--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You have to have a plan. Everything has…" description: "\"You have to have a plan. Everything has to be planned. For me, I start with the title of my album, before I even start with the songs. I write down dif..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd2/mary-j-blige-2311_albums_you-have-to-have-a-plan-everything-has-t_2518152.png" --- # You have to have a plan. Everything has to be planned. For… ![“You have to have a plan. Everything has to be planned. For me, I start with the title of my album, before I even start with the songs. I write down different things that I want album to say, and then the songs come from the different words.” quote by Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd2/mary-j-blige-2311_albums_you-have-to-have-a-plan-everything-has-t_2518152.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd2/mary-j-blige-2311_albums_you-have-to-have-a-plan-everything-has-t_2518152.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd2/mary-j-blige-2311_albums_you-have-to-have-a-plan-everything-has-t_2518152.png) > “You have to have a plan. Everything has to be planned. For me, I start with the title of my album, before I even start with the songs. I write down different things that I want album to say, and then the songs come from the different words.” [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Planning starts with a clear concept, like an album title, then builds songs around that vision. **In simple terms:** Begin with a clear concept, then develop details. Key Takeaway Start with a strong central idea. Themes creativity planning structure Mood inspirational reflective Type advice creative When to use this quote - music production - writing - project management Key Concepts vision iteration artistic process Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance planning with creative freedom? - When should you revise your original concept? A Different Perspective Over‑planning can stifle spontaneity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Albums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/albums/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [You know, it's a pretty mysterious thing still, why you start the songs you start, and the specific flavor of them, the nature of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-welch/you-know-it-s-a-pretty-mysterious-thing-still-why-you-start-the-songs/) [Gillian Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-welch/) > [I grew up listening to an album start to finish, and you don't skip songs. You don't listen to a Paul Simon record and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-mcbryde/i-grew-up-listening-to-an-album-start-to-finish-and-you-don-t-skip/) [Ashley McBryde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-mcbryde/) > [Obviously I try to make the best music that I can, but after about two years of making an album, you start to worry:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bush/obviously-i-try-to-make-the-best-music-that-i-can-but-after-about-two/) [Kate Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bush/) > [Every time I do an album, I say, 'That's the last one.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-dale/every-time-i-do-an-album-i-say-that-s-the-last-one/) [Dick Dale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-dale/) > [I want each album to say something different and be accepted better than the last one but I don't have any point to outdo…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-want-each-album-to-say-something-different-and-be-accepted-better/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I haven't said this yet, but my goal for this 'Beautiful' album is not to say, 'I'm beautiful,' or, 'OK, I'm so cool.' This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-liu/i-haven-t-said-this-yet-but-my-goal-for-this-beautiful-album-is-not/) [Amber Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-liu/) > [One thing I really hate about people who play both acoustic and electric is if they try to play electric style on an acoustic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-gallagher/one-thing-i-really-hate-about-people-who-play-both-acoustic-and/) [Rory Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-gallagher/) > [ I'm a big fan of \[Frank\] Sinatra, he was the best at what he did. The last thing I do is model my career… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-connick-jr/i-m-a-big-fan-of-frank-sinatra-he-was-the-best-at-what-he-did-the/) [Harry Connick, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-connick-jr/) > [It is okay to be have different views, its okay to do different things, its okay to be someone you want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-okay-to-be-have-different-views-its-okay-to-do-different-things/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The future and eternity are two entirely different things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/the-future-and-eternity-are-two-entirely-different-things/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [A perfect movie is a different thing, but a funny movie is easy. I was really happy that I got everyone that I got.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/a-perfect-movie-is-a-different-thing-but-a-funny-movie-is-easy-i-was/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [For a young man to start his career with a love affair with an older woman was quite de rigueur ... Of course, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vita-sackville-west/for-a-young-man-to-start-his-career-with-a-love-affair-with-an-older/) [Vita Sackville-West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vita-sackville-west/) > [The average ordinary citizen can do a lot of different things when it comes to the climate crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/the-average-ordinary-citizen-can-do-a-lot-of-different-things-when-it/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [I hold that religion and faith are two different things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buckley/i-hold-that-religion-and-faith-are-two-different-things/) [Pat Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buckley/) > [I want to do different things all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-belushi/i-want-to-do-different-things-all-the-time/) [John Belushi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-belushi/) ## More by Mary J. Blige > [I still get nervous about singing. I drink tea with honey and lemon before every concert. And I need to have scented candles in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/i-still-get-nervous-about-singing-i-drink-tea-with-honey-and-lemon/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [I never do any album to beat it. I do it to extend it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/i-never-do-any-album-to-beat-it-i-do-it-to-extend-it/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [When you wake up and learn to love yourself and want to take care of yourself, things are harder because people don't like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/when-you-wake-up-and-learn-to-love-yourself-and-want-to-take-care-of/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [I do consider myself part of black history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/i-do-consider-myself-part-of-black-history/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [You can't get around pain and opposition, but you can try to be joyful in the trial, and thank yourself for the