--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be successful be ahead of your time…" description: "\"To be successful be ahead of your time, but only a little.\" — Mason Cooley" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a8/mason-cooley-92_ahead_to-be-successful-be-ahead-of-your-time-b_455985.png" --- # To be successful be ahead of your time, but only a little. ![“To be successful be ahead of your time, but only a little.” quote by Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a8/mason-cooley-92_ahead_to-be-successful-be-ahead-of-your-time-b_455985.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a8/mason-cooley-92_ahead_to-be-successful-be-ahead-of-your-time-b_455985.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a8/mason-cooley-92_ahead_to-be-successful-be-ahead-of-your-time-b_455985.png) > “To be successful be ahead of your time, but only a little.” [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) ## 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 being slightly ahead of prevailing trends, not far ahead. **In simple terms:** Stay slightly ahead of the curve. Key Takeaway Anticipate trends modestly. Themes innovation timing moderation Mood optimistic strategic Type advisory philosophical When to use this quote - product development - career planning - investment decisions - trend analysis Key Concepts strategic foresight incremental advantage Questions to Reflect On - How do you gauge the right amount of forward-thinking? - What signals indicate it's time to act? A Different Perspective Being too far ahead can isolate you from market acceptance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [You'll sacrifice a lot of things in the early part of your career to be successful, but to be ahead of your competitors, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-glasenberg/you-ll-sacrifice-a-lot-of-things-in-the-early-part-of-your-career-to/) [Ivan Glasenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-glasenberg/) > [What I don't like is having someone saying ahead of time what I can see and what I can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-connors/what-i-don-t-like-is-having-someone-saying-ahead-of-time-what-i-can/) [Mike Connors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-connors/) > [I'm a precrastinator. Yes, that's an actual term. You know that panic you feel a few hours before a big deadline when you haven't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/i-m-a-precrastinator-yes-that-s-an-actual-term-you-know-that-panic/) [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) > [This thing we have is ahead of its time. Just keep on doin' what you?re doin?, never change track.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tami-chynn/this-thing-we-have-is-ahead-of-its-time-just-keep-on-doin-what-you-re/) [Tami Chynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tami-chynn/) > [I believe I was ahead of my time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ike-turner/i-believe-i-was-ahead-of-my-time/) [Ike Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ike-turner/) > [“Nothing comes ahead of its time, and nothing has ever happened that didn't need to happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/nothing-comes-ahead-of-its-time-and-nothing-has-ever-happened-that/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [“It is better to be ahead of your time than to lag behind your generation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/it-is-better-to-be-ahead-of-your-time-than-to-lag-behind-your/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [The best way to keep something bad from happening is to see it ahead of time... and you can't see it if you refuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/the-best-way-to-keep-something-bad-from-happening-is-to-see-it-ahead/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [I like to be on time, preferably ahead of time. It's better to be one of the first at a function as opposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-coulthard/i-like-to-be-on-time-preferably-ahead-of-time-it-s-better-to-be-one/) [David Coulthard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-coulthard/) > [When you watch chess, you don't see the four hours that the player spends preparing for a match ahead of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hikaru-nakamura/when-you-watch-chess-you-don-t-see-the-four-hours-that-the-player/) [Hikaru Nakamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hikaru-nakamura/) > [My music is a little ahead of its time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kodie-shane/my-music-is-a-little-ahead-of-its-time/) [Kodie Shane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kodie-shane/) > [Skepticism is not a position that you stake out ahead of time and stick to no matter what.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shermer/skepticism-is-not-a-position-that-you-stake-out-ahead-of-time-and/) [Michael Shermer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shermer/) > [Im so ahead of my time my parents havent met yet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-l/im-so-ahead-of-my-time-my-parents-havent-met-yet/) [Big L](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-l/) > [“It's not that I'm ahead of my time, it's more that the world is running late”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-stern/it-s-not-that-i-m-ahead-of-my-time-it-s-more-that-the-world-is/) [Josh Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-stern/) > [... the art of politics is to be ahead of your time--about six months will do it. Any more than that, and people forget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/the-art-of-politics-is-to-be-ahead-of-your-time-about-six-months-will/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) ## More by Mason Cooley > [Nostalgia keeps dissolving the ironic narratives in which I have contained my past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/nostalgia-keeps-dissolving-the-ironic-narratives-in-which-i-have/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [The modernist writers found despair inspirational.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/the-modernist-writers-found-despair-inspirational/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Even the most abject have a sense of superiority based on powerful though undefined merits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/even-the-most-abject-have-a-sense-of-superiority-based-on-powerful/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Money comes to life as it is spent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/money-comes-to-life-as-it-is-spent/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Even the most fickle are faithful to a few bad habits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/even-the-most-fickle-are-faithful-to-a-few-bad-habits/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Rage is exciting, but leaves me confused and exhausted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/rage-is-exciting-but-leaves-me-confused-and-exhausted/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Literary tradition is full of lies about poverty-the jolly beggar, the poor but happy milkmaid, the wholesome diet of porridge, etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/literary-tradition-is-full-of-lies-about-poverty-the-jolly-beggar-the/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Experience teaches us, but we scarcely know what.