--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It so happened that my goals kind of…" description: "\"It so happened that my goals kind of matched my career progression toward becoming an astronaut.\" — John L. Phillips" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6be/john-l-phillips-29030_astronaut_it-so-happened-that-my-goals-kind-of-mat_1587550.png" --- # It so happened that my goals kind of matched my career… ![“It so happened that my goals kind of matched my career progression toward becoming an astronaut.” quote by John L. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6be/john-l-phillips-29030_astronaut_it-so-happened-that-my-goals-kind-of-mat_1587550.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6be/john-l-phillips-29030_astronaut_it-so-happened-that-my-goals-kind-of-mat_1587550.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6be/john-l-phillips-29030_astronaut_it-so-happened-that-my-goals-kind-of-mat_1587550.png) > “It so happened that my goals kind of matched my career progression toward becoming an astronaut.” [John L. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-phillips/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Your personal ambitions aligned with your professional path, leading to a career in space exploration. **In simple terms:** Goals matched career, leading to space work. Key Takeaway Align goals with career for fulfillment. Themes career ambition space exploration Mood inspired optimistic Type motivational reflective When to use this quote - job search - career planning - education choices - long‑term vision Key Concepts goal alignment career development Questions to Reflect On - How can you steer your career toward your passions? - What steps help reveal hidden alignments? A Different Perspective Alignment may be coincidental, not guaranteed for everyone. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Astronaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astronaut/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Progression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progression/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) ## Related quotes > [A career is a progression of ups and downs, how you deal with them and how you bounce back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/a-career-is-a-progression-of-ups-and-downs-how-you-deal-with-them-and/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [“Career progression often depends upon taking risks and advocating for oneself—traits that girls are discouraged from exhibiting. This may explain why girls’ academic gains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/career-progression-often-depends-upon-taking-risks-and-advocating-for/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [I've always been a 'small goals' kind of guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-combs/i-ve-always-been-a-small-goals-kind-of-guy/) [Luke Combs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-combs/) > [My dad gives me goals, and then I kind of go even farther beyond those.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myles-garrett/my-dad-gives-me-goals-and-then-i-kind-of-go-even-farther-beyond-those/) [Myles Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myles-garrett/) > [I have a few goals that I kind of keep to myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-mauer/i-have-a-few-goals-that-i-kind-of-keep-to-myself/) [Joe Mauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-mauer/) > [ You know, your species \[humans\] has the most amazing capacity for self-deception, matched only by its ingenuity in trying to destroy itself. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-aaronovitch/you-know-your-species-humans-has-the-most-amazing-capacity-for-self/) [Ben Aaronovitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-aaronovitch/) > [“it, and that somehow matched the thick socks on”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/it-and-that-somehow-matched-the-thick-socks-on/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [Mere experience, if it is not matched by deep concentration, does not translate into excellence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-syed/mere-experience-if-it-is-not-matched-by-deep-concentration-does-not/) [Matthew Syed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-syed/) > [My wife could turn to me and she may say, 'Why do you love me?' And I can with all honesty look her in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-ince/my-wife-could-turn-to-me-and-she-may-say-why-do-you-love-me-and-i-can/) [Robin Ince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-ince/) > [I'm a dark blonde, yes. I dyed my hair blue, then black, when I was 14. I thought the colour was more flattering and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-green/i-m-a-dark-blonde-yes-i-dyed-my-hair-blue-then-black-when-i-was-14-i/) [Eva Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-green/) > [As long as there are big corporations, there will be big unions. The economic power of big business will be matched by the economic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-chase-smith/as-long-as-there-are-big-corporations-there-will-be-big-unions-the/) [Margaret Chase Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-chase-smith/) > [“Ever minute you spend with someone gives them a part of your life and takes part of theirs" -Cassia, 'Matched”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/ever-minute-you-spend-with-someone-gives-them-a-part-of-your-life-and/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [Our fate is matched by the total freedom we have to react to our fate. It is as if we were dealt a hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/our-fate-is-matched-by-the-total-freedom-we-have-to-react-to-our-fate/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [One who is connected to the Energy Stream is more powerful than a million who are not. And two who are harmoniously focused and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/one-who-is-connected-to-the-energy-stream-is-more-powerful-than-a/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [Unobstructed access to facts can produce unlimited good only if it is matched by the desire and ability to find out what they mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/unobstructed-access-to-facts-can-produce-unlimited-good-only-if-it-is/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) ## More by John L. Phillips > [Small samples in the centrifuge will spin at varying rates to create synthetic gravity, like the gravity of Mars or the gravity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-phillips/small-samples-in-the-centrifuge-will-spin-at-varying-rates-to-create/) [John L. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-phillips/) > [Every day, we get a little bit closer to the kind of expertise and the kind of experience we're going to need to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-phillips/every-day-we-get-a-little-bit-closer-to-the-kind-of-expertise-and-the/) [John L. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-phillips/) > [It took me a long time to get selected as an astronaut. In fact, I applied for 20 years before I was selected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-phillips/it-took-me-a-long-time-to-get-selected-as-an-astronaut-in-fact-i/) [John L. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-phillips/) > [Since the Columbia accident, the Russian space agency, or the Russian space program, has been literally carrying the load bringing us all the supplies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-phillips/since-the-columbia-accident-the-russian-space-agency-or-the-russian/) [John L. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-phillips/) > [I think it's going to be a very important, unique data set in terms of measuring the behavior of your lower body in space…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-phillips/i-think-it-s-going-to-be-a-very-important-unique-data-set-in-terms-of/) [John L. