---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It doesn’t matter that something you’ve…"
description: "\"“It doesn’t matter that something you’ve done before worked out well. Your last piece is never going to write your next one for you.”\" — John McPhee"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0a/john-mcphee-11840_write_it-doesn-t-matter-that-something-you-ve_3224975.jpg"
---

#  It doesn’t matter that something you’ve done before worked…

![“It doesn’t matter that something you’ve done before worked out well. Your last piece is never going to write your next one for you.” quote by John McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0a/john-mcphee-11840_write_it-doesn-t-matter-that-something-you-ve_3224975.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0a/john-mcphee-11840_write_it-doesn-t-matter-that-something-you-ve_3224975.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0a/john-mcphee-11840_write_it-doesn-t-matter-that-something-you-ve_3224975.jpg)

> ““It doesn’t matter that something you’ve done before worked out well. Your last piece is never going to write your next one for you.””

[John McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcphee/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Past successes shouldn't dictate future expectations; each new work must be earned anew.

**In simple terms:** Past success doesn't guarantee future results.

Key Takeaway

Approach each project fresh, without assumptions.

Themes

creativity growth expectations

Mood

analytical inspirational

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- career projects
- artistic endeavors
- academic research

Key Concepts

learning innovation

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you ensure fresh perspectives?
- What habits keep you from complacency?

A Different Perspective

Relying on past methods can limit innovation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [Another way of working is setting deliberate constraints that aren't musical ones - like saying, "Well, this piece is going to be three minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/another-way-of-working-is-setting-deliberate-constraints-that-aren-t/)

[Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/)

> [When it comes to the cyberwarfare piece, we're going to have to deal with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/when-it-comes-to-the-cyberwarfare-piece-we-re-going-to-have-to-deal/)

[John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/)

> [I think writer's block is simply the dread that you are going to write something horrible. But as a writer, I believe that if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-blount-jr/i-think-writer-s-block-is-simply-the-dread-that-you-are-going-to/)

[Roy Blount, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-blount-jr/)

> [You know, we never really know what we're going to write next. Which is part of the excitement when we go in and do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harris/you-know-we-never-really-know-what-we-re-going-to-write-next-which-is/)

[Steve Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harris/)

> [In a fit of pique, I said to my agent, 'I'm going to write something you can sell.' The idea was to write a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-duncan/in-a-fit-of-pique-i-said-to-my-agent-i-m-going-to-write-something-you/)

[Glen Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-duncan/)

> [A lot of times, somebody will say something and it will give you a good title. So you carry a pencil with you and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-autry/a-lot-of-times-somebody-will-say-something-and-it-will-give-you-a/)

[Gene Autry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-autry/)

> [If you are going to write, nothing will stop you, and if you are not going to write, nothing will make you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/if-you-are-going-to-write-nothing-will-stop-you-and-if-you-are-not/)

[Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/)

> [In fact, when I finally realized I was really going to write, when I was about thirty-four, I was working on my Ph.D. in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-jo-campbell/in-fact-when-i-finally-realized-i-was-really-going-to-write-when-i/)

[Bonnie Jo Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-jo-campbell/)

> [I've always found too that somewhere in whatever you've just written lies the seed of what you're going to write next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-specktor/i-ve-always-found-too-that-somewhere-in-whatever-you-ve-just-written/)

[Matthew Specktor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-specktor/)

> [I'm going to write films, star in films, direct films. Write records. Perform live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pitt/i-m-going-to-write-films-star-in-films-direct-films-write-records/)

[Michael Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pitt/)

> [There comes a point when you can more or less count the number of books you're going to write before you die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/there-comes-a-point-when-you-can-more-or-less-count-the-number-of/)

[Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/)

> [I’m going to trust this, I’m going to follow my path and my passion and I’m going to write from my heart...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doreen-virtue/i-m-going-to-trust-this-i-m-going-to-follow-my-path-and-my-passion/)

[Doreen Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doreen-virtue/)

> [“I'm going to write a novel and get it published. I'm going to do it because writing a novel is worthwhile and because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-ingermanson/i-m-going-to-write-a-novel-and-get-it-published-i-m-going-to-do-it/)

[Randy Ingermanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-ingermanson/)

> [Publishing a novel was such a proud thing for me. When I was a kid, I used to say to my mum and dad,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/publishing-a-novel-was-such-a-proud-thing-for-me-when-i-was-a-kid-i/)

[David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/)

> [One of the things about what . . . I do - writing plays - is that a poll is not taken before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-wasserstein/one-of-the-things-about-what-i-do-writing-plays-is-that-a-poll-is-not/)

[Wendy Wasserstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wasserstein/)

## More by John McPhee

> [“For nonfiction projects, ideas are everywhere. They just go by in a ceaseless stream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcphee/for-nonfiction-projects-ideas-are-everywhere-they-just-go-by-in-a/)

[John McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcphee/)

> [In making war with nature, there was risk of loss in winning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcphee/in-making-war-with-nature-there-was-risk-of-loss-in-winning/)

[John McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcphee/)

> [“I’d much rather watch people do what they do than talk to them across a desk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcphee/i-d-much-rather-watch-people-do-what-they-do-than-talk-to-them-across/)

[John McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcphee/)

> [I used to sit in class and listen to the terms come floating down the room like paper airplanes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcphee/i-used-to-sit-in-class-and-listen-to-the-terms-come-floating-down-the/)

[John McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcphee/)

