--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don't be content with half measures for…" description: "\"“Don't be content with half measures for halfway is as close to the bottom as it is to the top.”\" — Lisa Tamati" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35f/lisa-tamati-48685_half-measures_don-t-be-content-with-half-measures-for_159248.jpg" --- # Don't be content with half measures for halfway is as… ![“Don't be content with half measures for halfway is as close to the bottom as it is to the top.” quote by Lisa Tamati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35f/lisa-tamati-48685_half-measures_don-t-be-content-with-half-measures-for_159248.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35f/lisa-tamati-48685_half-measures_don-t-be-content-with-half-measures-for_159248.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35f/lisa-tamati-48685_half-measures_don-t-be-content-with-half-measures-for_159248.jpg) > ““Don't be content with half measures for halfway is as close to the bottom as it is to the top.”” [Lisa Tamati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-tamati/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Settling for mediocrity keeps you near the bottom; striving for excellence pushes you toward the top. **In simple terms:** Half‑measures keep you stuck; aim for full effort. Key Takeaway Pursue full commitment, not just partial effort. Themes ambition excellence effort mindset growth Mood determined inspired serious Type advice motivational When to use this quote - career advancement - academic projects - personal fitness - creative endeavors Key Concepts perfectionism risk assessment goal setting Questions to Reflect On - What areas of your life need full effort? - How can you balance ambition with well‑being? A Different Perspective Full commitment may increase stress and risk of burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Content Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/content-half-1750062/) [Half measures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half-measures/) [Halfway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/halfway/) [Halfway Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/halfway-close-1750061/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Measures Halfway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/measures-halfway-1750060/) ## Related quotes > [No half measures. Some things can’t be cut in half. You can’t half-love someone. You can’t half-betray, or half-lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/no-half-measures-some-things-can-t-be-cut-in-half-you-can-t-half-love/) [Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/) > [Free men are aware of the imperfection inherent in human affairs, and they are willing to fight and die for that which is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/free-men-are-aware-of-the-imperfection-inherent-in-human-affairs-and-2/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [“You have to understand me. There are no half measures here. I am your girl. I will be your woman. But I will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-bledsoe/you-have-to-understand-me-there-are-no-half-measures-here-i-am-your/) [Alex Bledsoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-bledsoe/) > [“When I do something, I go full-out. Half-measures are for wusses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-o-guinn/when-i-do-something-i-go-full-out-half-measures-are-for-wusses/) [Chris O'Guinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-o-guinn/) > [Christ says, 'Give me all. I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/christ-says-give-me-all-i-don-t-want-so-much-of-your-time-and-so-much/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“Turn away from half measures and resolve to live wholly, fully and beautifully.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-vickers/turn-away-from-half-measures-and-resolve-to-live-wholly-fully-and/) [Julia Vickers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-vickers/) > [I can at once refute the statement that the people of the West object to conservation of oil resources. They know that there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/i-can-at-once-refute-the-statement-that-the-people-of-the-west-object/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [That there is a continuous link from humans to gorillas, with the intermediate species merely long dead, is beyond the understanding of speciesists. Tie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/that-there-is-a-continuous-link-from-humans-to-gorillas-with-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“When life wants to get our attention it doesn't bother with half measures.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-schreiber/when-life-wants-to-get-our-attention-it-doesn-t-bother-with-half/) [Joe Schreiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-schreiber/) > [They who have been bred in the school of politics fail nowand always to face the facts. Their measures are half measures and makeshifts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/they-who-have-been-bred-in-the-school-of-politics-fail-nowand-always/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“No half measures,” he muttered several times. It was his personal motto; he intended to have it latinised and put on a crest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mcmurtry/no-half-measures-he-muttered-several-times-it-was-his-personal-motto/) [Larry McMurtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mcmurtry/) > [The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays is coming to its close. In its place we are entering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-era-of-procrastination-of-half-measures-of-soothing-and-baffling/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am a stranger to half measures. With life I am on the attack, restlessly ferreting out each pleasure, foraging for answers, wringing from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marita-golden/i-am-a-stranger-to-half-measures-with-life-i-am-on-the-attack/) [Marita Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marita-golden/) > [The war is not going well and it is time to say why. It has been fought with half-measures. It has been fought with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/the-war-is-not-going-well-and-it-is-time-to-say-why-it-has-been/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [This will not be a campaign of half measures, and we will accept no outcome except victory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/this-will-not-be-a-campaign-of-half-measures-and-we-will-accept-no/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) ## More by Lisa Tamati > [“You are not known by what you dare to dream but rather what you dare to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-tamati/you-are-not-known-by-what-you-dare-to-dream-but-rather-what-you-dare/) [Lisa Tamati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-tamati/) > [“What others think of you can have no effect unless you let it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-tamati/what-others-think-of-you-can-have-no-effect-unless-you-let-it/) [Lisa Tamati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-tamati/) > [“I think better when I'm running. My soul is at its quietest when I'm in movement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-tamati/i-think-better-when-i-m-running-my-soul-is-at-its-quietest-when-i-m/) [Lisa Tamati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-tamati/) > [“If in doubt, go running. Solutions to problems come to you. It clarifies your mind. It's a meditation of sorts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-tamati/if-in-doubt-go-running-solutions-to-problems-come-to-you-it-clarifies/) [Lisa Tamati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-tamati/) > [“To achieve in life you need to lose fear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-tamati/to-achieve-in-life-you-need-to-lose-fear/) [Lisa Tamati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-tamati/) > [“The human spirit needs physical movement more than the body does.