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-phillips/) > [My dad served in two wars has been flying airplanes for 60 years now. He was certainly quite an inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-phillips/my-dad-served-in-two-wars-has-been-flying-airplanes-for-60-years-now/) [John L. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-phillips/) > [If I wasn't doing this kind of exploration, I'd like to be doing some other kind of exploration. It might be more risky, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-phillips/if-i-wasn-t-doing-this-kind-of-exploration-i-d-like-to-be-doing-some/) [John L. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-phillips/) > [The Space Shuttle will stop directly below the Space Station and Sergei and I will be looking out two different windows looking straight down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-phillips/the-space-shuttle-will-stop-directly-below-the-space-station-and/) [John L. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-phillips/) > [A civilization that only looks inward will stagnate. We have to keep looking outward; we have to keep finding new avenues for human endeavor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-phillips/a-civilization-that-only-looks-inward-will-stagnate-we-have-to-keep/) [John L. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-phillips/) > [We would like to carry out 100 percent, or maybe more, of our scientific program; I would like to devote some of my spare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-phillips/we-would-like-to-carry-out-100-percent-or-maybe-more-of-our/) [John L. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-phillips/) > [I never made a career decision based solely on my desire to be an astronaut. I attended the Naval Academy because I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-phillips/i-never-made-a-career-decision-based-solely-on-my-desire-to-be-an/) [John L. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-phillips/) > [Researchers can measure what kind of angles your legs take up during the day when they're just trailing around behind you in weightless conditions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-phillips/researchers-can-measure-what-kind-of-angles-your-legs-take-up-during/) [John L. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-phillips/) > [There weren't any astronauts until I was about 10. Yuri Gagarin went into space right around my 10th birthday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-phillips/there-weren-t-any-astronauts-until-i-was-about-10-yuri-gagarin-went/) [John L. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-phillips/) > [We're going to be focusing our science on things that will take us farther and longer into space. For many of those experiments, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-phillips/we-re-going-to-be-focusing-our-science-on-things-that-will-take-us/) [John L. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-phillips/) > [After assembly complete, when we have a larger crew on orbit, a more complex vehicle, more laboratories and more robot arms, maybe we'll have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-phillips/after-assembly-complete-when-we-have-a-larger-crew-on-orbit-a-more/) [John L. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-phillips/) [Explore all 18 John L. Phillips quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-phillips/) ## More Astronaut quotes > [I went to school at night in L.A. to brush up on my engineering while I applied to the astronaut program. I really did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/i-went-to-school-at-night-in-l-a-to-brush-up-on-my-engineering-while/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > ['You spin in the sky, the world spins under you, and you step from land to land, while we . . .' She turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/you-spin-in-the-sky-the-world-spins-under-you-and-you-step-from-land/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [I think the astronaut job is the best job in the world. I realized when I was older and started applying for it that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-massimino/i-think-the-astronaut-job-is-the-best-job-in-the-world-i-realized/) [Michael J. Massimino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-massimino/) > [NASA is developing space taxis to shuttle astronauts to the International Space Station. And just like New York taxis, they're all going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/nasa-is-developing-space-taxis-to-shuttle-astronauts-to-the/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [I stayed in the astronaut program until 1993. People ask me why I left. I thought I had a lot of things to contribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/i-stayed-in-the-astronaut-program-until-1993-people-ask-me-why-i-left/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [“Sometimes when people find out I’m an astronaut, they ask, “So what do you do when you’re not flying in space?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/sometimes-when-people-find-out-i-m-an-astronaut-they-ask-so-what-do/) [Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) > [Rugby has surprisingly helped me a lot as an astronaut and when I'm training in the space suit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mcclain/rugby-has-surprisingly-helped-me-a-lot-as-an-astronaut-and-when-i-m/) [Anne McClain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mcclain/) > [As a former Apollo astronaut, I think it's safe to say that SpaceX and the other commercial developers embody the 21st century version of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-schweickart/as-a-former-apollo-astronaut-i-think-it-s-safe-to-say-that-spacex-and/) [Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/) > [My optimism and confidence come not from feeling I'm luckier than other mortals, and they sure don't come from visualizing victory. They're the result…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/my-optimism-and-confidence-come-not-from-feeling-i-m-luckier-than/) [Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) > [“My experiences in the Astronaut Corps had taught me that you never know what will happen from day to day. It’s best to experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leland-melvin/my-experiences-in-the-astronaut-corps-had-taught-me-that-you-never/) [Leland Melvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leland-melvin/) > [As a kid, I knew I wanted to be either a cartoonist or an astronaut. The latter was never much of a possibility, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/as-a-kid-i-knew-i-wanted-to-be-either-a-cartoonist-or-an-astronaut/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [I think it's good to have competition. Now we have a third country that can launch astronauts, so it's good for all of us.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-chiao/i-think-it-s-good-to-have-competition-now-we-have-a-third-country/) [Leroy Chiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-chiao/) > [I was told when I grew up I could be anything I wanted: a fireman, a policeman, a doctor – even President, it seemed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-was-told-when-i-grew-up-i-could-be-anything-i-wanted-a-fireman-a/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [The Earth was small, light blue, and so touchingly alone, our home that must be defended like a holy relic. The Earth was absolutely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexey-leonov/the-earth-was-small-light-blue-and-so-touchingly-alone-our-home-that/) Alexey Leonov > [“Whilst my mother couldn't give me access to the world, she at least made sure to let me know it existed. A kid cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/whilst-my-mother-couldn-t-give-me-access-to-the-world-she-at-least/) [Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) [Browse all 463 Astronaut quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astronaut/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It so happened that my goals kind of matched my career progression toward becoming an astronaut.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John L. 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