--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is essential, then, to keep one's…" description: "\"“It is essential, then, to keep one's attention focused on the present; to guard against any complacency creeping in on account of what one may have ac..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b8/kazuo-ishiguro-1029_achievement_it-is-essential-then-to-keep-one-s-atten_1142721.jpg" --- # It is essential, then, to keep one's attention focused on… ![“It is essential, then, to keep one's attention focused on the present; to guard against any complacency creeping in on account of what one may have achieved in the past.” quote by Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b8/kazuo-ishiguro-1029_achievement_it-is-essential-then-to-keep-one-s-atten_1142721.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b8/kazuo-ishiguro-1029_achievement_it-is-essential-then-to-keep-one-s-atten_1142721.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b8/kazuo-ishiguro-1029_achievement_it-is-essential-then-to-keep-one-s-atten_1142721.jpg) > ““It is essential, then, to keep one's attention focused on the present; to guard against any complacency creeping in on account of what one may have achieved in the past.”” [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. One must stay present‑minded, avoiding complacency from past achievements. **In simple terms:** Stay focused on the present. Key Takeaway Guard against complacency. Themes mindfulness focus self‑discipline Mood reflective motivational Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - leadership - mental health Key Concepts present‑moment awareness psychology of achievement Questions to Reflect On - What present tasks demand your attention? - How do you prevent past wins from stalling progress? A Different Perspective Past successes can breed overconfidence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Achievement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Attention Focused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention-focused-922501/) [Complacency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complacency/) [Complacency Creeping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complacency-creeping-892210/) [Essential Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essential-attention-3192632/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Focused Present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focused-present-795351/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/present/) [Present Guard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/present-guard-3192633/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Complacency is a creeping danger. Unless wisdom sets in, you will never come to your senses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jey-lopez/complacency-is-a-creeping-danger-unless-wisdom-sets-in-you-will-never/) [Jey Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jey-lopez/) > [The general rule is that my life is focused on the present, and very little on the past. If anything, I'm a little bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/the-general-rule-is-that-my-life-is-focused-on-the-present-and-very/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [If you ask me what is going to happen in a month or a year, I can't tell you. We're focused on the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julen-lopetegui/if-you-ask-me-what-is-going-to-happen-in-a-month-or-a-year-i-can-t/) [Julen Lopetegui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julen-lopetegui/) > [The only thing we can control is what we do in the present. The more we replay yesterday, the further we get from today's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/the-only-thing-we-can-control-is-what-we-do-in-the-present-the-more/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [Part of getting other people to focus on the future rather than being myopically focused on the present is about living that way yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hill-harper/part-of-getting-other-people-to-focus-on-the-future-rather-than-being/) [Hill Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hill-harper/) > [I hope to be making television shows and films, and creating content that captivates Latinos. I try not to think about it too much,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-huertas/i-hope-to-be-making-television-shows-and-films-and-creating-content/) [Jon Huertas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-huertas/) > [Don't think about the past you can't change it instead stay focused on your present so you don't repeat your previous mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-think-about-the-past-you-can-t-change-it-instead-stay-focused/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [Everything is worship if your mind is focused on the present moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/everything-is-worship-if-your-mind-is-focused-on-the-present-moment/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Human consciousness is now being drawn inexorably toward the same issues, the gaze of collective attention focused like never before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anodea-judith/human-consciousness-is-now-being-drawn-inexorably-toward-the-same/) [Anodea Judith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anodea-judith/) > [Man's troubles are rooted in extreme attention to senses, thoughts, and imagination. Attention should be focused internally to experience a quiet body and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/man-s-troubles-are-rooted-in-extreme-attention-to-senses-thoughts-and/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [If you go out with someone famous, you'll get a certain level of attention around you but it was never something I focused on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-vaughn/if-you-go-out-with-someone-famous-you-ll-get-a-certain-level-of/) [Vince Vaughn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-vaughn/) > [At every moment we have the choice of thinking, speaking, and acting in a way that keeps our attention on the inner Light, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sant-rajinder-singh-ji-maharaj/at-every-moment-we-have-the-choice-of-thinking-speaking-and-acting-in/) [Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sant-rajinder-singh-ji-maharaj/) > [Even when the attention focused on me is positive, I am uncomfortable being looked at by a lot of people - it's just not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/even-when-the-attention-focused-on-me-is-positive-i-am-uncomfortable/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [“You can't get attention of one who focused on himself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/you-can-t-get-attention-of-one-who-focused-on-himself/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [At every moment we have the choice of thinking, speaking, and acting in a way that keeps our attention on the inner