---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What happened yesterday is history. What…"
description: "\"What happened yesterday is history. What happens tomorrow is a mystery. What we do today makes a difference - the precious present moment.\" — Nick Saban"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/nick-saban-2879_differences_what-happened-yesterday-is-history-what_3060178.jpg"
---

#  What happened yesterday is history. What happens tomorrow…

![“What happened yesterday is history. What happens tomorrow is a mystery. What we do today makes a difference - the precious present moment.” quote by Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/nick-saban-2879_differences_what-happened-yesterday-is-history-what_3060178.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/nick-saban-2879_differences_what-happened-yesterday-is-history-what_3060178.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/nick-saban-2879_differences_what-happened-yesterday-is-history-what_3060178.jpg)

> “What happened yesterday is history. What happens tomorrow is a mystery. What we do today makes a difference - the precious present moment.”

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

## About This Quote

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

Past is history, future unknown; present actions matter most.

**In simple terms:** Live in the now.

Key Takeaway

Focus on present decisions to shape outcomes.

Themes

time mindfulness action

Mood

motivational reflective

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- sports coaching
- business planning
- personal goal setting
- daily routines

Key Concepts

philosophy leadership

Questions to Reflect On

- What can today’s actions achieve?
- How do you balance reflection with action?

A Different Perspective

May ignore valuable lessons from past.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Making a difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-a-difference/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mystery/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Present moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/present-moment/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Tomorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tomorrow/) [Tomorrow Is A Mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tomorrow-is-a-mystery/) [Yesterday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yesterday/) [Yesterday is history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yesterday-is-history/)

## Related quotes

> [Yesterday is history,Tomorrow is a mystery but today is a gift, That is why we call it \*The Present\*.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniyal-butt/yesterday-is-history-tomorrow-is-a-mystery-but-today-is-a-gift-that/)

[Daniyal Butt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniyal-butt/)

> [Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That's why we call it the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babatunde-olatunji/yesterday-is-history-tomorrow-is-a-mystery-and-today-today-is-a-gift-2/)

[Babatunde Olatunji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babatunde-olatunji/)

> [Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, Today is a Gift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/yesterday-is-history-tomorrow-is-a-mystery-today-is-a-gift/)

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

> [Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. Thats why its called the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/yesterday-is-history-tomorrow-is-a-mystery-today-is-a-gift-thats-why/)

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

> [Yesterday Is History, Tomorrow Is A Mystery, Today Is The Present, That's Why It's Considered A](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amonte-brown/yesterday-is-history-tomorrow-is-a-mystery-today-is-the-present-that/)

Amonte Brown

> [Yesterday is history; Tomorrow is a mystery!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/yesterday-is-history-tomorrow-is-a-mystery/)

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

> [Yesterday is history and tomorrow is a mystery. Today is the only day that we ever really see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-bullock/yesterday-is-history-and-tomorrow-is-a-mystery-today-is-the-only-day/)

Andrew Bullock

> [Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/yesterday-is-history-tomorrow-is-a-mystery-today-is-a-gift-of-god-2/)

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

> [Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. Thats why we call it the present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/yesterday-is-history-tomorrow-is-a-mystery-and-today-today-is-a-gift/)

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

> [Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is God's gift, that's why we call it the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/yesterday-is-history-tomorrow-is-a-mystery-today-is-god-s-gift-that-s/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery...Today is a Friday the 13!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/yesterday-is-history-tomorrow-is-a-mystery-today-is-a-friday-the-13/)

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

> [Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/yesterday-is-history-tomorrow-is-a-mystery-today-is-a-gift-that-s-why-2/)

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

> [Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/yesterday-is-history-tomorrow-is-a-mystery-today-is-a-gift-of-god/)

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

> [Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift, thats why we call it present ;)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karal/yesterday-is-history-tomorrow-is-a-mystery-and-today-is-a-gift-thats/)

Karal

> [Life is not a race, but a journey to be savoured each step of the way. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-dyson/life-is-not-a-race-but-a-journey-to-be-savoured-each-step-of-the-way/)

[Brian Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-dyson/)

