--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You have to know what you want to get it." description: "\"You have to know what you want to get it.\" — Gertrude Stein" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/gertrude-stein-667_goal_you-have-to-know-what-you-want-to-get-it_1189262.jpg" --- # You have to know what you want to get it. ![“You have to know what you want to get it.” quote by Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/gertrude-stein-667_goal_you-have-to-know-what-you-want-to-get-it_1189262.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/gertrude-stein-667_goal_you-have-to-know-what-you-want-to-get-it_1189262.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/gertrude-stein-667_goal_you-have-to-know-what-you-want-to-get-it_1189262.jpg) > “You have to know what you want to get it.” [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Achieving goals requires clear self‑knowledge of desires. **In simple terms:** Know what you want to achieve. Key Takeaway Define your goals precisely. Themes goal setting self‑awareness motivation Mood determined inquisitive Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career planning - education - relationships Key Concepts clarity intentionality personal agency Questions to Reflect On - What do you truly desire? - How does clarity affect your effort? A Different Perspective Ambiguity can hinder action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [What you want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/what-you-want/) ## Related quotes > [You have to know what you want. And if it seems to take you off the track, don't hold back, because perhaps that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/you-have-to-know-what-you-want-and-if-it-seems-to-take-you-off-the/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Always quit for the day when you know what you want to do next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/always-quit-for-the-day-when-you-know-what-you-want-to-do-next/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [If you don't know what you want, you will probably never get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/if-you-don-t-know-what-you-want-you-will-probably-never-get-it/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [You think you know someone. But mostly you just know what you want to know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/you-think-you-know-someone-but-mostly-you-just-know-what-you-want-to/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [I think the hardest thing is to know what you want, ask for it, and then to stop talking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/i-think-the-hardest-thing-is-to-know-what-you-want-ask-for-it-and/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [You must believe that you have received. You must know that what you want is your the moment you ask.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/you-must-believe-that-you-have-received-you-must-know-that-what-you/) [Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/) > [Win or lose, people know what you want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/win-or-lose-people-know-what-you-want-to-do/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [If you know what you want, you will recognize it when you see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/if-you-know-what-you-want-you-will-recognize-it-when-you-see-it/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [If you really know... what you want and how to get there, then everything else really falls into place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlen-esparza/if-you-really-know-what-you-want-and-how-to-get-there-then-everything/) [Marlen Esparza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlen-esparza/) > [It is not enough to know what you want, you must also know why you want it, and what you will do once you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-mcgowan/it-is-not-enough-to-know-what-you-want-you-must-also-know-why-you/) [Kathleen McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-mcgowan/) > [Sometimes you don't even know what you want until you find out you can't have it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-o-rourke/sometimes-you-don-t-even-know-what-you-want-until-you-find-out-you/) [Meghan O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-o-rourke/) > [You can only bite off so much, so you gotta know what you want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-gore/you-can-only-bite-off-so-much-so-you-gotta-know-what-you-want-to-do/) [Lesley Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-gore/) > [Don't settle. Know what you want and reach for it. And if you don't know what you want, be patient. The answers will come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/don-t-settle-know-what-you-want-and-reach-for-it-and-if-you-don-t/) [Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/) > [One of the principal reasons why so many fail to get what they want is because they do not definitely know what they want,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-d-larson/one-of-the-principal-reasons-why-so-many-fail-to-get-what-they-want/) [Christian D. Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-d-larson/) > [All you need is to know what you want, and to want it badly enough so that it will stay in your thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/all-you-need-is-to-know-what-you-want-and-to-want-it-badly-enough-so/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) ## More by Gertrude Stein > [I certainly do care for you Jeff Campbell less than you are always thinking and much more than you are ever knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-certainly-do-care-for-you-jeff-campbell-less-than-you-are-always/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Americans are very friendly and very suspicious, that is what Americans are and that is what always upsets the foreigner, who deals with them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/americans-are-very-friendly-and-very-suspicious-that-is-what/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Just as everybody has the vote including women, I think children should, because as a child is conscious of itself then it has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/just-as-everybody-has-the-vote-including-women-i-think-children/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [“When is there some discharge when. There never is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/when-is-there-some-discharge-when-there-never-is/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [There is no such thing as repetition. Only insistance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/there-is-no-such-thing-as-repetition-only-insistance/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [I am I because my little dog knows me but, creatively speaking the little dog knowing that you are you and your recognising that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-am-i-because-my-little-dog-knows-me-but-creatively-speaking-the/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [How likely are definitions to be pleasurable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/how-likely-are-definitions-to-be-pleasurable/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [ “What is the answer?" \[ I \[Alice B Toklas\] was silent \] In that case, what is the question?” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/what-is-the-answer-i-alice-b-toklas-was-silent-in-that-case-what-is/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [More and more I like to take a train. I understand why the French prefer it to automobiling it is so much more sociable,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/more-and-more-i-like-to-take-a-train-i-understand-why-the-french/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Adventure is making the distant approach nearer but romance is having what is where it is which is not where you are stay where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/adventure-is-making-the-distant-approach-nearer-but-romance-is-having/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Forensics is eloquence and reduction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/forensics-is-eloquence-and-reduction/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Eating and sleeping are not like loving and breathing. Washing is not like eating and sleeping. Believing is like breathing and loving. Religion can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/eating-and-sleeping-are-not-like-loving-and-breathing-washing-is-not/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [I write for myself and strangers. The strangers, dear Readers, are an afterthought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-write-for-myself-and-strangers-the-strangers-dear-readers-are-an/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [“A bag which was left and not only taken but turned away was not found. The place was shown to be very like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/a-bag-which-was-left-and-not-only-taken-but-turned-away-was-not-found/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [I don't envisage collectivism. There is no such animal, it is always individualism, sometimes the rest vote and sometimes they do not, and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-don-t-envisage-collectivism-there-is-no-such-animal-it-is-always/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) [Explore all 418 Gertrude Stein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) ## 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 > [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 > [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 > [“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": "You have to know what you want to get it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gertrude Stein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/you-have-to-know-what-you-want-to-get-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Goal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/you-have-to-know-what-you-want-to-get-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/gertrude-stein-667_goal_you-have-to-know-what-you-want-to-get-it_1189262.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/gertrude-stein-667_goal_you-have-to-know-what-you-want-to-get-it_1189262.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/gertrude-stein-667_goal_you-have-to-know-what-you-want-to-get-it_1189262.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You have to know what you want to get it.” — Gertrude Stein", "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": "Gertrude Stein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You have to know what you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/you-have-to-know-what-you-want-to-get-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/you-have-to-know-what-you-want-to-get-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 } } ] } ```