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-tamati/the-human-spirit-needs-physical-movement-more-than-the-body-does/) [Lisa Tamati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-tamati/) > [“You can't always change a situation but you can change your attitude towards it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-tamati/you-can-t-always-change-a-situation-but-you-can-change-your-attitude/) [Lisa Tamati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-tamati/) [Explore all 8 Lisa Tamati quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-tamati/) ## More Half measures quotes > [No half measures. Some things can’t be cut in half. You can’t half-love someone. You can’t half-betray, or half-lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/no-half-measures-some-things-can-t-be-cut-in-half-you-can-t-half-love/) [Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/) > [The war is not going well and it is time to say why. It has been fought with half-measures. It has been fought with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/the-war-is-not-going-well-and-it-is-time-to-say-why-it-has-been/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [I am a stranger to half measures. With life I am on the attack, restlessly ferreting out each pleasure, foraging for answers, wringing from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marita-golden/i-am-a-stranger-to-half-measures-with-life-i-am-on-the-attack/) [Marita Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marita-golden/) > [The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays is coming to its close. In its place we are entering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-era-of-procrastination-of-half-measures-of-soothing-and-baffling/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“No half measures,” he muttered several times. It was his personal motto; he intended to have it latinised and put on a crest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mcmurtry/no-half-measures-he-muttered-several-times-it-was-his-personal-motto/) [Larry McMurtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mcmurtry/) > [They who have been bred in the school of politics fail nowand always to face the facts. Their measures are half measures and makeshifts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/they-who-have-been-bred-in-the-school-of-politics-fail-nowand-always/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When life wants to get our attention it doesn't bother with half measures.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-schreiber/when-life-wants-to-get-our-attention-it-doesn-t-bother-with-half/) [Joe Schreiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-schreiber/) > [That there is a continuous link from humans to gorillas, with the intermediate species merely long dead, is beyond the understanding of speciesists. Tie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/that-there-is-a-continuous-link-from-humans-to-gorillas-with-the/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [I can at once refute the statement that the people of the West object to conservation of oil resources. They know that there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/i-can-at-once-refute-the-statement-that-the-people-of-the-west-object/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [“Turn away from half measures and resolve to live wholly, fully and beautifully.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-vickers/turn-away-from-half-measures-and-resolve-to-live-wholly-fully-and/) [Julia Vickers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-vickers/) > [Christ says, 'Give me all. I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/christ-says-give-me-all-i-don-t-want-so-much-of-your-time-and-so-much/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“When I do something, I go full-out. Half-measures are for wusses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-o-guinn/when-i-do-something-i-go-full-out-half-measures-are-for-wusses/) [Chris O'Guinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-o-guinn/) > [“You have to understand me. There are no half measures here. I am your girl. I will be your woman. But I will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-bledsoe/you-have-to-understand-me-there-are-no-half-measures-here-i-am-your/) [Alex Bledsoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-bledsoe/) > [Free men are aware of the imperfection inherent in human affairs, and they are willing to fight and die for that which is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/free-men-are-aware-of-the-imperfection-inherent-in-human-affairs-and-2/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [This will not be a campaign of half measures, and we will accept no outcome except victory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/this-will-not-be-a-campaign-of-half-measures-and-we-will-accept-no/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) [Browse all 32 Half measures quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half-measures/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Don't be content with half measures for halfway is as close to the bottom as it is to the top.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lisa Tamati" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-tamati/don-t-be-content-with-half-measures-for-halfway-is-as-close-to-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Half measures" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-tamati/don-t-be-content-with-half-measures-for-halfway-is-as-close-to-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35f/lisa-tamati-48685_half-measures_don-t-be-content-with-half-measures-for_159248.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35f/lisa-tamati-48685_half-measures_don-t-be-content-with-half-measures-for_159248.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35f/lisa-tamati-48685_half-measures_don-t-be-content-with-half-measures-for_159248.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Don't be content with half measures for halfway is as close to the bottom as it is to the top.” — Lisa Tamati", "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": "Lisa Tamati", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-tamati/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Don't be content with half measures...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-tamati/don-t-be-content-with-half-measures-for-halfway-is-as-close-to-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-tamati/don-t-be-content-with-half-measures-for-halfway-is-as-close-to-the/#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 } } ] } ```