--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Stay the course. When thwarted try again…" description: "\"Stay the course. When thwarted try again; harder; smarter. Persevere relentlessly.\" — John Wooden" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd3/john-wooden-420_courses_stay-the-course-when-thwarted-try-again_36213.png" --- # Stay the course. When thwarted try again; harder; smarter… ![“Stay the course. When thwarted try again; harder; smarter. Persevere relentlessly.” quote by John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd3/john-wooden-420_courses_stay-the-course-when-thwarted-try-again_36213.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd3/john-wooden-420_courses_stay-the-course-when-thwarted-try-again_36213.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd3/john-wooden-420_courses_stay-the-course-when-thwarted-try-again_36213.png) > “Stay the course. When thwarted try again; harder; smarter. Persevere relentlessly.” [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Persistence requires adapting strategies after setbacks, not just repeating effort. **In simple terms:** Adapt and keep trying. Key Takeaway Resilience is strategic, not blind. Themes resilience perseverance adaptability growth mindset determination Mood determined motivated focused Type motivational advice proverb When to use this quote - sports competition - business project - academic research - personal health goal - creative endeavor Key Concepts goal pursuit learning from failure mental toughness Practical Applications - coaching sessions - self‑improvement workshops Questions to Reflect On - What adjustments can you make after a setback? - How does strategic perseverance differ from stubbornness? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“Dream greatly. Work diligently. Persevere relentlessly. Rest sufficiently.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/dream-greatly-work-diligently-persevere-relentlessly-rest-sufficiently/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“Sometimes you can't see the road ahead but as you keep going, it gets clearer. 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Eventually it will either come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-bon-jovi/you-just-stay-the-course-and-do-what-it-is-that-you-do-and-grow-while/) [Jon Bon Jovi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-bon-jovi/) > [If you believe that there's a being superior to yourself and that will guide you, strengthen you that helps a lot but, you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/if-you-believe-that-there-s-a-being-superior-to-yourself-and-that/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [“There was nothing in life harder or more important than agreeing every morning to stay the course, to go back to your forgotten self…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-straub/there-was-nothing-in-life-harder-or-more-important-than-agreeing/) [Emma Straub](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-straub/) > [I don't give up. I'm a plodder. People come and go, but I stay the course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/i-don-t-give-up-i-m-a-plodder-people-come-and-go-but-i-stay-the-course/) [Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) > [It's football. There's ups and downs. Just stay true to yourself, stay the course, work every week. It eventually turns over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordy-nelson/it-s-football-there-s-ups-and-downs-just-stay-true-to-yourself-stay/) [Jordy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordy-nelson/) ## More by John Wooden > [It's not how big you are, it's how big you play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/it-s-not-how-big-you-are-it-s-how-big-you-play/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [Defense is a definite part of the game, and a great part of defense is learning to play it without fouling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/defense-is-a-definite-part-of-the-game-and-a-great-part-of-defense-is/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [“It's not so important who starts the game but who finishes it. -John wooden”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/it-s-not-so-important-who-starts-the-game-but-who-finishes-it-john/) [John wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [“I remain convinced to this day that compassion like that—sincerely caring for your players and maintaining an active interest in their lives, concerns, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/i-remain-convinced-to-this-day-that-compassion-like-that-sincerely/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [I'm not going to say I was opposed to the Vietnam War. 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Emotionalism makes you weaker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/intensity-makes-you-stronger-emotionalism-makes-you-weaker/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [Reputation is what others perceive you as being, and their opinion may be right or wrong. Character, however, is what you really are, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/reputation-is-what-others-perceive-you-as-being-and-their-opinion-may/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [We can give without loving, but we can't love without giving. In fact, love is nothing unless we give it to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/we-can-give-without-loving-but-we-can-t-love-without-giving-in-fact/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) [Explore all 578 John Wooden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) ## More Courses quotes > [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 critical day is not the very day of our death; but the whole course of our life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/our-critical-day-is-not-the-very-day-of-our-death-but-the-whole/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [ Bernie \[Ecclestone\] is the commercial rights holder so the more outgoing the champion is, the better. 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I'm interested in movies. I hope that's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-andersen/i-earn-my-living-by-teaching-film-mostly-filmmaking-but-also-teaching/) [Thom Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-andersen/) > [The wisdom of our actions in the first three years of peace will determine the course of world history for half a century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-wallace/the-wisdom-of-our-actions-in-the-first-three-years-of-peace-will/) [Henry A. Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-wallace/) > [To divide one's life by years is of course to tumble into a trap set by our own arithmetic. The calendar consents to carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/to-divide-one-s-life-by-years-is-of-course-to-tumble-into-a-trap-set/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [You can’t bake a cake without getting the kitchen messy. Halfway through surgery it looks like there’s been a murder in the operating room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/you-can-t-bake-a-cake-without-getting-the-kitchen-messy-halfway/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [ Leave a cavity behind the \[wall\] facings, and on the inside build walls two feet thick, made of red dimension stone or burnt brick… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/leave-a-cavity-behind-the-wall-facings-and-on-the-inside-build-walls/) [Marcus Vitruvius Pollio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/) > [Of course it does on opening night, but I've never had that devastating stage fright that some people get, but apparently, you can develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/of-course-it-does-on-opening-night-but-i-ve-never-had-that/) [Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/) > [I studied philosophy and ended on sociology. 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