--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mistakes are good, successes are great…" description: "\"Mistakes are good, successes are great, and idleness is a sin.\" — Mike Michalowicz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9da/mike-michalowicz-26015_failure_mistakes-are-good-successes-are-great-an_2228494.jpg" --- # Mistakes are good, successes are great, and idleness is a… ![“Mistakes are good, successes are great, and idleness is a sin.” quote by Mike Michalowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9da/mike-michalowicz-26015_failure_mistakes-are-good-successes-are-great-an_2228494.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9da/mike-michalowicz-26015_failure_mistakes-are-good-successes-are-great-an_2228494.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9da/mike-michalowicz-26015_failure_mistakes-are-good-successes-are-great-an_2228494.jpg) > “Mistakes are good, successes are great, and idleness is a sin.” [Mike Michalowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-michalowicz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mistakes provide learning, successes bring achievement, idleness wastes potential. **In simple terms:** Mistakes teach, success rewards, laziness harms. Key Takeaway Embrace errors, celebrate wins, avoid idleness. Themes learning achievement productivity Mood motivational reflective Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - entrepreneurship - personal development - career planning - daily routines Key Concepts growth mindset effort discipline Questions to Reflect On - How can you turn a mistake into a lesson? - What habits prevent idleness? A Different Perspective Success still needs consistent effort beyond avoiding idleness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Good success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-success/) [Idleness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idleness/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sin/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [Small successes are still successes; great failures are still failures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/small-successes-are-still-successes-great-failures-are-still-failures/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [All sin is selfish, whether it be lying, cheating, stealing, immorality, covetousness, or idleness. Sin is for one's own ends, not for another's-certainly not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-a-cuthbert/all-sin-is-selfish-whether-it-be-lying-cheating-stealing-immorality/) Derek A. Cuthbert > [Our successes have been so great and so rapid that, within 20 years, we've gotten a third of the world's population online, shrunk our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caterina-fake/our-successes-have-been-so-great-and-so-rapid-that-within-20-years-we/) [Caterina Fake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caterina-fake/) > [Idleness is righteous if it is comfortable. Uncomfortable idleness is sin & sinful waste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-townsend-warner/idleness-is-righteous-if-it-is-comfortable-uncomfortable-idleness-is/) [Sylvia Townsend Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-townsend-warner/) > [I have had some great successes and great failures. I think every entrepreneur has. I try to learn from all of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/i-have-had-some-great-successes-and-great-failures-i-think-every/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [“Liza had a finely developed sense of sin Idleness was a sin, and card playing, which was a kind of idleness to her. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/liza-had-a-finely-developed-sense-of-sin-idleness-was-a-sin-and-card/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“in LA she would hole up. Back in the day it had been part of his job to find people, and he had been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/in-la-she-would-hole-up-back-in-the-day-it-had-been-part-of-his-job/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [When guys work and they put the time in, it's always good to see them have success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-calderon/when-guys-work-and-they-put-the-time-in-it-s-always-good-to-see-them/) [Jose Calderon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-calderon/) > [I already have success. I had it a long time ago. It's nothing to do with my music. Music is secondary, at this point.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-del-rey/i-already-have-success-i-had-it-a-long-time-ago-it-s-nothing-to-do/) [Lana Del Rey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-del-rey/) > [We knew all along we were making a good show, so its success was not a surprise to me. What has surprised me is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-petersen/we-knew-all-along-we-were-making-a-good-show-so-its-success-was-not-a/) [William Petersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-petersen/) > [We're full all the time. And people do have good success and I think one of the programs at the center, the Continuing Care,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-ford/we-re-full-all-the-time-and-people-do-have-good-success-and-i-think/) [Betty Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-ford/) > [“There was something about succeeding at what you tried, especially when people needed your talent. Okay, so that talent happened to be illegal breaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kalayna-price/there-was-something-about-succeeding-at-what-you-tried-especially/) [Kalayna Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kalayna-price/) > [Obviously, it feels good to have success against any team whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-acuna-jr/obviously-it-feels-good-to-have-success-against-any-team-whatsoever/) [Ronald Acuna Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-acuna-jr/) > [Physicians, of all men, are most happy; whatever good success soever they have, the world proclaimeth; and what faults they commit, the earth covereth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/physicians-of-all-men-are-most-happy-whatever-good-success-soever/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [There is no danger if our prayer is without words or reflection because the good success of prayer depends neither on words nor