--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Figure out where you're going before you…" description: "\"Figure out where you're going before you go there: he was told that a long time ago.\" — John Updike" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64a/john-updike-396_figures_figure-out-where-you-re-going-before-you_2994763.png" --- # Figure out where you're going before you go there: he was… ![“Figure out where you're going before you go there: he was told that a long time ago.” quote by John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64a/john-updike-396_figures_figure-out-where-you-re-going-before-you_2994763.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64a/john-updike-396_figures_figure-out-where-you-re-going-before-you_2994763.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64a/john-updike-396_figures_figure-out-where-you-re-going-before-you_2994763.png) > “Figure out where you're going before you go there: he was told that a long time ago.” [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Plan your direction before acting to avoid wasted effort. **In simple terms:** Know your goal before moving. Key Takeaway Clarify goals before starting. Themes planning direction efficiency Mood pragmatic thoughtful Type advice motivational When to use this quote - career planning - project management - personal development Key Concepts goal setting strategic thinking Questions to Reflect On - How do you adjust when goals shift? - What tools help you map direction? A Different Perspective Plans can change unexpectedly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Figures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figures/) [Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going/) [Going Told](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-told-1254136/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-time/) [Long time ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-time-ago/) [Road](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/road/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-ago/) [Told Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/told-long-255330/) ## Related quotes > [I love when someone remembers something I told them a long time ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/i-love-when-someone-remembers-something-i-told-them-a-long-time-ago/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [When I finally invent a time machine you will already know about it because I'll have told you a long time ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-gould/when-i-finally-invent-a-time-machine-you-will-already-know-about-it/) [Dana Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-gould/) > [My dad and I didn't talk much. Our relationship was OK but not amazing. So there I was, dressed up in my sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/my-dad-and-i-didn-t-talk-much-our-relationship-was-ok-but-not-amazing/) [Timothy B. Schmit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-b-schmit/) > [I'm not going to be told that I shouldn't be doing anything, or behaving in any particular way at any age of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-meaden/i-m-not-going-to-be-told-that-i-shouldn-t-be-doing-anything-or/) [Deborah Meaden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-meaden/) > [“Max:"So the first thing we're going to do," I told him, "is push you off the roof.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/max-so-the-first-thing-we-re-going-to-do-i-told-him-is-push-you-off/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Something may have happened before, and yet this thing that happened just after may be so important that you don't even know about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-damasio/something-may-have-happened-before-and-yet-this-thing-that-happened/) [Antonio Damasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-damasio/) > [When you're a step onto a football field, never is that more evident that the truth is going to get told.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/when-you-re-a-step-onto-a-football-field-never-is-that-more-evident/) [Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/) > [Keep going' she told herself, 'Don't look back.' But she looked anyways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/keep-going-she-told-herself-don-t-look-back-but-she-looked-anyways/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [“Because I learned a long time ago that it’s better to have people react to you than to react to them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-kent/because-i-learned-a-long-time-ago-that-it-s-better-to-have-people/) [Julia Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-kent/) > [She may physically be with him, but he gave me his heart a long time ago and thats something I'll never give her](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/break-10/she-may-physically-be-with-him-but-he-gave-me-his-heart-a-long-time/) [Break '10](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/break-10/) > [“It was all a long time ago and at this stage we just don’t know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/it-was-all-a-long-time-ago-and-at-this-stage-we-just-don-t-know/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [The hardest part of letting go is knowing the other person already did, a long time ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-hardest-part-of-letting-go-is-knowing-the-other-person-already/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“One thing I learned a long time ago is that even if you think you're meant to be with someone, that doesn't necessarily mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-kenneally/one-thing-i-learned-a-long-time-ago-is-that-even-if-you-think-you-re/) [Miranda Kenneally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-kenneally/) > [When you get over the anxiety, you discover you should have been mad a long time ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-clampitt/when-you-get-over-the-anxiety-you-discover-you-should-have-been-mad-a/) [Amy Clampitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-clampitt/) > [I have been on only one reality show, which was a dance show, a long time ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mukul-dev/i-have-been-on-only-one-reality-show-which-was-a-dance-show-a-long/) [Mukul Dev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mukul-dev/) ## More by John Updike > [Life is a roller coaster, you have your ups and downs unless you fall off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/life-is-a-roller-coaster-you-have-your-ups-and-downs-unless-you-fall/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [Children are not a zoo of entertainingly exotic creatures, but an array of mirrors in which the human predicament leaps out at us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/children-are-not-a-zoo-of-entertainingly-exotic-creatures-but-an/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I assume my stance, and take back the club, low, slowly; at the top, my eyes fog over, and my joints dip and swirl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-assume-my-stance-and-take-back-the-club-low-slowly-at-the-top-my/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [The New England spirit does not seek solutions in a crowd; raw light and solitariness are less dreaded than welcomed as enhancers of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-new-england-spirit-does-not-seek-solutions-in-a-crowd-raw-light/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I imagine most of that stuff on the information highway is roadkill anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-imagine-most-of-that-stuff-on-the-information-highway-is-roadkill/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [Families, doing everything for each other out of imagined obligation and always getting in each other's way, what a tangle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/families-doing-everything-for-each-other-out-of-imagined-obligation/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“The fucking world is running out of