as/) [Esme Raji Codell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esm-raji-codell/) > [“I tend not to share things unnecessarily with those I despise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esm-raji-codell/i-tend-not-to-share-things-unnecessarily-with-those-i-despise/) [Esme Raji Codell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esm-raji-codell/) > [If you give people an idea these days, they just think you are sharing it with them so they can critique it, play devil's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esm-raji-codell/if-you-give-people-an-idea-these-days-they-just-think-you-are-sharing/) [Esme Raji Codell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esm-raji-codell/) > [“Why do these dumb fucks keep guns around the house? They make the world as ruinous as they imagine it is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esm-raji-codell/why-do-these-dumb-fucks-keep-guns-around-the-house-they-make-the/) [Esmé Raji Codell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esm-raji-codell/) > [“Today so many creative and devoted teachers not only have to struggle against unimaginative administrations, fearful parents, and wearied colleagues, they have also to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esm-raji-codell/today-so-many-creative-and-devoted-teachers-not-only-have-to-struggle/) [Esmé Raji Codell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esm-raji-codell/) > [“So much of teaching is sharing. Learning results in sharing, sharing results in change, change is learning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esm-raji-codell/so-much-of-teaching-is-sharing-learning-results-in-sharing-sharing/) [Esmé Raji Codell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esm-raji-codell/) > [“So much of teaching is sharing. Learning results in sharing, sharing results in change, change is learning. The only other job with so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esm-raji-codell/so-much-of-teaching-is-sharing-learning-results-in-sharing-sharing-2/) [Esmé Raji Codell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esm-raji-codell/) > [So much of teaching is sharing. Learning results in sharing, sharing results in change, change is learning. The only other job with so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esm-raji-codell/so-much-of-teaching-is-sharing-learning-results-in-sharing-sharing-3/) [Esme Raji Codell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esm-raji-codell/) > [“The difference between a beginning teacher and an experienced one is that the beginning teacher asks, "How am I doing?" and the experienced teacher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esm-raji-codell/the-difference-between-a-beginning-teacher-and-an-experienced-one-is/) [Esme Raji Codell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esm-raji-codell/) > [“Mr. Turner gets mad when I say, “I don’t work for you, I work for the children.” But it’s true. Isn’t it? I’ll find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esm-raji-codell/mr-turner-gets-mad-when-i-say-i-don-t-work-for-you-i-work-for-the/) [Esmé Raji Codell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esm-raji-codell/) > [“It's not our job to be liked(teachers)", I reminded her. "Its our job to help them be smart(students)". Secretly, I thought, who gives a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esm-raji-codell/it-s-not-our-job-to-be-liked-teachers-i-reminded-her-its-our-job-to/) [Esme Raji Codell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esm-raji-codell/) > [“...'Loving children is what teachers do for extra credit. It's not the main assignment.' 'Seems to me that the extra credit is more important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esm-raji-codell/loving-children-is-what-teachers-do-for-extra-credit-it-s-not-the/) [Esme Raji Codell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esm-raji-codell/) [Explore all 22 Esme Raji Codell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esm-raji-codell/) ## More Goal quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The goal of spiritual practice is full recovery, and the only thing you need to recover from is a fractured sense of self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-goal-of-spiritual-practice-is-full-recovery-and-the-only-thing/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [According to the best research, less than 3% of Americans have written goals, and less than 1% review and rewrite their goals on a daily basis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/according-to-the-best-research-less-than-3-of-americans-have-written/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [When you have accomplished your goal simply walk away. This is the path way to Heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/when-you-have-accomplished-your-goal-simply-walk-away-this-is-the/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [“my role my goal my dream my life not yours -all mine”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emi-sisk/my-role-my-goal-my-dream-my-life-not-yours-all-mine/) [Emi Sisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emi-sisk/) > [Eugenic goals are most likely to be attained under another name than eugenics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-osborn/eugenic-goals-are-most-likely-to-be-attained-under-another-name-than/) [Frederick Osborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-osborn/) > [The Only cure for nihilism is for liberal democratic societies - their electorates, their judiciary, and their political leadership- to insist that force is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/the-only-cure-for-nihilism-is-for-liberal-democratic-societies-their/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [Everybody tries to score a great goal, and I am lucky I have netted a few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zlatan-ibrahimovic/everybody-tries-to-score-a-great-goal-and-i-am-lucky-i-have-netted-a/) [Zlatan Ibrahimovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zlatan-ibrahimovic/) > [However, however, if the goal is to abandon America's free enterprise economy, if the goal is to convert America into a submissive member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/however-however-if-the-goal-is-to-abandon-america-s-free-enterprise/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/if-your-only-goal-is-to-become-rich-you-will-never-achieve-it/) [John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) > [When you look around the room during meetings and practice, you see that everyone has the same goal. It's obvious by the way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kendricks/when-you-look-around-the-room-during-meetings-and-practice-you-see/) [Eric Kendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kendricks/) > [I like to wake up and just feel gratitude. Gratitude for waking up, for my health, for my kids, for my family. A lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-corcoran/i-like-to-wake-up-and-just-feel-gratitude-gratitude-for-waking-up-for/) [Barbara Corcoran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-corcoran/) > [“Dreams will come true as long as you give some effort towards your goal”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dayana/dreams-will-come-true-as-long-as-you-give-some-effort-towards-your/) [Dayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dayana/) > [“There are two kinds of people: goal-oriented and ego-oriented. Goal-oriented people work together and get things gone. Ego-oriented people don’t work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charbel-tadros/there-are-two-kinds-of-people-goal-oriented-and-ego-oriented-goal/) [Charbel Tadros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charbel-tadros/) [Browse all 9,890 Goal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The goal is not necessarily to succeed but to keep trying, to be the kind of person who has ideas and see them through.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Esme Raji Codell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esm-raji-codell/the-goal-is-not-necessarily-to-succeed-but-to-keep-trying-to-be-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Goal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esm-raji-codell/the-goal-is-not-necessarily-to-succeed-but-to-keep-trying-to-be-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/esm-raji-codell-26371_goal_the-goal-is-not-necessarily-to-succeed-b_1790772.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/esm-raji-codell-26371_goal_the-goal-is-not-necessarily-to-succeed-b_1790772.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/esm-raji-codell-26371_goal_the-goal-is-not-necessarily-to-succeed-b_1790772.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The goal is not necessarily to succeed but to keep trying, to be the kind of person who has ideas and see…” — Esme Raji Codell", "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": "Esme Raji Codell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esm-raji-codell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The goal is not necessarily to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esm-raji-codell/the-goal-is-not-necessarily-to-succeed-but-to-keep-trying-to-be-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esm-raji-codell/the-goal-is-not-necessarily-to-succeed-but-to-keep-trying-to-be-the/#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 } } ] } ```