--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Well, I like to know where I'm going…" description: "\"“Well, I like to know where I'm going before I try to get there. It's a mistake to try to execute a plan before you've thought of one, in my experience..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00f/max-barry-7380_escape_well-i-like-to-know-where-i-m-going-befo_21774.jpg" --- # Well, I like to know where I'm going before I try to get… ![“Well, I like to know where I'm going before I try to get there. It's a mistake to try to execute a plan before you've thought of one, in my experience.” quote by Max Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00f/max-barry-7380_escape_well-i-like-to-know-where-i-m-going-befo_21774.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00f/max-barry-7380_escape_well-i-like-to-know-where-i-m-going-befo_21774.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00f/max-barry-7380_escape_well-i-like-to-know-where-i-m-going-befo_21774.jpg) > ““Well, I like to know where I'm going before I try to get there. It's a mistake to try to execute a plan before you've thought of one, in my experience.”” [Max Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-barry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Emphasizes the necessity of strategic planning prior to action, warning that acting without a clear roadmap leads to errors. **In simple terms:** Plan before you act. Key Takeaway Preparation prevents missteps. Themes planning decision-making strategy risk-management self-awareness Mood thoughtful cautious Type advice observation When to use this quote - starting a new project - career transition - launching a product - organizing an event - personal goal setting Key Concepts goal-setting critical-thinking execution Practical Applications - create a detailed plan before execution - use brainstorming to outline objectives Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions underlie your current plan? - How might you test your plan before full commitment? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Escape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/escape/) [Execute Plan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/execute-plan-399390/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Going Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-try/) [Know Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-going/) [Mistake Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake-try-399391/) [Planning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planning/) [Plans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plans/) [Road](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/road/) [Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel/) [Try Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-mistake-399389/) ## Related quotes > [Each new day takes you one step closer to achieving your dream. 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I'm going to try to do what's asked of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-howard/i-don-t-really-know-i-m-going-to-try-to-do-what-s-asked-of-me/) [Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) > [If I am not able to execute my plans, then I feel I am not up to the mark and there has been a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasprit-bumrah/if-i-am-not-able-to-execute-my-plans-then-i-feel-i-am-not-up-to-the/) [Jasprit Bumrah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasprit-bumrah/) > [I don't need a $100 million mistake. Try to make a $5 million mistake if you have to make one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/i-don-t-need-a-100-million-mistake-try-to-make-a-5-million-mistake-if/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [“You'll never avoid every mistake. All you can do is try to do your best and live with the consequences.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-martin-beckner/you-ll-never-avoid-every-mistake-all-you-can-do-is-try-to-do-your/) [K. Martin Beckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-martin-beckner/) > [When you get in situations where you cannot afford to make a mistake, it's very hard to do the right thing. So if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ward-cunningham/when-you-get-in-situations-where-you-cannot-afford-to-make-a-mistake/) [Ward Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ward-cunningham/) > [When you make a mistake, try not to make that mistake again and keep moving forward. Keep getting better each day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sony-michel/when-you-make-a-mistake-try-not-to-make-that-mistake-again-and-keep/) [Sony Michel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sony-michel/) > [When you have it, you spend it. The mistake is to try to spend it when you haven't got it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-mccreevy/when-you-have-it-you-spend-it-the-mistake-is-to-try-to-spend-it-when/) [Charlie McCreevy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-mccreevy/) > [Into the flood again, same old trip it was back then, so I made a big mistake, try to see it once my way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/into-the-flood-again-same-old-trip-it-was-back-then-so-i-made-a-big/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Never ever try to make a mistake..try to be perfect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/never-ever-try-to-make-a-mistake-try-to-be-perfect/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [If you get hurt over and over again, it's not the end. Just realize that you may be making the same mistake and try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-get-hurt-over-and-over-again-it-s-not-the-end-just-realize/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I just made the decision that I was going to try comedy, and if didn't work, then I knew it didn't work. Then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-newhart/i-just-made-the-decision-that-i-was-going-to-try-comedy-and-if-didn-t/) [Bob Newhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-newhart/) > [I'm not going to try and sit here and be Superman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-george/i-m-not-going-to-try-and-sit-here-and-be-superman/) [Paul George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-george/) > [We're going to do a challenge. I'm going to try and download every movie ever made and you are going to try to sign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/we-re-going-to-do-a-challenge-i-m-going-to-try-and-download-every/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) ## More by Max Barry > [Hey, I saw this old British movie, all the people spoke so different, you could hardly understand them. But everyone here speaks American as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-barry/hey-i-saw-this-old-british-movie-all-the-people-spoke-so-different/) [Max Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-barry/) > [By this action, the Government has proved that so long as it exists, none of us are truly free. Government and freedom are mutually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-barry/by-this-action-the-government-has-proved-that-so-long-as-it-exists/) [Max Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-barry/) > [“Thanks for being the kind of person who likes to pick up a book. 