gas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-fucking-world-is-running-out-of-gas/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [The theme of old age doesn't seem to fascinate Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-theme-of-old-age-doesn-t-seem-to-fascinate-hollywood/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“The mind cannot fall asleep as long as it watches itself. Only when the mind moves unwatched and becomes absorbed in images that tug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-mind-cannot-fall-asleep-as-long-as-it-watches-itself-only-when/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“it was somehow wonderful of her to be, in every detail, herself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/it-was-somehow-wonderful-of-her-to-be-in-every-detail-herself/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [In fiction, imaginary people become realer to us than any named celebrity glimpsed in a series of rumored events, whose causes and subtler ramifications…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/in-fiction-imaginary-people-become-realer-to-us-than-any-named/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“Her hair had been going gray as long as he could remember; she bundled it behind in a bun held with hairpins that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/her-hair-had-been-going-gray-as-long-as-he-could-remember-she-bundled/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [Possession diminishes perception of value, immediately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/possession-diminishes-perception-of-value-immediately/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I can't bear to finish things, beyond a certain point they get heavy. There's something so dead about a finished painting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-can-t-bear-to-finish-things-beyond-a-certain-point-they-get-heavy/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“Some people find fall depressing, others hate spring. I've always been a spring person myself. All that growth, you can feel Nature groaning, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/some-people-find-fall-depressing-others-hate-spring-i-ve-always-been/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) [Explore all 592 John Updike quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) ## More Figures quotes > [The tough thing about radio is I've met a lot of people in it who like my music. But it's hard for them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-isaak/the-tough-thing-about-radio-is-i-ve-met-a-lot-of-people-in-it-who/) [Chris Isaak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-isaak/) > [I was always anti-marriage. I didn't understand monogamy. I couldn't figure out how that could last. And then I met Bryn and I started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-bello/i-was-always-anti-marriage-i-didn-t-understand-monogamy-i-couldn-t/) [Maria Bello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-bello/) > [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. But is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-is-sometimes-said-that-scientists-are-unromantic-that-their/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [My life is a crystal teardrop. There are snowflakes falling in the teardrop and little figures trudging in slow motion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/my-life-is-a-crystal-teardrop-there-are-snowflakes-falling-in-the/) [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) > [The best way to hold customers is to constantly figure out how to give them more for less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kotler/the-best-way-to-hold-customers-is-to-constantly-figure-out-how-to/) [Philip Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kotler/) > [What do you want for your life? And how are you going to get it? Figure that out. And then follow me to gloryville.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ellis/what-do-you-want-for-your-life-and-how-are-you-going-to-get-it-figure/) [Jason Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-ellis/) > [I don't have to figure out how God is going to solve my problem. I don't have to understand how He's going to bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-don-t-have-to-figure-out-how-god-is-going-to-solve-my-problem-i-don/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [In comparative terms, there's no poverty in America by a long shot. Heritage Foundation political scientist Robert Rector has worked up figures showing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/in-comparative-terms-there-s-no-poverty-in-america-by-a-long-shot/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [ \[Hitler thought\] that Mussolini was no figure of world history, like der Fuehrer or Stalin. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-goebbels/hitler-thought-that-mussolini-was-no-figure-of-world-history-like-der/) [Joseph Goebbels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-goebbels/) > [The thing about a pick-up line is, even if it works, then what? I just figure you unapologetically be yourself, and if it works,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skylar-astin/the-thing-about-a-pick-up-line-is-even-if-it-works-then-what-i-just/) [Skylar Astin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skylar-astin/) > [Anderson sent me to give you this he said. I believe the subtext was kiss and makeup. This time I was sure I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-black/anderson-sent-me-to-give-you-this-he-said-i-believe-the-subtext-was/) [Jenna Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-black/) > [It's a lot of money, but in reality what's important is the kids health. I suppose the day could come where we could walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-carter/it-s-a-lot-of-money-but-in-reality-what-s-important-is-the-kids/) [Jeff Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-carter/) > [I've used Twitter now and again to try to figure something out; it's an amazing resource. But I think you have to use it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-ve-used-twitter-now-and-again-to-try-to-figure-something-out-it-s/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [The figure of the enthusiast who has just discovered jogging or a new way to fix tofu can be said to stand or, more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-h-lapham/the-figure-of-the-enthusiast-who-has-just-discovered-jogging-or-a-new/) [Lewis H. Lapham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-h-lapham/) [Browse all 4,696 Figures quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figures/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Figure out where you're going before you go there: he was told that a long time ago.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Updike" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/figure-out-where-you-re-going-before-you-go-there-he-was-told-that-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Figures" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/figure-out-where-you-re-going-before-you-go-there-he-was-told-that-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64a/john-updike-396_figures_figure-out-where-you-re-going-before-you_2994763.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64a/john-updike-396_figures_figure-out-where-you-re-going-before-you_2994763.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64a/john-updike-396_figures_figure-out-where-you-re-going-before-you_2994763.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Figure out where you're going before you go there: he was told that a long time ago.” — John Updike", "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 Updike", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Figure out where you're going before...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/figure-out-where-you-re-going-before-you-go-there-he-was-told-that-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/figure-out-where-you-re-going-before-you-go-there-he-was-told-that-a/#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 } } ] } ```