---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The present is the steering wheel of your…"
description: "\"The present is the steering wheel of your life. The only difference between where you are and where you want to be, at any point in time, is what you a..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5f/melchor-lim-61_facts_the-present-is-the-steering-wheel-of-you_871376.jpg"
---

#  The present is the steering wheel of your life. The only…

![“The present is the steering wheel of your life. The only difference between where you are and where you want to be, at any point in time, is what you are presently doing. Your present actions can instantly steer you onto the right track. From this moment forward everything changes if you want it…” quote by Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5f/melchor-lim-61_facts_the-present-is-the-steering-wheel-of-you_871376.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5f/melchor-lim-61_facts_the-present-is-the-steering-wheel-of-you_871376.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5f/melchor-lim-61_facts_the-present-is-the-steering-wheel-of-you_871376.jpg)

> “The present is the steering wheel of your life. The only difference between where you are and where you want to be, at any point in time, is what you are presently doing. Your present actions can instantly steer you onto the right track. From this moment forward everything changes if you want it to. You simply have to decide what to do right now.”

[Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The present moment determines future outcomes; immediate actions shape the direction of one's life.

**In simple terms:** Current actions decide future direction.

Key Takeaway

Act now to steer your life.

Themes

self‑determination action time management

Mood

motivational pragmatic

Type

self‑help inspirational

When to use this quote

- career planning
- habit formation
- goal setting
- decision making

Key Concepts

philosophy personal development

Questions to Reflect On

- What action can you take today?
- How do you handle uncertainty in decision making?

A Different Perspective

Future plans may be limited by external constraints.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Doing Present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-present-320730/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Moment Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moment-forward-955937/) [Present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/present/) [Present Actions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/present-actions-784305/) [Present moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/present-moment/) [Present Steering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/present-steering-955936/) [Right now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-now/) [Right track](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-track/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [“The moment that you take your first step towards your dream goal is the moment you move forward and away from a fearful past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-k-winters/the-moment-that-you-take-your-first-step-towards-your-dream-goal-is/)

[Robert K. Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-k-winters/)

> [We are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves. If what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/we-are-responsible-for-what-we-are-and-whatever-we-wish-ourselves-to/)

[Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/)

> [Dwelling in the past prevents doing something in the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/dwelling-in-the-past-prevents-doing-something-in-the-present/)

[John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/)

> [I've known for years that you're supposed to be present. I know that thinking about what's happened or thinking about what I want is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariel-hemingway/i-ve-known-for-years-that-you-re-supposed-to-be-present-i-know-that/)

[Mariel Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariel-hemingway/)

> [I think it's important to try to be present with whatever it is you're doing. And if you can't be present, take a break.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-think-it-s-important-to-try-to-be-present-with-whatever-it-is-you/)

[Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/)

> [I've wanted to be a parent for a really long time, and I'm going to make sure I'm doing everything I can to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lightfoot/i-ve-wanted-to-be-a-parent-for-a-really-long-time-and-i-m-going-to/)

[Lori Lightfoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lightfoot/)

> [You don't always have to be doing something. The most of something that you can do sometimes is to be in the present doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-basinger/you-don-t-always-have-to-be-doing-something-the-most-of-something/)

[Kim Basinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-basinger/)

> [A sprinter should always know if he is on the right track and right direction, but it's not exactly true with those running marathon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/a-sprinter-should-always-know-if-he-is-on-the-right-track-and-right/)

[Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/)

> [When I see a paragraph shrinking under my eyes like a strip of bacon in a skillet, I know I'm on the right track.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/when-i-see-a-paragraph-shrinking-under-my-eyes-like-a-strip-of-bacon/)

[Peter De Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-de-vries/)

> [“Don’t be afraid to be weird, don’t be afraid to be different, don’t worry too much about what other people think. Whatever it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-windling/don-t-be-afraid-to-be-weird-don-t-be-afraid-to-be-different-don-t/)

[Terri Windling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-windling/)

> [“If you can learn to adapt a “who cares what anyone else thinks, I want a better life for myself” attitude, you’ll be on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-o-neill/if-you-can-learn-to-adapt-a-who-cares-what-anyone-else-thinks-i-want/)

[Jennifer O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-o-neill/)

> [My freshman and sophomore years in high school, I spent a lot of time trying to get back on the right track. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/my-freshman-and-sophomore-years-in-high-school-i-spent-a-lot-of-time/)

[Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/)

> [There are some moments in life that are like pivots around which your existence turns—small intuitive flashes, when you know you have done something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn-davidson/there-are-some-moments-in-life-that-are-like-pivots-around-which-your/)

[Robyn Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robyn-davidson/)

> [If the goal of the Trump tax cut is to make America look more like tax-cutting North Carolina and less like soak-the-rich Connecticut and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-moore/if-the-goal-of-the-trump-tax-cut-is-to-make-america-look-more-like/)

[Stephen Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-moore/)

> [You imagine that I look back on my life's work with calm satisfaction. But from nearby it looks quite different. There is not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/you-imagine-that-i-look-back-on-my-life-s-work-with-calm-satisfaction/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

## More by Melchor Lim

> [The premises from which we begin are not arbitrary ones, not dogmas, but real premises from which abstraction can only be made in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/the-premises-from-which-we-begin-are-not-arbitrary-ones-not-dogmas/)

[Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/)

> [Beware of the strong possibility that any state of a human, whether good or bad, might be the case of any other fellow human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/beware-of-the-strong-possibility-that-any-state-of-a-human-whether/)

[Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/)

> [If you are too afraid of failure, you cant possibly do what needs to be done to succeed in living a fulfilling life. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/if-you-are-too-afraid-of-failure-you-cant-possibly-do-what-needs-to/)

[Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/)

> [Every day brings new lessons and new possibilities. There is always a way to take the next step forward on the path you've chosen.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/every-day-brings-new-lessons-and-new-possibilities-there-is-always-a/)

[Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/)

> [Money should be ones demand and command one should not become slave of money..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/money-should-be-ones-demand-and-command-one-should-not-become-slave/)

[Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/)

> [When you give your 100% to your compromises then they become sacrifices… And sacrifices never hurt us,they give us a smile on our face,a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/when-you-give-your-100-to-your-compromises-then-they-become/)

[Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/)

> [Instead of taking one step at a time, I run and fall on purpose. It makes life more fun. Besides you'll know when the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/instead-of-taking-one-step-at-a-time-i-run-and-fall-on-purpose-it/)

[Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/)

> [An obstacle is often a stepping stone... Things that appear to be obstacles are often helpful in the long run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/an-obstacle-is-often-a-stepping-stone-things-that-appear-to-be/)

[Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/)

> [Set urself free…no guts no glory...live ur life the way u wnt it...and no regrets…u hve ur own way of a living...keep it up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/set-urself-free-no-guts-no-glory-live-ur-life-the-way-u-wnt-it-and-no/)

[Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/)

> [Success is not as sweet if youve never experienced failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/success-is-not-as-sweet-if-youve-never-experienced-failure/)

[Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/)

> [So many people wait around for the stars to align to do what they're here to do. The perfect moment, the perfect opportunity, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/so-many-people-wait-around-for-the-stars-to-align-to-do-what-they-re/)

[Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/)

> [When a boy tells a girl something she doesn't like she will remember it forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/when-a-boy-tells-a-girl-something-she-doesn-t-like-she-will-remember/)

[Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/)

> [The things you do determine the way people perceive you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/the-things-you-do-determine-the-way-people-perceive-you/)

[Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/)

> [If a girl cries for you, then think surely she loves you truly... ... and if a boy cries for you then don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/if-a-girl-cries-for-you-then-think-surely-she-loves-you-truly-and-if/)

[Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/)

> [If you want an interesting life. Become interested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/if-you-want-an-interesting-life-become-interested/)

[Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/)

[Explore all 1,730 Melchor Lim quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/)

## More Facts quotes

> [It is indeed a surprising and fortunate fact that nature can be expressed by relatively low-order mathematical functions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-carnap/it-is-indeed-a-surprising-and-fortunate-fact-that-nature-can-be/)

[Rudolf Carnap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-carnap/)

> [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/)

[Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/)

> [He bombarded me with words, of all things, apparently clueless to the fact that the predawn hours rendered me incapable of coherent thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darynda-jones/he-bombarded-me-with-words-of-all-things-apparently-clueless-to-the/)

[Darynda Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darynda-jones/)

> [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I'm Fine!, the most common LIE in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/i-m-fine-the-most-common-lie-in-the-world/)

[Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/)

> [The time that one gains cannot be accumulated in a storehouse; it is contradictory to want to save up existence, which, the fact is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/the-time-that-one-gains-cannot-be-accumulated-in-a-storehouse-it-is/)

[Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/)

> [What is history after all? History is facts which become lies in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/what-is-history-after-all-history-is-facts-which-become-lies-in-the/)

[Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/)

> [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/)

[Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/)

> [I am told many children block out the memory of trauma. In fact, the healing process can only truly begin when we are willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-stone/i-am-told-many-children-block-out-the-memory-of-trauma-in-fact-the/)

[Phoebe Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-stone/)

> [Because the truth is that gossip is as good as gospel in this town. You can save face but you won't ever save your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/because-the-truth-is-that-gossip-is-as-good-as-gospel-in-this-town/)

[Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/)

> [Truth be told from compulsive liars with a history/Everything must change 2nd chances are a mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-dash/truth-be-told-from-compulsive-liars-with-a-history-everything-must/)

[C-DASH](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-dash/)

> [We did an episode where she goes out to get a job and she gets fired because she's not good. They hire a babysitter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-heaton/we-did-an-episode-where-she-goes-out-to-get-a-job-and-she-gets-fired/)

[Patricia Heaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-heaton/)

> [Le biologiste passe, la grenouille reste. The biologist passes, the frog remains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rostand/le-biologiste-passe-la-grenouille-reste-the-biologist-passes-the-frog/)

[Jean Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rostand/)

> [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [The fact -- not theory -- that evolution has occurred and the Darwinian theory as to how it occurred have become so confused in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gaylord-simpson/the-fact-not-theory-that-evolution-has-occurred-and-the-darwinian/)

[George Gaylord Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gaylord-simpson/)

[Browse all 19,906 Facts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The present is the steering wheel of your life. The only difference between where you are and where you want to be, at any point in time, is what you are presently doing. Your present actions can instantly steer you onto the right track. From this moment forward everything changes if you want it to. You simply have to decide what to do right now.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Melchor Lim"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/the-present-is-the-steering-wheel-of-your-life-the-only-difference/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Facts"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/the-present-is-the-steering-wheel-of-your-life-the-only-difference/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5f/melchor-lim-61_facts_the-present-is-the-steering-wheel-of-you_871376.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5f/melchor-lim-61_facts_the-present-is-the-steering-wheel-of-you_871376.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5f/melchor-lim-61_facts_the-present-is-the-steering-wheel-of-you_871376.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The present is the steering wheel of your life. The only difference between where you are and where you want…” — Melchor Lim",
                "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": "Melchor Lim",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The present is the steering wheel...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/the-present-is-the-steering-wheel-of-your-life-the-only-difference/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/the-present-is-the-steering-wheel-of-your-life-the-only-difference/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
