--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are only two rules for being…" description: "\"There are only two rules for being successful. One, figure out exactly what you want to do, and two, do it.\" — Mario Cuomo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a69/mario-cuomo-4807_being-successful_there-are-only-two-rules-for-being-succe_2811035.png" --- # There are only two rules for being successful. One, figure… ![“There are only two rules for being successful. One, figure out exactly what you want to do, and two, do it.” quote by Mario Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a69/mario-cuomo-4807_being-successful_there-are-only-two-rules-for-being-succe_2811035.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a69/mario-cuomo-4807_being-successful_there-are-only-two-rules-for-being-succe_2811035.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a69/mario-cuomo-4807_being-successful_there-are-only-two-rules-for-being-succe_2811035.png) > “There are only two rules for being successful. One, figure out exactly what you want to do, and two, do it.” [Mario Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-cuomo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success requires clear goals and decisive action; without both, progress stalls. **In simple terms:** Clear goals and action lead to success. Key Takeaway Define goals, then act. Themes success goal‑setting action Mood motivational direct Type business personal When to use this quote - career - entrepreneurship - personal development Key Concepts Strategic planning personal productivity Questions to Reflect On - What is your primary goal? - How will you act on it? A Different Perspective May ignore external constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-successful/) [Exactly Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exactly-want/) [Figures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figures/) [Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules/) [Rules Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules-successful-3520193/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Successful Figure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful-figure-3520194/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [What you want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/what-you-want/) ## Related quotes > [The more I circumvent the rules, the more successful I become.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-cole/the-more-i-circumvent-the-rules-the-more-successful-i-become/) [Kenneth Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-cole/) > [Golden Rules for successful life Golden Rules for successful life. 1. Be honest in poverty 2. Be simple when wealthy. 3. Be polite in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shy-boy/golden-rules-for-successful-life-golden-rules-for-successful-life-1/) [SHy BOy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shy-boy/) > [Decide carefully, exactly what you want in life, then work like mad to make sure you get it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hector-crawford/decide-carefully-exactly-what-you-want-in-life-then-work-like-mad-to/) [Hector Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hector-crawford/) > [May you get exactly what you want and live long enough to regret it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/may-you-get-exactly-what-you-want-and-live-long-enough-to-regret-it/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [I think it's probably, musically, probably the most sophisticated. ("The Woman in White") There's a lot more daring harmony in it than in some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lloyd-webber/i-think-it-s-probably-musically-probably-the-most-sophisticated-the/) [Andrew Lloyd Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lloyd-webber/) > [Every time you state what you want or believe, you're the first to hear it. It's a message to both you and others about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/every-time-you-state-what-you-want-or-believe-you-re-the-first-to/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [I have very few rules in life, but one of them is to never decline an adventure. The others are: to avoid becoming romantically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-have-very-few-rules-in-life-but-one-of-them-is-to-never-decline-an/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I'm tough, ambitious and I know exactly what I want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/i-m-tough-ambitious-and-i-know-exactly-what-i-want/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [I love it when you hear a band, and you just go, 'Yes! I never knew it, but that's exactly what I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tech-n9ne/i-love-it-when-you-hear-a-band-and-you-just-go-yes-i-never-knew-it/) [Tech N9ne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tech-n9ne/) > [Im tough, ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/im-tough-ambitious-and-i-know-exactly-what-i-want-if-that-makes-me-a/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [I'm the person who writes most of my movies so every role is exactly what I want to be doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-rogen/i-m-the-person-who-writes-most-of-my-movies-so-every-role-is-exactly/) [Seth Rogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-rogen/) > [I'm not twentysomething. I'm not trying to find myself - I know exactly who I am and exactly what I want. And I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taraji-p-henson/i-m-not-twentysomething-i-m-not-trying-to-find-myself-i-know-exactly/) [Taraji P. Henson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taraji-p-henson/) > [I'm old enough to know exactly what I want and young enough to still get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaliana-dietrich/i-m-old-enough-to-know-exactly-what-i-want-and-young-enough-to-still/) [Kaliana Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaliana-dietrich/) > [I want to do exactly what I want to do. I'd rather gamble on the box office than beg for a grant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/i-want-to-do-exactly-what-i-want-to-do-i-d-rather-gamble-on-the-box/) [Mikhail Baryshnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/) ## More by Mario Cuomo > [There is a respectable body of economic thought that holds that casino gambling is actually economically regressive to a state and a community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-cuomo/there-is-a-respectable-body-of-economic-thought-that-holds-that/) [Mario Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-cuomo/) > [We believe in a government that is characterized by fairness and reasonableness, a reasonableness that goes beyond labels, that doesn't distort or promise to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-cuomo/we-believe-in-a-government-that-is-characterized-by-fairness-and/) [Mario Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-cuomo/) > [America was born in outrageous ambition, so bold as to be improbable. The deprived, the oppressed, the powerless from all over the globe came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-cuomo/america-was-born-in-outrageous-ambition-so-bold-as-to-be-improbable/) [Mario Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-cuomo/) > [The biggest aggravation in the Arab world, the biggest reason for their anger toward us and the creation of those suicide terrorists, is Israel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-cuomo/the-biggest-aggravation-in-the-arab-world-the-biggest-reason-for/) [Mario Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-cuomo/) > [Nobody has ever gotten a bigger push than Bill Clinton gave to Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-cuomo/nobody-has-ever-gotten-a-bigger-push-than-bill-clinton-gave-to-obama/) [Mario Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-cuomo/) > [It is not a government's obligation to provide services, but to see that they are provided.