--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What's important now? - To evaluate the…" description: "\"What's important now? - To evaluate the past, focus on the future, and tell you what you have to do in the present\" — Lou Holtz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3c/lou-holtz-1584_evaluate_what-s-important-now-to-evaluate-the-pas_913617.png" --- # What's important now? - To evaluate the past, focus on the… ![“What's important now? - To evaluate the past, focus on the future, and tell you what you have to do in the present” quote by Lou Holtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3c/lou-holtz-1584_evaluate_what-s-important-now-to-evaluate-the-pas_913617.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3c/lou-holtz-1584_evaluate_what-s-important-now-to-evaluate-the-pas_913617.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3c/lou-holtz-1584_evaluate_what-s-important-now-to-evaluate-the-pas_913617.png) > “What's important now? - To evaluate the past, focus on the future, and tell you what you have to do in the present” [Lou Holtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-holtz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He stresses balancing reflection on past actions with forward‑looking goals and present‑day execution. **In simple terms:** Balance past, future, and present actions. Key Takeaway Act now while learning from history. Themes leadership strategy time management Mood pragmatic focused Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - team meetings - career planning - personal development Key Concepts reflection goal‑setting present‑moment Questions to Reflect On - What past lesson informs your current actions? - How can you prioritize present tasks? A Different Perspective Over‑focus on past can stall progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Focus on the future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus-on-the-future/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I'm a goal-oriented person, and instead of focusing on the past, I'd rather focus on the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cm-punk/i-m-a-goal-oriented-person-and-instead-of-focusing-on-the-past-i-d/) [CM Punk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cm-punk/) > [Your future takes precedence over your past. Focus on your future, rather than on the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-ryan-blair/your-future-takes-precedence-over-your-past-focus-on-your-future/) [Gary Ryan Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-ryan-blair/) > [A great deal of what people say, think, or do is actually motivate by fear, which of course is always linked with having your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/a-great-deal-of-what-people-say-think-or-do-is-actually-motivate-by/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [I have to focus on the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carey-hart/i-have-to-focus-on-the-future/) [Carey Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carey-hart/) > [You don't have to waste your time looking back at what you've lost.. Focus on the future instead, Life isn't meant to travel backward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles/you-don-t-have-to-waste-your-time-looking-back-at-what-you-ve-lost/) Charles > [Forgiveness allows you to focus on the future without combating the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexia/forgiveness-allows-you-to-focus-on-the-future-without-combating-the/) [Alexia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexia/) > [If you don't focus on the future generation, it means you are destroying your country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/if-you-don-t-focus-on-the-future-generation-it-means-you-are/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [Focus on the future, not on the past because better days lie ahead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/focus-on-the-future-not-on-the-past-because-better-days-lie-ahead/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Forward-thinking means to focus on the future, even a few steps ahead, to build the long-term prosperity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/forward-thinking-means-to-focus-on-the-future-even-a-few-steps-ahead/) [Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/) > [It is time for us to turn a corner and come together, put our differences behind us and focus on the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-gregoire/it-is-time-for-us-to-turn-a-corner-and-come-together-put-our/) [Christine Gregoire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-gregoire/) > [“When you live out of your memory, you focus on the past. 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Consequently, when they do come, it doesn't affect you mentally near…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-holtz/you-always-have-to-prepare-for-the-obstacles-that-are-going-to-come/) [Lou Holtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-holtz/) > [Remember this. Bear Bryant retired at age 69, and he died 28 days after he stopped coaching. If you don't have something, and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-holtz/remember-this-bear-bryant-retired-at-age-69-and-he-died-28-days-after/) [Lou Holtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-holtz/) > [The freedom to do your own thing ends when you have obligations and responsibilities. If you want to fail yourself - you can -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-holtz/the-freedom-to-do-your-own-thing-ends-when-you-have-obligations-and/) [Lou Holtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-holtz/) > [People eyeing you as a potential leader tend to ask three questions: Are you committed? Do you care about me? 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The naked eye was an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/some-coaches-believed-they-could-judge-a-player-s-performance-simply/) [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) > [If these restrictions were necessary, the FDA would have promulgated them in the first place, ... The FDA knows how to evaluate scientific information.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-feldt/if-these-restrictions-were-necessary-the-fda-would-have-promulgated/) [Gloria Feldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-feldt/) > [Evaluate every act by whether it brings you greater life, or deadens you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/evaluate-every-act-by-whether-it-brings-you-greater-life-or-deadens/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [I'll bring in outsiders to evaluate state agencies. They can sometimes see what we can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-osborne/i-ll-bring-in-outsiders-to-evaluate-state-agencies-they-can-sometimes/) [Tom Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-osborne/) > [Document, evaluate, focus, test.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/document-evaluate-focus-test/) [Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/) > [The genuinely significant creation, whether an idea, or a work of art, or a scientific discovery, is most likely to be seen at first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rogers/the-genuinely-significant-creation-whether-an-idea-or-a-work-of-art/) [Carl Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rogers/) > [Throughout history, humankind has been resistant to change and to the acceptance of new ideas... 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Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell said recently that Hollywood needs to re-evaluate what they're doing because movies these days are all filled with gay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/delaware-senate-candidate-christine-o-donnell-said-recently-that/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) Browse all 293 Evaluate quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What's important now? - To evaluate the past, focus on the future, and tell you what you have to do in the present", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lou Holtz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-holtz/what-s-important-now-to-evaluate-the-past-focus-on-the-future-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Evaluate" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-holtz/what-s-important-now-to-evaluate-the-past-focus-on-the-future-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3c/lou-holtz-1584_evaluate_what-s-important-now-to-evaluate-the-pas_913617.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3c/lou-holtz-1584_evaluate_what-s-important-now-to-evaluate-the-pas_913617.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3c/lou-holtz-1584_evaluate_what-s-important-now-to-evaluate-the-pas_913617.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What's important now? - To evaluate the past, focus on the future, and tell you what you have to do in the…” — Lou Holtz", "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": "Lou Holtz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-holtz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What's important now? - To evaluate...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-holtz/what-s-important-now-to-evaluate-the-past-focus-on-the-future-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-holtz/what-s-important-now-to-evaluate-the-past-focus-on-the-future-and/#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 } } ] } ```