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A split…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-barry/what-was-it-like-what-was-what-like-he-said-although-he-knew-quick-i/) [Max Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-barry/) > [People resist a census, but give them a profile page and they'll spend all day telling you who they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-barry/people-resist-a-census-but-give-them-a-profile-page-and-they-ll-spend/) [Max Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-barry/) > [every story written is marks upon a page The same marks, repeated, only differently arranged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-barry/every-story-written-is-marks-upon-a-page-the-same-marks-repeated-only/) [Max Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-barry/) > [“Fifteen years ago, this would have been insider trading, but that quaint concept had disappeared a decade or two ago when so many brokers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-barry/fifteen-years-ago-this-would-have-been-insider-trading-but-that/) [Max Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-barry/) > [“With Lola, everything was solvable. She was my independent variable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-barry/with-lola-everything-was-solvable-she-was-my-independent-variable/) [Max Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-barry/) > [“The newspapers said nobody made it out alive." "Surely you didn't trust them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-barry/the-newspapers-said-nobody-made-it-out-alive-surely-you-didn-t-trust/) [Max Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-barry/) > [“Attention words. A single word wasn't enough. Not even for a particular segment. 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There was something about jazz music that had a way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laufey/growing-up-in-iceland-it-was-very-beautiful-very-safe-but-quite/) [Laufey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laufey/) > [“Those who contemplate never escape the doubt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-mankell/those-who-contemplate-never-escape-the-doubt/) [Henning Mankell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-mankell/) > [“Then from those profound slumbers we awake in a dawn, not knowing who we are, being nobody, newly born, ready for anything, the brain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/then-from-those-profound-slumbers-we-awake-in-a-dawn-not-knowing-who/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [I think my attitudes about the past are very traditional. You can't ignore history; you can't escape it even if you want to. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/i-think-my-attitudes-about-the-past-are-very-traditional-you-can-t/) [Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/) > [Music and sleep are two of the greatest ways to escape from everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/music-and-sleep-are-two-of-the-greatest-ways-to-escape-from-everything/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Music is my escape from all the problems in life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailin-cui/music-is-my-escape-from-all-the-problems-in-life/) [Kailin Cui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailin-cui/) > [Wherever you escape, the truth will find you! Always be prepared to meet with it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/wherever-you-escape-the-truth-will-find-you-always-be-prepared-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“I think the best way to escape your head isn’t to think about things that aren’t real, it’s to think about things that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-brooks/i-think-the-best-way-to-escape-your-head-isn-t-to-think-about-things/) [Ben Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-brooks/) > [“You could say she hid there, in the words, an escape within an escape...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aurelie-sheehan/you-could-say-she-hid-there-in-the-words-an-escape-within-an-escape/) [Aurelie Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aurelie-sheehan/) > [Life will drag us kicking and screaming to our destiny if we try to escape it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/life-will-drag-us-kicking-and-screaming-to-our-destiny-if-we-try-to/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [How did you escape? (Syd) I fought my way out in a manner that would have made Rambo proud. And when I got home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/how-did-you-escape-syd-i-fought-my-way-out-in-a-manner-that-would/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [There are reasons people seek escape in books, and one of those reasons is that the boundary of what can happen is beyond what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/there-are-reasons-people-seek-escape-in-books-and-one-of-those/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [“If poetry is an escape into the woods, then music is the journey back home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akash-mandal/if-poetry-is-an-escape-into-the-woods-then-music-is-the-journey-back/) [Akash Mandal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akash-mandal/) > [“Después de exigir mi marcha, ya no posees jurisdicción en lo concerniente a mi salud.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/despu-s-de-exigir-mi-marcha-ya-no-posees-jurisdicci-n-en-lo/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) [Browse all 1,660 Escape quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/escape/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Well, I like to know where I'm going before I try to get there. 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