trial, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/you-can-t-get-around-pain-and-opposition-but-you-can-try-to-be-joyful/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [Once you climb to another level, you have to figure out how to sustain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/once-you-climb-to-another-level-you-have-to-figure-out-how-to-sustain/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [I care about me now. When I didn't care about me, I was, like, 'Why is this going wrong? Why is my life so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/i-care-about-me-now-when-i-didn-t-care-about-me-i-was-like-why-is/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [I don't think there's anything they can say about me that I haven't said about myself already. And I would be an absolute total…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/i-don-t-think-there-s-anything-they-can-say-about-me-that-i-haven-t/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [I can tell you I didn't feel good when I could not articulate properly. Getting my GED was important and I want other women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/i-can-tell-you-i-didn-t-feel-good-when-i-could-not-articulate/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [My responsibility to God is to live. That's the gift he gave me. What I do with it is up to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/my-responsibility-to-god-is-to-live-that-s-the-gift-he-gave-me-what-i/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [There are people out there who want to provoke me and bring back the old Mary but I'm not giving them the satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/there-are-people-out-there-who-want-to-provoke-me-and-bring-back-the/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [The music business is really, really small. The real music is becoming almost extinct, if you don't stay true to who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/the-music-business-is-really-really-small-the-real-music-is-becoming/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [For the first time in my life, I'm proud of myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/for-the-first-time-in-my-life-i-m-proud-of-myself/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [If you're looking for inner peace from the outside world, you're not going to get that. The inner peace starts with looking at you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/if-you-re-looking-for-inner-peace-from-the-outside-world-you-re-not/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [God loves me and sent his son to die for me so I have to live to please him because he saved me when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/god-loves-me-and-sent-his-son-to-die-for-me-so-i-have-to-live-to/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) [Explore all 172 Mary J. Blige quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) ## More Albums quotes > [Check out the albums, ... Check out the live performances. That's the reality of it all. Music is such an energizing thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayall/check-out-the-albums-check-out-the-live-performances-that-s-the/) [John Mayall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayall/) > [It's been really fun to see with each album when I change to see the fans of the show emulate my style and with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avril-lavigne/it-s-been-really-fun-to-see-with-each-album-when-i-change-to-see-the/) [Avril Lavigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avril-lavigne/) > [It's my intention to make something stand outside the realm of album art, but it also feels comfortable to me to be in it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/it-s-my-intention-to-make-something-stand-outside-the-realm-of-album/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [The weird thing was that Soft Cell was supposed to have come and gone before I started the album.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-almond/the-weird-thing-was-that-soft-cell-was-supposed-to-have-come-and-gone/) [Marc Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-almond/) > [I believe in full albums, and whatever comes out of those full albums will come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-ricch/i-believe-in-full-albums-and-whatever-comes-out-of-those-full-albums/) [Roddy Ricch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-ricch/) > [Doing my own album provided me the opportunity to say whatever I wanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marx/doing-my-own-album-provided-me-the-opportunity-to-say-whatever-i/) [Richard Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marx/) > [The album is a definite departure. I haven't written original material before, except for one song on my first album, but Elvis and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-krall/the-album-is-a-definite-departure-i-haven-t-written-original-material/) [Diana Krall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-krall/) > [I never do any album to beat it. I do it to extend it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/i-never-do-any-album-to-beat-it-i-do-it-to-extend-it/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [I love Katy Perry! She gave me a song for my second album.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selena-gomez/i-love-katy-perry-she-gave-me-a-song-for-my-second-album/) [Selena Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selena-gomez/) > [If you're going to reach for it, reach all the way for it. Albums like 'Purple Rain' and 'Thriller' and those kind of records,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-sitek/if-you-re-going-to-reach-for-it-reach-all-the-way-for-it-albums-like/) [Dave Sitek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-sitek/) > [I'll put out an album, and people review it, and some people love it, and some people tear it apart. By nature of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/girl-talk/i-ll-put-out-an-album-and-people-review-it-and-some-people-love-it/) [Girl Talk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/girl-talk/) > [I've been connected to the most culturally important albums of the past four years, the most influential artists of the past ten years. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/i-ve-been-connected-to-the-most-culturally-important-albums-of-the/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [George Winston piano albums have been my go-to since junior high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sacca/george-winston-piano-albums-have-been-my-go-to-since-junior-high/) [Chris Sacca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sacca/) > [Someone told me once that Lucinda Williams takes six years between albums, and that's what stuck to me; it's like, you really are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ditto/someone-told-me-once-that-lucinda-williams-takes-six-years-between/) [Beth Ditto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ditto/) > [Now I'm having to live with sales of around 50,000 per album - but I'm pretty content with my place in the general scheme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-knopfler/now-i-m-having-to-live-with-sales-of-around-50-000-per-album-but-i-m/) [David Knopfler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-knopfler/) [Browse all 2,275 Albums quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/albums/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You have to have a plan. 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