on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-no-danger-if-our-prayer-is-without-words-or-reflection/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Mike Michalowicz > [“We rarely regret the things we did in life when we have followed our passion and taken risks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-michalowicz/we-rarely-regret-the-things-we-did-in-life-when-we-have-followed-our/) [Mike Michalowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-michalowicz/) > [Owning a business is NOT about working your ass off for the sake of trying to squeeze out a living. It is NOT about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-michalowicz/owning-a-business-is-not-about-working-your-ass-off-for-the-sake-of/) [Mike Michalowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-michalowicz/) > [“Your ideal customers will be attracted to your business because it speaks to them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-michalowicz/your-ideal-customers-will-be-attracted-to-your-business-because-it/) [Mike Michalowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-michalowicz/) > [“Envy of others builds an insurmountable wall to our own success.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-michalowicz/envy-of-others-builds-an-insurmountable-wall-to-our-own-success/) [Mike Michalowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-michalowicz/) > [Moving forward is not based upon your past; your future is exclusively determined by the decisions you make now, in this moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-michalowicz/moving-forward-is-not-based-upon-your-past-your-future-is-exclusively/) [Mike Michalowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-michalowicz/) > [The sooner you get something started the more likely you get to be successful, get started today!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-michalowicz/the-sooner-you-get-something-started-the-more-likely-you-get-to-be/) [Mike Michalowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-michalowicz/) > [“Passion begets persistence. And persistence begets success.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-michalowicz/passion-begets-persistence-and-persistence-begets-success/) [Mike Michalowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-michalowicz/) > [Ideas don’t make money, effort does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-michalowicz/ideas-don-t-make-money-effort-does/) [Mike Michalowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-michalowicz/) > [Profit is not an event. It's a habit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-michalowicz/profit-is-not-an-event-it-s-a-habit/) [Mike Michalowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-michalowicz/) > [Success is a moving target. I don't think we ever achieve “it”, at least in our own minds. But I do know this, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-michalowicz/success-is-a-moving-target-i-don-t-think-we-ever-achieve-it-at-least/) [Mike Michalowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-michalowicz/) > [Don't worry about making mistakes. In fact, the more mistakes you make, the more progress you are making. Just don't repeat the same mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-michalowicz/don-t-worry-about-making-mistakes-in-fact-the-more-mistakes-you-make/) [Mike Michalowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-michalowicz/) > [Action is the only way to make progress. Take action now; don’t wait for a convenient time. It can’t be overemphasized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-michalowicz/action-is-the-only-way-to-make-progress-take-action-now-don-t-wait/) [Mike Michalowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-michalowicz/) > [“We assume that multimillion-dollar companies are turning big profits, but it’s rare to find a truly profitable business.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-michalowicz/we-assume-that-multimillion-dollar-companies-are-turning-big-profits/) [Mike Michalowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-michalowicz/) > [“for you to provide the best that you imaginably can, it needs to come from both your head and your heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-michalowicz/for-you-to-provide-the-best-that-you-imaginably-can-it-needs-to-come/) [Mike Michalowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-michalowicz/) > [“It is a big deal being a small business. The world needs you. Actually, the world starves for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-michalowicz/it-is-a-big-deal-being-a-small-business-the-world-needs-you-actually/) [Mike Michalowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-michalowicz/) [Explore all 22 Mike Michalowicz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-michalowicz/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [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/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Mistakes are good, successes are great, and idleness is a sin.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mike Michalowicz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-michalowicz/mistakes-are-good-successes-are-great-and-idleness-is-a-sin/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Failure" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-michalowicz/mistakes-are-good-successes-are-great-and-idleness-is-a-sin/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9da/mike-michalowicz-26015_failure_mistakes-are-good-successes-are-great-an_2228494.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9da/mike-michalowicz-26015_failure_mistakes-are-good-successes-are-great-an_2228494.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9da/mike-michalowicz-26015_failure_mistakes-are-good-successes-are-great-an_2228494.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Mistakes are good, successes are great, and idleness is a sin.” — Mike Michalowicz", "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": "Mike Michalowicz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-michalowicz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Mistakes are good, successes are great,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-michalowicz/mistakes-are-good-successes-are-great-and-idleness-is-a-sin/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-michalowicz/mistakes-are-good-successes-are-great-and-idleness-is-a-sin/#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 } } ] } ```