--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One day it seemed like a good idea, the…" description: "\"“One day it seemed like a good idea, the next day it didn’t. That kind of thing happened all the time, way back when, because strategy was fluid. Or be..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f42/lee-child-980_next-day_one-day-it-seemed-like-a-good-idea-the-n_1517214.jpg" --- # One day it seemed like a good idea, the next day it… ![“One day it seemed like a good idea, the next day it didn’t. That kind of thing happened all the time, way back when, because strategy was fluid. Or because nobody had the faintest idea what they were doing.” quote by Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f42/lee-child-980_next-day_one-day-it-seemed-like-a-good-idea-the-n_1517214.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f42/lee-child-980_next-day_one-day-it-seemed-like-a-good-idea-the-n_1517214.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f42/lee-child-980_next-day_one-day-it-seemed-like-a-good-idea-the-n_1517214.jpg) > ““One day it seemed like a good idea, the next day it didn’t. That kind of thing happened all the time, way back when, because strategy was fluid. Or because nobody had the faintest idea what they were doing.”” [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Plans change constantly; uncertainty is normal, and no one truly knows the future. **In simple terms:** Plans are fluid and uncertain. Key Takeaway Adapt to changing strategies. Themes uncertainty strategy flexibility Mood cautious pragmatic Type practical inspirational When to use this quote - business - military operations - personal goals Key Concepts adaptive planning risk management Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay flexible? - What signals indicate a strategy needs change? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on rigid plans can cause failure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Good idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-idea/) [Idea Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea-day-449193/) [Next day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next-day/) [Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy/) [Strategy Fluid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy-fluid-5599742/) [Thing Happened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-happened/) ## Related quotes > [Think beyond the pain. Think beyond the difficulty. Commit to having one good idea every day. What new idea will you claim today?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-morrissey/think-beyond-the-pain-think-beyond-the-difficulty-commit-to-having/) [Mary Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-morrissey/) > [I could probably have an idea one day and then go into the studio and really wanna write about just that idea that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-max/i-could-probably-have-an-idea-one-day-and-then-go-into-the-studio-and/) [Ava Max](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-max/) > [I swear I have at least one good song idea a day. But if I don't get pen to paper in ten seconds, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-ann-hearst/i-swear-i-have-at-least-one-good-song-idea-a-day-but-if-i-don-t-get/) [Cary Ann Hearst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-ann-hearst/) > [Nature often seems like an idea that has had its day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/nature-often-seems-like-an-idea-that-has-had-its-day/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Balika Vadhu' is the best thing to have happened to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddharth-shukla/balika-vadhu-is-the-best-thing-to-have-happened-to-me/) [Siddharth Shukla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddharth-shukla/) > [Becoming a father, that's the best thing that's ever happened to me and nothing will ever top that except maybe having more kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-vucevic/becoming-a-father-that-s-the-best-thing-that-s-ever-happened-to-me/) [Nikola Vucevic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-vucevic/) > [Do you know, a horrible thing has happened to me. I have begun to doubt Tennyson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-manley-hopkins/do-you-know-a-horrible-thing-has-happened-to-me-i-have-begun-to-doubt/) [Gerard Manley Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-manley-hopkins/) > [“Until you two came along, she was the best thing that happened to me in my whole goddamned life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/until-you-two-came-along-she-was-the-best-thing-that-happened-to-me/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [I love my disability. It is the best thing that ever happened to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-alcott/i-love-my-disability-it-is-the-best-thing-that-ever-happened-to-me/) [Dylan Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-alcott/) > [“When i said nothing, the best thing that happened to me in three years left. Damn, i was an idiot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/when-i-said-nothing-the-best-thing-that-happened-to-me-in-three-years/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [“The most awesome thing happened to me today. My former high school English teacher has been editing my book for me. She told me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-thornton-k/the-most-awesome-thing-happened-to-me-today-my-former-high-school/) [Katie Thornton-K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-thornton-k/) > [“And then a strange thing happened. Out of the diseased and deteriorated pool os tired thoughts came life. A simple and poisoned life, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-mckean/and-then-a-strange-thing-happened-out-of-the-diseased-and/) [Dave McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-mckean/) > [“A strange thing happened to me in my dream. I was rapt into the Seventh Heaven. There sat all the gods assembled. As a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/a-strange-thing-happened-to-me-in-my-dream-i-was-rapt-into-the/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [You know Kim Jong Un, the evil dictator of North Korea? Apparently, a guy in his inner circle used his ashtray while smoking and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/you-know-kim-jong-un-the-evil-dictator-of-north-korea-apparently-a/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [I think the basic thing that happened is we have lost our story. Humans think in stories, and we try to make sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/i-think-the-basic-thing-that-happened-is-we-have-lost-our-story/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) ## More by Lee Child > [“Reacher got to them on the plane. He put them out of action and stole their wallets.” “On the plane?” “He broke Lozano’s fingers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/reacher-got-to-them-on-the-plane-he-put-them-out-of-action-and-stole/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“A maintenance dose. It would keep her asleep all night. It would keep her warm, and gentle, and relaxed, and at peace, and cradled,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/a-maintenance-dose-it-would-keep-her-asleep-all-night-it-would-keep/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“It had maroon paint and exposed brick and scarred wood, and a chalkboard menu about ninety percent full of things that don’t really belong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/it-had-maroon-paint-and-exposed-brick-and-scarred-wood-and-a/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [Spread love and understanding,” Reacher said. “Use force if necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/spread-love-and-understanding-reacher-said-use-force-if-necessary/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“or especially fragile.