---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I always wanted to be the best I could be…"
description: "\"I always wanted to be the best I could be at whatever I did. I didn't want to be the number one golfer in the world. I just wanted to be as good as I c..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3db/greg-norman-11856_always_i-always-wanted-to-be-the-best-i-could-b_2218269.jpg"
---

#  I always wanted to be the best I could be at whatever I…

![“I always wanted to be the best I could be at whatever I did. I didn't want to be the number one golfer in the world. I just wanted to be as good as I could be. I work hard, I push myself hard, and I probably even expect too much of myself.” quote by Greg Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3db/greg-norman-11856_always_i-always-wanted-to-be-the-best-i-could-b_2218269.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3db/greg-norman-11856_always_i-always-wanted-to-be-the-best-i-could-b_2218269.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3db/greg-norman-11856_always_i-always-wanted-to-be-the-best-i-could-b_2218269.jpg)

> “I always wanted to be the best I could be at whatever I did. I didn't want to be the number one golfer in the world. I just wanted to be as good as I could be. I work hard, I push myself hard, and I probably even expect too much of myself.”

[Greg Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-norman/)

## 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 emphasizes personal excellence over external accolades, focusing on self-improvement and hard work rather than competition.

**In simple terms:** Strive for personal best, not titles.

Key Takeaway

Focus on self-improvement.

Themes

sports personal growth excellence

Mood

motivational reflective

Type

inspirational sports

When to use this quote

- training
- career development
- personal coaching
- performance reviews

Key Concepts

self-discipline goal setting

Questions to Reflect On

- What personal standards drive you?
- How do you balance ambition with well‑being?

A Different Perspective

Obsessive self-criticism can lead to burnout.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

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## Related quotes

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> [I mean I don't want to feel inferior to any other golfer in the world. You know if you do that, then you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-mcilroy/i-mean-i-don-t-want-to-feel-inferior-to-any-other-golfer-in-the-world/)

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> [I want to try to become the best golfer in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-mcilroy/i-want-to-try-to-become-the-best-golfer-in-the-world/)

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> [I want to be the best golfer in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelly-korda/i-want-to-be-the-best-golfer-in-the-world/)

[Nelly Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelly-korda/)

> [I want to be best golfer in the world. But I feel like golf is not everything in my life, but I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yani-tseng/i-want-to-be-best-golfer-in-the-world-but-i-feel-like-golf-is-not/)

[Yani Tseng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yani-tseng/)

> [I don't really remember, but from about the age of five I told anyone who would listen that I was going to be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-mcilroy/i-don-t-really-remember-but-from-about-the-age-of-five-i-told-anyone/)

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> [“But we wanted you to fill up on good things before you had to face the bad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-latham/but-we-wanted-you-to-fill-up-on-good-things-before-you-had-to-face/)

[Jennifer Latham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-latham/)

> [I wanted to do everything right. I wanted to be good, and I wanted to be obedient, and I wanted to be the object…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-phelps-roper/i-wanted-to-do-everything-right-i-wanted-to-be-good-and-i-wanted-to/)

[Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/)

> [My only want and wish, really, was to tell a good story. I wanted to do good work, tell a good story, and give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/my-only-want-and-wish-really-was-to-tell-a-good-story-i-wanted-to-do/)

[Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/)

> [The whole reason Sabrina came about was because we wanted something good for families to watch on TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-joan-hart/the-whole-reason-sabrina-came-about-was-because-we-wanted-something/)

[Melissa Joan Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-joan-hart/)

> [I wanted to show something good in Serie A when I joined Genoa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krzysztof-piatek/i-wanted-to-show-something-good-in-serie-a-when-i-joined-genoa/)

[Krzysztof Piatek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krzysztof-piatek/)

> [I was waiting for a good project in Malayalam. It is after a long gap that I will be seen in this industry and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikita-thukral/i-was-waiting-for-a-good-project-in-malayalam-it-is-after-a-long-gap/)

[Nikita Thukral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikita-thukral/)

> [“I loved you recklessly from the moment I knew you. I never cared about the consequences. I told myself I did, I told myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-loved-you-recklessly-from-the-moment-i-knew-you-i-never-cared-about/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [“In the dead white hours in Zurich staring into a stranger's pantry across the upshine of a street-lamp, he used to think that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/in-the-dead-white-hours-in-zurich-staring-into-a-stranger-s-pantry/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [I always knew I wanted to have a good career, so I made it happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chord-overstreet/i-always-knew-i-wanted-to-have-a-good-career-so-i-made-it-happen/)

[Chord Overstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chord-overstreet/)

## More by Greg Norman

> [I am a winner. I just didn't win today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-norman/i-am-a-winner-i-just-didn-t-win-today/)

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> [ We heard the roar \[for Nicklaus\] on 15 and then another and another.By that time, Nicky \[Price\] and I were back there with about… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-norman/we-heard-the-roar-for-nicklaus-on-15-and-then-another-and-another-by/)

[Greg Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-norman/)

> [Happiness is a long walk with a putter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-norman/happiness-is-a-long-walk-with-a-putter/)

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> [I mean, I can actually say goodbye to the game of golf, never hit another golf shot the rest of my life and I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-norman/i-mean-i-can-actually-say-goodbye-to-the-game-of-golf-never-hit/)

[Greg Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-norman/)

> [You only get out of it what you put into it. If you are a sheep in this world, you're not going to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-norman/you-only-get-out-of-it-what-you-put-into-it-if-you-are-a-sheep-in/)

[Greg Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-norman/)

> [Every time you lose, you think that life's unfair. You think of the bad breaks. But when you're winning and playing well, you still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-norman/every-time-you-lose-you-think-that-life-s-unfair-you-think-of-the-bad/)

[Greg Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-norman/)

> [I screwed up. It's all on me. I know that...All these hiccups I have, they must be for a reason. All this is just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-norman/i-screwed-up-it-s-all-on-me-i-know-that-all-these-hiccups-i-have-they/)

[Greg Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-norman/)

> [Let's do something to wake these people up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-norman/let-s-do-something-to-wake-these-people-up/)

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> [You know, like I said, I'm not going to adjust my Senior Tour schedule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-norman/you-know-like-i-said-i-m-not-going-to-adjust-my-senior-tour-schedule/)

[Greg Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-norman/)

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[Greg Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-norman/)

> [Double or nothing down the last hole?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-norman/double-or-nothing-down-the-last-hole/)

[Greg Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-norman/)

> [ I played with Tiger \[Woods\], and I probably felt like you would be out there with me. Tiger is getting it by me about… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-norman/i-played-with-tiger-woods-and-i-probably-felt-like-you-would-be-out/)

[Greg Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-norman/)

> [There is no room on the golf course for anger or self-pity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-norman/there-is-no-room-on-the-golf-course-for-anger-or-self-pity/)

[Greg Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-norman/)

> [I think it's great the opportunity is given to all of us really to come out and play major championships after the real major…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-norman/i-think-it-s-great-the-opportunity-is-given-to-all-of-us-really-to/)

[Greg Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-norman/)

[Explore all 57 Greg Norman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-norman/)

## More Always quotes

> [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/)

[Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/)

> [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/)

[Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/)

> [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/)

[Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/)

> [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/)

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> [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/)

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> [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/)

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[Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/)

> [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/)

[Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/)

> [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/)

[Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/)

> [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/)

[Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/)

> [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/)

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> [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/)

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[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/)

[Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/)

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