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/experience-teaches-us-but-we-scarcely-know-what/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [The body has a mind of its own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/the-body-has-a-mind-of-its-own/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [In retirement, I look for days off from my days off. Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/in-retirement-i-look-for-days-off-from-my-days-off-mason-cooley/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [My intentions go one way, my desires another. Thus I feel both self-indulgent and deprived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/my-intentions-go-one-way-my-desires-another-thus-i-feel-both-self/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [The Puritan sours his pleasures by disguising them as duties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/the-puritan-sours-his-pleasures-by-disguising-them-as-duties/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Unlike the actual, the fictional explains itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/unlike-the-actual-the-fictional-explains-itself/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Vacations prove that a life of pleasure is overrated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/vacations-prove-that-a-life-of-pleasure-is-overrated/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Outside literature, high-flown sentiments are merely exasperating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/outside-literature-high-flown-sentiments-are-merely-exasperating/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) [Explore all 1,401 Mason Cooley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) ## More Ahead quotes > [Anybody who thinks that they should lead the country should go ahead and put their hat in the ring. I am not among them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-schatz/anybody-who-thinks-that-they-should-lead-the-country-should-go-ahead/) [Brian Schatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schatz/) > [If I have a problem with somebody, I go ahead and say what's on my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico-hulkenberg/if-i-have-a-problem-with-somebody-i-go-ahead-and-say-what-s-on-my-mind/) [Nico Hulkenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico-hulkenberg/) > [I once invested in a risky business. Quite a few people warned me not to do so, but I still went ahead and invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautam-rode/i-once-invested-in-a-risky-business-quite-a-few-people-warned-me-not/) [Gautam Rode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautam-rode/) > [“What lies behind us is nothing compared to what lies within us and ahead of us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/what-lies-behind-us-is-nothing-compared-to-what-lies-within-us-and/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [In Life, We May Never Get The Same Opportunity Again, But There's Always Something Better Ahead...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/in-life-we-may-never-get-the-same-opportunity-again-but-there-s/) Pacifiersucker > [Makeup is only fun if it's occasional and capricious - just like it's a treat to have an empty day ahead, but it wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-coren-mitchell/makeup-is-only-fun-if-it-s-occasional-and-capricious-just-like-it-s-a/) [Victoria Coren Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-coren-mitchell/) > [There is no such thing as disposable time if you want to stay ahead of the game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-no-such-thing-as-disposable-time-if-you-want-to-stay-ahead/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm the kind of guy who comes home and checks scores for everything. I'm a sports fan in general, so I pretty much keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chadwick-boseman/i-m-the-kind-of-guy-who-comes-home-and-checks-scores-for-everything-i/) [Chadwick Boseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chadwick-boseman/) > [People are flying you places in business class. Everyone wants to take pictures of you and find out information about you. It's a freak-out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yolandi-visser/people-are-flying-you-places-in-business-class-everyone-wants-to-take/) [Yolandi Visser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yolandi-visser/) > [I wasn't putting my all into it and I was still managing to score goals, and that gave me something to dream about, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gray/i-wasn-t-putting-my-all-into-it-and-i-was-still-managing-to-score/) [Andre Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gray/) > [There's no limit to what you can accomplish, but there's always someone one step ahead of you, so it's a constant uphill battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-mary-stewart/there-s-no-limit-to-what-you-can-accomplish-but-there-s-always/) [Catherine Mary Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-mary-stewart/) > [I was never bothered about my position in the industry. If I had believed in it, I wouldn't have allowed anyone to get ahead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dharmendra/i-was-never-bothered-about-my-position-in-the-industry-if-i-had/) [Dharmendra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dharmendra/) > [I don't want to look too far ahead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jofra-archer/i-don-t-want-to-look-too-far-ahead/) [Jofra Archer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jofra-archer/) > [“one who takes the first step always remains one step ahead”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabi-shaheen/one-who-takes-the-first-step-always-remains-one-step-ahead/) Rabi Shaheen > [I am not interested to sing in Bollywood. I sing for only those actors whom I admire. I sing free of cost for them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo-honey-singh/i-am-not-interested-to-sing-in-bollywood-i-sing-for-only-those-actors/) [Yo Yo Honey Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-honey-singh/) Browse all 1,773 Ahead quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To be successful be ahead of your time, but only a little.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mason Cooley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/to-be-successful-be-ahead-of-your-time-but-only-a-little/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ahead" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/to-be-successful-be-ahead-of-your-time-but-only-a-little/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a8/mason-cooley-92_ahead_to-be-successful-be-ahead-of-your-time-b_455985.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a8/mason-cooley-92_ahead_to-be-successful-be-ahead-of-your-time-b_455985.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a8/mason-cooley-92_ahead_to-be-successful-be-ahead-of-your-time-b_455985.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To be successful be ahead of your time, but only a little.” — Mason Cooley", "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": "Mason Cooley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To be successful be ahead of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/to-be-successful-be-ahead-of-your-time-but-only-a-little/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/to-be-successful-be-ahead-of-your-time-but-only-a-little/#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 } } ] } ```