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-cuomo/it-is-not-a-government-s-obligation-to-provide-services-but-to-see/) [Mario Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-cuomo/) > [My favorite thought about Abraham Lincoln is he believed in two things: loving one another and working together to make this world better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-cuomo/my-favorite-thought-about-abraham-lincoln-is-he-believed-in-two/) [Mario Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-cuomo/) > [9/11 occurs, and you're going to rebuild, and after awhile, the memory will be there, but there will be something new there, and different,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-cuomo/9-11-occurs-and-you-re-going-to-rebuild-and-after-awhile-the-memory/) [Mario Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-cuomo/) > [The Mafia is a question every time an Italian raises his head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-cuomo/the-mafia-is-a-question-every-time-an-italian-raises-his-head/) [Mario Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-cuomo/) > [People asked me what I want as an epitaph: 'He tried'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-cuomo/people-asked-me-what-i-want-as-an-epitaph-he-tried/) [Mario Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-cuomo/) > [I had not even thought of running for president until one day in 1991, at a small fund-raiser, completely unanticipated, someone stood up and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-cuomo/i-had-not-even-thought-of-running-for-president-until-one-day-in-1991/) [Mario Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-cuomo/) > [I protect my right to be a Catholic by preserving your right to believe as a Jew, a Protestant, or non-believer, or as anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-cuomo/i-protect-my-right-to-be-a-catholic-by-preserving-your-right-to/) [Mario Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-cuomo/) > [I love immigrants. Legal, illegal - they're not to be despised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-cuomo/i-love-immigrants-legal-illegal-they-re-not-to-be-despised/) [Mario Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-cuomo/) > [Barack Obama is probably one of the brightest in terms of sheer intelligence... also probably the best orator we've ever had as a president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-cuomo/barack-obama-is-probably-one-of-the-brightest-in-terms-of-sheer/) [Mario Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-cuomo/) > [The American people need no course in philosophy or political science of church history to know that God should not be made into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-cuomo/the-american-people-need-no-course-in-philosophy-or-political-science/) [Mario Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-cuomo/) [Explore all 105 Mario Cuomo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-cuomo/) ## More Being successful quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [The vast majority of organizations today have more than enough intelligence, experience and knowledge to be successful. What they lack is organizational health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/the-vast-majority-of-organizations-today-have-more-than-enough/) [Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/) > [To be successful, one must take chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-stargell/to-be-successful-one-must-take-chances/) [Willie Stargell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-stargell/) > [Business is always a struggle. There are always obstacles and competitors. There is never an open road, except the wide road that leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kirubi/business-is-always-a-struggle-there-are-always-obstacles-and/) [Chris Kirubi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kirubi/) > [You cannot be successful without passion. If you don't love what you're doing, if you don't have passion for it - forget it. Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/you-cannot-be-successful-without-passion-if-you-don-t-love-what-you/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [You can't not be a little different from others and be successful for three decades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-sheen/you-can-t-not-be-a-little-different-from-others-and-be-successful-for/) [Charlie Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-sheen/) > [Everyone has a breaking point, turning point, stress point, the game is permeated with it. The fans don't see it because we make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-winfield/everyone-has-a-breaking-point-turning-point-stress-point-the-game-is/) [Dave Winfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-winfield/) > [If you increase the number of rockets you build and you buy, then it's the scale of the economy, the price is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-chiao/if-you-increase-the-number-of-rockets-you-build-and-you-buy-then-it-s/) [Leroy Chiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-chiao/) > [Hockey is a unique sport in the sense that you need each and every guy helping each other and pulling in the same direction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-gretzky/hockey-is-a-unique-sport-in-the-sense-that-you-need-each-and-every/) [Wayne Gretzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-gretzky/) > [There has always been a display of wealth and always will be, until the depression comes, which it always does. And let me tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/there-has-always-been-a-display-of-wealth-and-always-will-be-until/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I think there is a big and significant difference between being a leader and being a manager-leaders lead from the heart. You have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-jung/i-think-there-is-a-big-and-significant-difference-between-being-a/) [Andrea Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-jung/) > [There's nobody that wants the president to be successful more than I.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-r-clapper/there-s-nobody-that-wants-the-president-to-be-successful-more-than-i/) [James R. Clapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-r-clapper/) > [Don't worry about your individual numbers. Worry about the team. If the team is successful, each of you will be successful, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/don-t-worry-about-your-individual-numbers-worry-about-the-team-if-the/) [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) > [We have to be successful at the cutting-edge industries of the future like Twitter. But we also have always been a country that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-have-to-be-successful-at-the-cutting-edge-industries-of-the-future/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Also, it's not the mathematical skill that's critical to winning, it's the discipline of being able to stick to the system. There are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blair-hull/also-it-s-not-the-mathematical-skill-that-s-critical-to-winning-it-s/) [Blair Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blair-hull/) [Browse all 1,002 Being successful quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-successful/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are only two rules for being successful. 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