--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was growing up I always wanted to…" description: "\"“When I was growing up I always wanted to be someone. Now I realize I should have been more specific.”\" — Lily Tomlin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/lily-tomlin-3278_funny_when-i-was-growing-up-i-always-wanted-to_1091150.png" --- # When I was growing up I always wanted to be someone. Now I… ![“When I was growing up I always wanted to be someone. Now I realize I should have been more specific.” quote by Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/lily-tomlin-3278_funny_when-i-was-growing-up-i-always-wanted-to_1091150.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/lily-tomlin-3278_funny_when-i-was-growing-up-i-always-wanted-to_1091150.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/470/lily-tomlin-3278_funny_when-i-was-growing-up-i-always-wanted-to_1091150.png) > ““When I was growing up I always wanted to be someone. Now I realize I should have been more specific.”” [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being vague about aspirations leads to lack of direction; specificity fuels achievement. **In simple terms:** Be specific about goals. Key Takeaway Define clear, concrete ambitions. Themes goal‑setting clarity self‑awareness motivation Mood inspirational pragmatic Type motivational practical When to use this quote - career planning - creative projects - education Key Concepts psychology personal development Questions to Reflect On - What specific goal excites you? - How can you balance specificity with adaptability? A Different Perspective Specificity can limit flexibility; may cause pressure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) ## Related quotes > [I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/i-always-wanted-to-be-somebody-but-now-i-realize-i-should-have-been/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [I think that you could be whatever you wanted to be if you could realize all the dreams you have inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-mcintyre/i-think-that-you-could-be-whatever-you-wanted-to-be-if-you-could/) [Joey McIntyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-mcintyre/) > [“I always wanted to be something, but now I see I should have been more specific.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/i-always-wanted-to-be-something-but-now-i-see-i-should-have-been-more/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [At some extent in our life,I think we all had got that one crush or guy which who you really wanted to go out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhumika/at-some-extent-in-our-life-i-think-we-all-had-got-that-one-crush-or/) [Bhumika](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhumika/) > [“You must distance yourself from the past if you want to realize your specific ideal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-king-madrid/you-must-distance-yourself-from-the-past-if-you-want-to-realize-your/) Josh King Madrid > [When you feel far from God and far from everything that you wanted to be for Him, realize that you still have your whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-evert/when-you-feel-far-from-god-and-far-from-everything-that-you-wanted-to/) [Jason Evert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-evert/) > [There are certain directors who will start talking to you about something, and suddenly you'll be ready to roll, and you'll realize it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-ryder/there-are-certain-directors-who-will-start-talking-to-you-about/) [Winona Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-ryder/) > [Now I realize how ugly I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-sandler/now-i-realize-how-ugly-i-am/) [Adam Sandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-sandler/) > [I used to take it personally when a casting director didn't like me or I didn't get picked for something. Now I realize you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sierra-mccormick/i-used-to-take-it-personally-when-a-casting-director-didn-t-like-me/) Sierra McCormick > [“All my life I always wanted to be someone. I see now I should have been more specific.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/all-my-life-i-always-wanted-to-be-someone-i-see-now-i-should-have/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [“Learn to light a candle in the darkest moments of someone’s life. Be the light that helps others see; it is what gives life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-t-bennett/learn-to-light-a-candle-in-the-darkest-moments-of-someone-s-life-be/) [Roy T. 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Money should be a means to actualize your life goals, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olawale-daniel/if-money-defines-your-state-of-mind-my-friend-you-have-lost-it-money/) [Olawale Daniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olawale-daniel/) ## More by Lily Tomlin > [If truth is beauty, how come no one has their hair done in a library.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/if-truth-is-beauty-how-come-no-one-has-their-hair-done-in-a-library/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [“So if you've had a good time tonight, or if you've had a good time any night, for gosh sake's why not drop a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/so-if-you-ve-had-a-good-time-tonight-or-if-you-ve-had-a-good-time-any/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [“Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/forgiveness-means-giving-up-all-hope-for-a-better-past/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [I bought a box of animal crackers, but there was nothing inside. They'd eaten each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/i-bought-a-box-of-animal-crackers-but-there-was-nothing-inside-they-d/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [Wouldn't it be great if we all grew up to be what we wanted to be? The world would be full of nurses, firemen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/wouldn-t-it-be-great-if-we-all-grew-up-to-be-what-we-wanted-to-be-the/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [You know being relevant or coming up with something interesting, funny to say about what's current is just as hard as it might ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/you-know-being-relevant-or-coming-up-with-something-interesting-funny/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [I wanted to be a stage actress. I wanted to be a New York actress and have a community with other actors. 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This is a gift God gave me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-ve-been-funny-my-whole-life-this-is-a-gift-god-gave-me/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [Penis goes in , sperms cums out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/penis-goes-in-sperms-cums-out/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [If you were to send a werewolf to the moon, would he be a werewolf permanently?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-schaal/if-you-were-to-send-a-werewolf-to-the-moon-would-he-be-a-werewolf/) [Kristen Schaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-schaal/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [If you can connect people, you can create the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-heiferman/if-you-can-connect-people-you-can-create-the-future/) [Scott Heiferman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-heiferman/) > [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/) Michael Fishman [Browse all 39,858 Funny quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When I was growing up I always wanted to be someone. 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