--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A goal is a dream taken seriously." description: "\"A goal is a dream taken seriously.\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30f/henry-david-thoreau-20_dream_a-goal-is-a-dream-taken-seriously-227281_2272814.jpg" --- # A goal is a dream taken seriously. ![“A goal is a dream taken seriously.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30f/henry-david-thoreau-20_dream_a-goal-is-a-dream-taken-seriously-227281_2272814.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30f/henry-david-thoreau-20_dream_a-goal-is-a-dream-taken-seriously-227281_2272814.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30f/henry-david-thoreau-20_dream_a-goal-is-a-dream-taken-seriously-227281_2272814.jpg) > “A goal is a dream taken seriously.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Dreams become reality when treated with seriousness and planning, turning aspirations into achievable goals. **In simple terms:** Take dreams seriously to achieve them. Key Takeaway Treat dreams as goals. Themes goal-setting dreams seriousness achievement Mood motivational hopeful Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - career planning - personal projects - education - health goals Key Concepts Motivation psychology self-help Questions to Reflect On - What dream will you take seriously? - How can you turn a dream into a plan? A Different Perspective Dreams without action remain fantasies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dream Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream-taken-416303/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goal Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal-dream/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken/) [Taken Seriously](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken-seriously/) ## Related quotes > [“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/) > [He could not play the game without hope; could not play the game without a dream. They had taken it all away from him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-paulsen/he-could-not-play-the-game-without-hope-could-not-play-the-game/) [Gary Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-paulsen/) > [“in it. It means consciousness is lost in its own dream. You get taken in by every thought, every emotion,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/in-it-it-means-consciousness-is-lost-in-its-own-dream-you-get-taken/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [“Either her dream had taken a very odd turn or else - or else Mary had really rushed into the room and had said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/either-her-dream-had-taken-a-very-odd-turn-or-else-or-else-mary-had/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [I had a goal, I had a dream¦and at the end of the day no matter what people say to you as long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-sixx/i-had-a-goal-i-had-a-dream-and-at-the-end-of-the-day-no-matter-what/) [Andy Sixx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-sixx/) > [I want to be taken seriously as a musician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-marais/i-want-to-be-taken-seriously-as-a-musician/) [Jonah Marais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-marais/) > [In a general way, anything that affects men is taken more seriously than anything that affects only women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/in-a-general-way-anything-that-affects-men-is-taken-more-seriously/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [The Russian people, at least the ones I know, have pride in being a Russian. And, therefore, they want to be taken seriously in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/the-russian-people-at-least-the-ones-i-know-have-pride-in-being-a/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [I would love to see women be able to be powerful, complex, smart, opinionated and taken seriously, even if they are beautiful. Even more,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-heard/i-would-love-to-see-women-be-able-to-be-powerful-complex-smart/) [Amber Heard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-heard/) > [If there's anything I hate more than not being taken seriously, it's being taken too seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-wilder/if-there-s-anything-i-hate-more-than-not-being-taken-seriously-it-s/) [Billy Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-wilder/) > [I've taken my bumps and bruises, but you've got to be willing to get knocked down and pick yourself up. You can't get discouraged.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jermaine-o-neal/i-ve-taken-my-bumps-and-bruises-but-you-ve-got-to-be-willing-to-get/) [Jermaine O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jermaine-o-neal/) > [I want to do it for myself. It's my goal and dream. All I can ask for is to get the chance and go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-patterson/i-want-to-do-it-for-myself-it-s-my-goal-and-dream-all-i-can-ask-for/) [Carly Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-patterson/) > [You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. --C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-3/you-are-never-too-old-to-set-another-goal-or-to-dream-a-new-dream-c-s/) [C S Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-3/) > [TO be racing in Formula One with Mclaren has been the ultimate goal for me. It's a dream come true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-hamilton/to-be-racing-in-formula-one-with-mclaren-has-been-the-ultimate-goal/) [Lewis Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-hamilton/) > [I had a goal, I had a dream¦and at the end of the day no matter what people say to you as long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-goal-i-had-a-dream-and-at-the-end-of-the-day-no-matter-what-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More Dream quotes > [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/) [Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“I had a dream. I had an awesome dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-i-had-an-awesome-dream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Browse all 26,527 Dream quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A goal is a dream taken seriously.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-goal-is-a-dream-taken-seriously/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dream" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-goal-is-a-dream-taken-seriously/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30f/henry-david-thoreau-20_dream_a-goal-is-a-dream-taken-seriously-227281_2272814.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30f/henry-david-thoreau-20_dream_a-goal-is-a-dream-taken-seriously-227281_2272814.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30f/henry-david-thoreau-20_dream_a-goal-is-a-dream-taken-seriously-227281_2272814.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A goal is a dream taken seriously.” — Henry David Thoreau", "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": "Henry David Thoreau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A goal is a dream taken...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-goal-is-a-dream-taken-seriously/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-goal-is-a-dream-taken-seriously/#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 } } ] } ```