## More by Nick Saban

> [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [We create a standard for how we want to do things and everybody's got to buy into that standard or you really can't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/we-create-a-standard-for-how-we-want-to-do-things-and-everybody-s-got/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [What makes Freddy Krueger such a horrible character? What makes him scare you to death? You can't get rid of the guy. He never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/what-makes-freddy-krueger-such-a-horrible-character-what-makes-him/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [I said as soon as we had a playoff, we were going to minimize the importance of all the other bowl games. I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-said-as-soon-as-we-had-a-playoff-we-were-going-to-minimize-the/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [Our goal is to work against things we have not seen that we will see in the near future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/our-goal-is-to-work-against-things-we-have-not-seen-that-we-will-see/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [I've always been able to stay focused on trying to recruit good players and trying to develop those players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-ve-always-been-able-to-stay-focused-on-trying-to-recruit-good/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [I think people always assume that every team has great intangibles, and that's not necessarily right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-think-people-always-assume-that-every-team-has-great-intangibles/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [I think there's a certain pride people have in competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-think-there-s-a-certain-pride-people-have-in-competition/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [Soccer is a continuous game, rugby is a continuous game, but for the physical elements that are involved in playing a football game and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/soccer-is-a-continuous-game-rugby-is-a-continuous-game-but-for-the/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [You can't allow yourself to be vulnerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/you-can-t-allow-yourself-to-be-vulnerable/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [There are two pains in life. There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/there-are-two-pains-in-life-there-is-the-pain-of-discipline-and-the/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [As a coach, when it comes to football players, we're trying to change their behavior and make them better. As people, we're trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/as-a-coach-when-it-comes-to-football-players-we-re-trying-to-change/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [We're not going to talk about what we're going to accomplish, we're going to talk about how we're going to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/we-re-not-going-to-talk-about-what-we-re-going-to-accomplish-we-re/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [I want what's best for people who want to improve the quality of their life. I hope whoever our leader is will do all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/i-want-what-s-best-for-people-who-want-to-improve-the-quality-of/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [The thing that concerns me the most is when I hear that people are making a lot of money a lot of ways except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/the-thing-that-concerns-me-the-most-is-when-i-hear-that-people-are/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

[Explore all 147 Nick Saban quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

## More Differences quotes

> [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/)

[David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/)

> [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/)

[Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/)

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/)

Jennifer Siebel Newsom

> [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/)

[M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/)

> [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [Shortly after I turned 50, both Ted Turner and the AARP came into my life. The only difference? With AARP, there were benefits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/shortly-after-i-turned-50-both-ted-turner-and-the-aarp-came-into-my/)

[Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/)

> [It must be assumed and established as a principle, that the right of private property must be regarded as sacred. Wherefore, the law ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/it-must-be-assumed-and-established-as-a-principle-that-the-right-of/)

[Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/)

> [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/)

[Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/)

> [There are those who open their hearts to others...who never think twice about giving of themselves. They are the wonderful warmhearted people who make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/there-are-those-who-open-their-hearts-to-others-who-never-think-twice/)

[Gilda Radner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilda-radner/)

> [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/)

[Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/)

> [A human being can only absorb a small amount of the mystical kundalini, you can be exposed again and again to it, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-human-being-can-only-absorb-a-small-amount-of-the-mystical/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [One of the most basic principles for making and keeping peace within and between nations. . . is that in political, military, moral, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/one-of-the-most-basic-principles-for-making-and-keeping-peace-within/)

[Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/)

> [When the President starts talking about something, it makes a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-schumer/when-the-president-starts-talking-about-something-it-makes-a/)

[Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-schumer/)

> [In a world shaped and colored more and more by politicians, the nations meet politically, and hardly any other way to settle their differences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-priestley/in-a-world-shaped-and-colored-more-and-more-by-politicians-the/)

[J. B. Priestley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-priestley/)

[Browse all 8,110 Differences quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "What happened yesterday is history. What happens tomorrow is a mystery. What we do today makes a difference - the precious present moment.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Nick Saban"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/what-happened-yesterday-is-history-what-happens-tomorrow-is-a-mystery/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Differences"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/what-happened-yesterday-is-history-what-happens-tomorrow-is-a-mystery/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/nick-saban-2879_differences_what-happened-yesterday-is-history-what_3060178.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/nick-saban-2879_differences_what-happened-yesterday-is-history-what_3060178.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02a/nick-saban-2879_differences_what-happened-yesterday-is-history-what_3060178.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“What happened yesterday is history. What happens tomorrow is a mystery. What we do today makes a difference…” — Nick Saban",
                "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": "Nick Saban",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "What happened yesterday is history. What...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/what-happened-yesterday-is-history-what-happens-tomorrow-is-a-mystery/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/what-happened-yesterday-is-history-what-happens-tomorrow-is-a-mystery/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
