--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To focus on matters beyond our control is…" description: "\"To focus on matters beyond our control is to misdirect energy, waste time, and doom us to frustration and failure.\" — Harvey Dorfman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b15/harvey-dorfman-91360_doom_to-focus-on-matters-beyond-our-control-i_316403.png" --- # To focus on matters beyond our control is to misdirect… ![“To focus on matters beyond our control is to misdirect energy, waste time, and doom us to frustration and failure.” quote by Harvey Dorfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b15/harvey-dorfman-91360_doom_to-focus-on-matters-beyond-our-control-i_316403.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b15/harvey-dorfman-91360_doom_to-focus-on-matters-beyond-our-control-i_316403.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b15/harvey-dorfman-91360_doom_to-focus-on-matters-beyond-our-control-i_316403.png) > “To focus on matters beyond our control is to misdirect energy, waste time, and doom us to frustration and failure.” [Harvey Dorfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-dorfman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Wasting energy on uncontrollable matters leads to frustration and failure; focus on what you can influence. **In simple terms:** Misplaced focus creates frustration and failure. Key Takeaway Prioritize controllable issues. Themes focus energy psychology productivity Mood reflective practical Type Doom:0 Energy:1 Focus:1 Frustration:0 Matter:0 Ministry:0 Misdirect:1 Power:0 Time:0 Waste:1 Waste time:0 Wasting time:0 Focus Matters:0 Misdirect Energy:0 When to use this quote - personal productivity - stress management - team leadership Key Concepts mindset goal setting Questions to Reflect On - What can you release control over? - How do you redirect energy productively? A Different Perspective Not all factors are within control. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doom/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Focus Matters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus-matters-1364754/) [Frustration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frustration/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Ministry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ministry/) [Misdirect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misdirect-123211/) [Misdirect Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misdirect-energy-2991149/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Waste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waste/) [Waste time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waste-time/) [Wasting time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasting-time/) ## Related quotes > [“Imagination envisions what could be. Reality states what is. And when my journey is shaped by one of these at the exclusion of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/imagination-envisions-what-could-be-reality-states-what-is-and-when/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“If I scan the expanse of my heart and find it empty of everything except emptiness, it is because I ‘poured’ the whole of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/if-i-scan-the-expanse-of-my-heart-and-find-it-empty-of-everything/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [“If there’s one thing that’s irrefutably absurd, it’s believing that we can separate intelligence from wisdom and still have it be intelligence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/if-there-s-one-thing-that-s-irrefutably-absurd-it-s-believing-that-we/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I misdirect the audience, so they have no idea where they are or who they're listening to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-burnham/i-misdirect-the-audience-so-they-have-no-idea-where-they-are-or-who/) [Bo Burnham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-burnham/) > [Misdirect ALL the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaps/misdirect-all-the-time/) [Fred Kaps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaps/) > [“Everyone's time is limited. What matters most is to focus on what matters most.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-bennett/everyone-s-time-is-limited-what-matters-most-is-to-focus-on-what/) [Roy Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-bennett/) > [“When everything is designed to grab your attention, the most radical act is to focus on what matters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/y-k-y-sadek/when-everything-is-designed-to-grab-your-attention-the-most-radical/) [Y.k.y. Sadek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/y-k-y-sadek/) > [“Knowing what outcome you want will enable you to focus on what matters and escape the whirlwind of activity that too often leads nowhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bregman/knowing-what-outcome-you-want-will-enable-you-to-focus-on-what/) [Peter Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bregman/) > [My focus is matters of the heart and matters of the spirit, emotion and passion and stuff like that. But I think I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/my-focus-is-matters-of-the-heart-and-matters-of-the-spirit-emotion/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [Follow your passion. Follow what you believe in. And just keep that focus, because that matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karine-jean-pierre/follow-your-passion-follow-what-you-believe-in-and-just-keep-that/) [Karine Jean-Pierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karine-jean-pierre/) > [Where focus goes, energy flows. And if you don't take the time to focus on what matters, then you're living a life of someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/where-focus-goes-energy-flows-and-if-you-don-t-take-the-time-to-focus/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [History has shown that incumbents tend to fight trends that challenge established ways and, in the process, lose focus on what matters most: customers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-kilar/history-has-shown-that-incumbents-tend-to-fight-trends-that-challenge/) [Jason Kilar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-kilar/) > [The important questions focus on what matters most-Heavenly Father's plan and the Savior's Atonement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-russell-ballard/the-important-questions-focus-on-what-matters-most-heavenly-father-s/) [M. Russell Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-russell-ballard/) > [Keep it simple and focus on what matters. Don't let yourself be overwhelmed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/keep-it-simple-and-focus-on-what-matters-don-t-let-yourself-be/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [I think millennials have really made it their vision and commitment into life to really find themselves, to focus on what matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-shetty/i-think-millennials-have-really-made-it-their-vision-and-commitment/) [Jay Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-shetty/) ## More by Harvey Dorfman > [Self-discipline is a form of freedom. Freedom from laziness and lethargy, freedom from the expectations and demands of others, freedom from weakness and fear-and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-dorfman/self-discipline-is-a-form-of-freedom-freedom-from-laziness-and-2/) [Harvey Dorfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-dorfman/) [Explore all 2 Harvey Dorfman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-dorfman/) ## More Doom quotes > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [... War on the destiny of man! Doom on the sun! Before death takes you, O take back this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/war-on-the-destiny-of-man-doom-on-the-sun-before-death-takes-you-o/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Fate with impartial hand turns out the doom of high and low; her capacious urn is constantly shaking the names of all mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/fate-with-impartial-hand-turns-out-the-doom-of-high-and-low-her/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [It is easy enough to say that man is immortal simply because he will endure: that when the last ding-dong of doom has clanged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/it-is-easy-enough-to-say-that-man-is-immortal-simply-because-he-will/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [Early on a difficult climb, especially a solo climb, you’re hyper-aware of the abyss pulling at your back, constantly feeling its call, its immense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-krakauer/early-on-a-difficult-climb-especially-a-solo-climb-you-re-hyper-aware/) [Jon Krakauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-krakauer/) > [Forget the noose. Forget the Iron Maiden. Forget the electric chair or the guillotine. The mind was mankind's most painful torture chamber, the blessed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffanie-debartolo/forget-the-noose-forget-the-iron-maiden-forget-the-electric-chair-or/) [Tiffanie DeBartolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffanie-debartolo/) > [When there's doom and gloom, don't forget there's darkness before dawn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakesh-jhunjhunwala/when-there-s-doom-and-gloom-don-t-forget-there-s-darkness-before-dawn/) [Rakesh Jhunjhunwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakesh-jhunjhunwala/) > [For Scotland has a double dose of the poison called heredity; the sense of blood in the aristocrat, the sense of doom in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/for-scotland-has-a-double-dose-of-the-poison-called-heredity-the/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Politics is about the participation and engagement of the wider citizenry - to miss that point would doom us to irrelevance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/politics-is-about-the-participation-and-engagement-of-the-wider/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [Social and cultural change, however desirable, should not be effected by the engines of national power. Let us, through persuasion and education, seek to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-goldwater/social-and-cultural-change-however-desirable-should-not-be-effected/) [Barry Goldwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-goldwater/) > [Seek for the Sword that was broken In Imladris it dwells; There shall be counsels taken Stronger than Morgul-spells. There shall be shown a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/seek-for-the-sword-that-was-broken-in-imladris-it-dwells-there-shall/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Cathy, don't look so defeated. She was only trying to put us down again. Maybe nothing did work out right for her, but that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-c-andrews/cathy-don-t-look-so-defeated-she-was-only-trying-to-put-us-down-again/) [V.C. Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-c-andrews/) > [“She told herself that she was happy to meet her executioner.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-maclean/she-told-herself-that-she-was-happy-to-meet-her-executioner/) [Sarah MacLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-maclean/) > [“The danger of darkness is deep doom!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-danger-of-darkness-is-deep-doom/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [There is the extreme of hopelessness and the inevitability of doom, a deep despair that comes from the sense that our industrial, consuming society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-keen/there-is-the-extreme-of-hopelessness-and-the-inevitability-of-doom-a/) [Sam Keen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-keen/) [Browse all 501 Doom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doom/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To focus on matters beyond our control is to misdirect energy, waste time, and doom us to frustration and failure.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Harvey Dorfman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-dorfman/to-focus-on-matters-beyond-our-control-is-to-misdirect-energy-waste/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Doom" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-dorfman/to-focus-on-matters-beyond-our-control-is-to-misdirect-energy-waste/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b15/harvey-dorfman-91360_doom_to-focus-on-matters-beyond-our-control-i_316403.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b15/harvey-dorfman-91360_doom_to-focus-on-matters-beyond-our-control-i_316403.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b15/harvey-dorfman-91360_doom_to-focus-on-matters-beyond-our-control-i_316403.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To focus on matters beyond our control is to misdirect energy, waste time, and doom us to frustration and…” — Harvey Dorfman", "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": "Harvey Dorfman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-dorfman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To focus on matters beyond our...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-dorfman/to-focus-on-matters-beyond-our-control-is-to-misdirect-energy-waste/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-dorfman/to-focus-on-matters-beyond-our-control-is-to-misdirect-energy-waste/#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 } } ] } ```