> [“A lead is good not because it dances, fires cannons, or whistles like a train but because it is absolute to what follows.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcphee/a-lead-is-good-not-because-it-dances-fires-cannons-or-whistles-like-a/)

[John McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcphee/)

> [“If basketball was going to enable Bradley to make friends, to prove that a banker's son is as good as the next fellow, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcphee/if-basketball-was-going-to-enable-bradley-to-make-friends-to-prove/)

[John McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcphee/)

> [“Since most callers have until moments before been completely unaware that there are bears in New Jersey, there is often in their voices a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcphee/since-most-callers-have-until-moments-before-been-completely-unaware/)

[John McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcphee/)

> [“Incandescent carbon particles, by the tens of millions, leap free of the log and wave like banners, as flame. Several hundred significantly different chemical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcphee/incandescent-carbon-particles-by-the-tens-of-millions-leap-free-of/)

[John McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcphee/)

> [“If you have to ask that question, you wouldn't understand the answer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcphee/if-you-have-to-ask-that-question-you-wouldn-t-understand-the-answer/)

[John McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcphee/)

> [Almost all Americans would recognize Anchorage, because Anchorage is that part of any city where the city has burst its seams and extruded Colonel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcphee/almost-all-americans-would-recognize-anchorage-because-anchorage-is/)

[John McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcphee/)

> [“The doctor listens in with a stethoscope and hears sounds of a warpath Indian drum. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcphee/the-doctor-listens-in-with-a-stethoscope-and-hears-sounds-of-a/)

[John McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcphee/)

> [On a certain scale, it does look like I do a lot. But that’s my day, all day long, sitting there wondering when I’m…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcphee/on-a-certain-scale-it-does-look-like-i-do-a-lot-but-that-s-my-day-all/)

[John McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcphee/)

> [“There is no Weatherfax map on the Stella Lykes—only the barometer, the barographs, the teletypes from NOAA. The radar can see a storm, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcphee/there-is-no-weatherfax-map-on-the-stella-lykes-only-the-barometer-the/)

[John McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcphee/)

> [He (Dave Brower) is an emotionalist in an age of dangerous reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcphee/he-dave-brower-is-an-emotionalist-in-an-age-of-dangerous-reason/)

[John McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcphee/)

> [Taking things from one source is plagiarism; taking things from several sources is research.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcphee/taking-things-from-one-source-is-plagiarism-taking-things-from/)

[John McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcphee/)

[Explore all 57 John McPhee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcphee/)

## More Write quotes

> [I feel like the future is unwritten. So many of the things that we write now haven't been about educating people on the environment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flansburgh/i-feel-like-the-future-is-unwritten-so-many-of-the-things-that-we/)

[John Flansburgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flansburgh/)

> [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/)

[Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/)

> [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/)

[Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/)

> [I might, by chance, write something just as shoddy; But then I wouldn't show it to everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/i-might-by-chance-write-something-just-as-shoddy-but-then-i-wouldn-t/)

[Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/)

> [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [It's a shame that when you've actually lived some life and have something to write about, they're saying you're too old to come out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/it-s-a-shame-that-when-you-ve-actually-lived-some-life-and-have/)

[KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/)

> [I think I need the demons in order to write, but the demons have gone. It bothers me a lot. I've tried and tried,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-wilson/i-think-i-need-the-demons-in-order-to-write-but-the-demons-have-gone/)

[Brian Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-wilson/)

> [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/)

[Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/)

> [Everything I write is highly personal, but put in such a way that it's not dropping everything in someone's lap. Although sometimes I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-siberry/everything-i-write-is-highly-personal-but-put-in-such-a-way-that-it-s/)

[Jane Siberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-siberry/)

> [You make me want to write bad poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-make-me-want-to-write-bad-poetry/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I wish that I had known back then that a mastery of process would lead to a product. Then I probably wouldn't have found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/i-wish-that-i-had-known-back-then-that-a-mastery-of-process-would/)

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

> [If I wanted to change the world, the last thing I would do is write a play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/if-i-wanted-to-change-the-world-the-last-thing-i-would-do-is-write-a/)

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

> [I write my story in my books, It show that your name filled in my books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-write-my-story-in-my-books-it-show-that-your-name-filled-in-my-books/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The midwest is great because it hasn't been entirely claimed. There's more room to write about it; it's harder to write about New York,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/the-midwest-is-great-because-it-hasn-t-been-entirely-claimed-there-s/)

[Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/)

Browse all 9,848 Write quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“It doesn’t matter that something you’ve done before worked out well. Your last piece is never going to write your next one for you.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John McPhee"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcphee/it-doesn-t-matter-that-something-you-ve-done-before-worked-out-well/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Write"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcphee/it-doesn-t-matter-that-something-you-ve-done-before-worked-out-well/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0a/john-mcphee-11840_write_it-doesn-t-matter-that-something-you-ve_3224975.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0a/john-mcphee-11840_write_it-doesn-t-matter-that-something-you-ve_3224975.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0a/john-mcphee-11840_write_it-doesn-t-matter-that-something-you-ve_3224975.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It doesn’t matter that something you’ve done before worked out well. Your last piece is never going to write…” — John McPhee",
                "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": "John McPhee",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcphee/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“It doesn’t matter that something you’ve...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcphee/it-doesn-t-matter-that-something-you-ve-done-before-worked-out-well/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcphee/it-doesn-t-matter-that-something-you-ve-done-before-worked-out-well/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