Light, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sant-rajinder-singh-ji/at-every-moment-we-have-the-choice-of-thinking-speaking-and-acting-in-2/) [Sant Rajinder Singh Ji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sant-rajinder-singh-ji/) ## More by Kazuo Ishiguro > [The evening's the best part of the day. You've done your day's work. Now you can put your feet up and enjoy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/the-evening-s-the-best-part-of-the-day-you-ve-done-your-day-s-work/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [As a writer, I'm more interested in what people tell themselves happened rather than what actually happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/as-a-writer-i-m-more-interested-in-what-people-tell-themselves/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“About him and his wife voting for different parties. A few years ago that would have been unthinkable.” “No doubt.” “Quite extraordinary the things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/about-him-and-his-wife-voting-for-different-parties-a-few-years-ago/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“But what is the sense in forever speculating what might have happened had such and such a moment turned out differently? One could presumably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/but-what-is-the-sense-in-forever-speculating-what-might-have-happened/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“Silence is just as likely to indicate the most profound ideas forming, the deepest energies being summoned.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/silence-is-just-as-likely-to-indicate-the-most-profound-ideas-forming/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“I don't know why, but it didn't seem an option for more than one of us to storm off, and I wanted to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/i-don-t-know-why-but-it-didn-t-seem-an-option-for-more-than-one-of-us/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [Our family arrived in England in 1960. At that time I thought the war was ancient history. But if I think of 15 years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/our-family-arrived-in-england-in-1960-at-that-time-i-thought-the-war/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [He chose a certain path in life, it proved to be a misguided one, but there, he chose it, he can say that at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/he-chose-a-certain-path-in-life-it-proved-to-be-a-misguided-one-but/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“For however one may come in later years to reassess one’s achievements, it is always a consolation to know that one’s life has contained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/for-however-one-may-come-in-later-years-to-reassess-one-s/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [You're always in a rush, or else you're too exhausted to have a proper conversation. Soon enough, the long hours, the traveling, the broken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/you-re-always-in-a-rush-or-else-you-re-too-exhausted-to-have-a-proper/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [I don't think it's any fun, even if you are one of the most respected authors in the world like Margaret Atwood, to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/i-don-t-think-it-s-any-fun-even-if-you-are-one-of-the-most-respected/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [I think it's quite difficult to understand what kind of life a writer leads. They might be millionaires, or they might be starving people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/i-think-it-s-quite-difficult-to-understand-what-kind-of-life-a-writer/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [“But this small episode is as good an illustration as any of the hazards of uttering witticisms. By the very nature of a witticism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/but-this-small-episode-is-as-good-an-illustration-as-any-of-the/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [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/) > [My wife is the most savage critic. She doesn't feel intimidated by my reputation. As far as she's concerned, she's just criticising a boyfriend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/my-wife-is-the-most-savage-critic-she-doesn-t-feel-intimidated-by-my/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) [Explore all 292 Kazuo Ishiguro quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) ## More Achievement quotes > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/) [Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/) > [Needs cause motivation. 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Solitude will transmit the message better than the murmurs of crowds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-roerich/cease-speaking-of-enemies-when-an-achievement-can-kindle-a-great/) [Nicholas Roerich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-roerich/) > [Every scene is a challenge. There are technical challenges, but often it's the simplest challenge where you feel a sense of achievement when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-deakins/every-scene-is-a-challenge-there-are-technical-challenges-but-often/) [Roger Deakins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-deakins/) [Browse all 3,867 Achievement quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is essential, then, to keep one's attention focused on the present; to guard against any complacency creeping in on account of what one may have achieved in the past.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kazuo Ishiguro" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/it-is-essential-then-to-keep-one-s-attention-focused-on-the-present/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Achievement" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/it-is-essential-then-to-keep-one-s-attention-focused-on-the-present/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b8/kazuo-ishiguro-1029_achievement_it-is-essential-then-to-keep-one-s-atten_1142721.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b8/kazuo-ishiguro-1029_achievement_it-is-essential-then-to-keep-one-s-atten_1142721.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b8/kazuo-ishiguro-1029_achievement_it-is-essential-then-to-keep-one-s-atten_1142721.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is essential, then, to keep one's attention focused on the present; to guard against any complacency…” — Kazuo Ishiguro", "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": "Kazuo Ishiguro", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It is essential, then, to keep...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/it-is-essential-then-to-keep-one-s-attention-focused-on-the-present/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/it-is-essential-then-to-keep-one-s-attention-focused-on-the-present/#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 } } ] } ```