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/or-especially-fragile/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [Now they broke my toothbrush, I don't own anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/now-they-broke-my-toothbrush-i-don-t-own-anything/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“The Zip Code is about the size of Chicago. With five people. But hey, welcome to Wyoming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/the-zip-code-is-about-the-size-of-chicago-with-five-people-but-hey/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“You got to imagine your memory is like an old bucket, you know? Once it’s filled up with old stuff there ain’t no way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/you-got-to-imagine-your-memory-is-like-an-old-bucket-you-know-once-it/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“foreign legal systems. So I made”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/foreign-legal-systems-so-i-made/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [That should be your town motto. It's all I ever hear. Like: New Hampshire, Live Free or Die. It should be: Despair, You Need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/that-should-be-your-town-motto-it-s-all-i-ever-hear-like-new/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [Writing is showbusiness for shy people. That's how I see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/writing-is-showbusiness-for-shy-people-that-s-how-i-see-it/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“OK, Finlay, let’s get it done,” I said. “I don’t have an address because I don’t live anywhere. Maybe one day I’ll live somewhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/ok-finlay-let-s-get-it-done-i-said-i-don-t-have-an-address-because-i/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“He changed his final wad up at the train station. Which was a sad place now. There were homeless people and disturbed people hanging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/he-changed-his-final-wad-up-at-the-train-station-which-was-a-sad/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“They had come for us in the night. Hey had come expecting a lot of blood. They had come with all their gear. Their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/they-had-come-for-us-in-the-night-hey-had-come-expecting-a-lot-of/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [“He hauled the right-hand guy next to the left-hand guy, close together, shoulder to shoulder, and he picked up the heavy box like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/he-hauled-the-right-hand-guy-next-to-the-left-hand-guy-close-together/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) [Explore all 306 Lee Child quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) ## More Good idea quotes > [If you have a good idea you must explain it or you will fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/if-you-have-a-good-idea-you-must-explain-it-or-you-will-fail/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Everybody has a good idea, but nothing goes as planned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-winklevoss/everybody-has-a-good-idea-but-nothing-goes-as-planned/) [Tyler Winklevoss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-winklevoss/) > [Domino effect: Once you drop a good idea, the rest will follow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loesje/domino-effect-once-you-drop-a-good-idea-the-rest-will-follow/) [Loesje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loesje/) > [No, it's interesting to remake a film for the contemporary audience today. I think it's a good idea; it needs to respect the original…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dario-argento/no-it-s-interesting-to-remake-a-film-for-the-contemporary-audience/) [Dario Argento](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dario-argento/) > [Ours is the only country deliberately founded on a good idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gunther/ours-is-the-only-country-deliberately-founded-on-a-good-idea/) [John Gunther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gunther/) > [Everything in New Orleans is a good idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/everything-in-new-orleans-is-a-good-idea/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [What I’ve learned is that if you really want to be successful at something, you’ll find that you put the time in. You won’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/what-i-ve-learned-is-that-if-you-really-want-to-be-successful-at/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [“Why is it a good idea for you and not a good idea for me?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-lockhart/why-is-it-a-good-idea-for-you-and-not-a-good-idea-for-me/) [E. Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-lockhart/) > [We like to test things... no matter how good an idea sounds, test it first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-w-bloch/we-like-to-test-things-no-matter-how-good-an-idea-sounds-test-it-first/) [Henry W. Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-w-bloch/) > [It is a good idea for everyone who does not have contra-indications to receive a flu shot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-johnson/it-is-a-good-idea-for-everyone-who-does-not-have-contra-indications/) [Amy Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-johnson/) > [Gadgets - our houses are filled with them: ones we need, ones we think we need, and others that were a good idea at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheherazade-goldsmith/gadgets-our-houses-are-filled-with-them-ones-we-need-ones-we-think-we/) [Sheherazade Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheherazade-goldsmith/) > [It has never been a good idea to try to disarm Texans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-p-bush/it-has-never-been-a-good-idea-to-try-to-disarm-texans/) [George P. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-p-bush/) > [It's just not a good idea to drink and drive; that is just common sense. But common sense is not that common!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-zima/it-s-just-not-a-good-idea-to-drink-and-drive-that-is-just-common/) [Madeline Zima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-zima/) > [There is no authority who decides what is a good idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-no-authority-who-decides-what-is-a-good-idea/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [So when a good idea comes, you know, part of my job is to move it around, just see what different people think, get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/so-when-a-good-idea-comes-you-know-part-of-my-job-is-to-move-it/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) [Browse all 332 Good idea quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-idea/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“One day it seemed like a good idea, the next day it didn’t. That kind of thing happened all the time, way back when, because strategy was fluid. Or because nobody had the faintest idea what they were doing.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lee Child" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/one-day-it-seemed-like-a-good-idea-the-next-day-it-didn-t-that-kind/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Good idea" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/one-day-it-seemed-like-a-good-idea-the-next-day-it-didn-t-that-kind/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f42/lee-child-980_next-day_one-day-it-seemed-like-a-good-idea-the-n_1517214.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f42/lee-child-980_next-day_one-day-it-seemed-like-a-good-idea-the-n_1517214.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f42/lee-child-980_next-day_one-day-it-seemed-like-a-good-idea-the-n_1517214.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“One day it seemed like a good idea, the next day it didn’t. That kind of thing happened all the time, way…” — Lee Child", "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": "Lee Child", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“One day it seemed like a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/one-day-it-seemed-like-a-good-idea-the-next-day-it-didn-t-that-kind/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/one-day-it-seemed-like-a-good-idea-the-next-day-it-didn-t-that-kind/#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 } } ] } ```