--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we want something, we have to have a…" description: "\"“When we want something, we have to have a clear purpose in mind for the thing that we want. The only reason for seeking a reward is to know what to do..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/321/paulo-coelho-10_goal_when-we-want-something-we-have-to-have-a_2512245.jpg" --- # When we want something, we have to have a clear purpose in… ![“When we want something, we have to have a clear purpose in mind for the thing that we want. The only reason for seeking a reward is to know what to do with that reward” quote by Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/321/paulo-coelho-10_goal_when-we-want-something-we-have-to-have-a_2512245.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/321/paulo-coelho-10_goal_when-we-want-something-we-have-to-have-a_2512245.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/321/paulo-coelho-10_goal_when-we-want-something-we-have-to-have-a_2512245.jpg) > ““When we want something, we have to have a clear purpose in mind for the thing that we want. The only reason for seeking a reward is to know what to do with that reward”” [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Clear purpose guides the pursuit of rewards and determines how to use them wisely. **In simple terms:** Purpose directs reward and its use. Key Takeaway Define your purpose before seeking rewards. Themes purpose reward clarity Mood inspired focused Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career planning - personal finance - creative projects Key Concepts goal setting motivation ethical use Questions to Reflect On - What purpose drives your current goals? - How will you use your next reward? A Different Perspective Without purpose, rewards may feel empty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Reward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reward/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [“the brain rewards us with more dopamine for the act of seeking a reward than for the act of receiving one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stulberg/the-brain-rewards-us-with-more-dopamine-for-the-act-of-seeking-a/) [Brad Stulberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stulberg/) > [“As such, it was clear that its only purpose was to remind the arriving shoppers of nature and beauty—presumably the same nature and beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aurelio-voltaire/as-such-it-was-clear-that-its-only-purpose-was-to-remind-the-arriving/) Aurelio Voltaire > [“You can talk all you want about having a clear purpose and strategy for your life, but ultimately this means nothing if you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-talk-all-you-want-about-having-a-clear-purpose-and-strategy-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Clear intentions and clear purpose begets clear results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pharrell-williams/clear-intentions-and-clear-purpose-begets-clear-results/) [Pharrell Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pharrell-williams/) > [In order not to end up like the masses out there who are merely wandering and unsure of their goals and dreams, your objective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-b-joshua/in-order-not-to-end-up-like-the-masses-out-there-who-are-merely/) [T. B. Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-b-joshua/) > [When you have a Clear purpose, you won't have time for negativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-victor-hansen/when-you-have-a-clear-purpose-you-won-t-have-time-for-negativity/) [Mark Victor Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-victor-hansen/) > [“I can’t think of anything more disheartening than living a life without a clear purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-willey/i-can-t-think-of-anything-more-disheartening-than-living-a-life/) [Daniel Willey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-willey/) > [Any time you use military force, you have got to have a clear purpose that military forces can achieve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/any-time-you-use-military-force-you-have-got-to-have-a-clear-purpose/) [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) > [In Maycomb, if one went for a walk with no definite purpose in mind, it was correct to believe one's mind incapable of definite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/in-maycomb-if-one-went-for-a-walk-with-no-definite-purpose-in-mind-it/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“When you associate pleasure and pain, at the same time, to a certain purpose in your mind, you sabotage yourself; you'll be two steps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-d-calin/when-you-associate-pleasure-and-pain-at-the-same-time-to-a-certain/) [Elena D. Calin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-d-calin/) > [“Do what you love, and you will love what you do. Knowing what you want is the key to the growth and development of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moss/do-what-you-love-and-you-will-love-what-you-do-knowing-what-you-want/) [Michael Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moss/) > [Never separate your mind from your heart when making relationship decisions. The purpose of the mind is to protect the heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-darn/never-separate-your-mind-from-your-heart-when-making-relationship/) [Kevin Darné](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-darn/) > [“... the mind was designed not to defend what we want, but to discover what is ultimately true, which should shape our wants and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-mind-was-designed-not-to-defend-what-we-want-but-to-discover-what/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Natural selection, the blind, unconscious, automatic process which Darwin discovered, and which we now know is the explanation forthe existence and apparently purposeful form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/natural-selection-the-blind-unconscious-automatic-process-which/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“Everyone who fights always fight with a purpose in mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/everyone-who-fights-always-fight-with-a-purpose-in-mind/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) ## More by Paulo Coelho > [I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything created in the universe. We were all made by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-have-inside-me-the-winds-the-deserts-the-oceans-the-stars-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Love will never separate a man from his personal legend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/love-will-never-separate-a-man-from-his-personal-legend/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [To love is to be in communion with the other and to discover in that other the spark of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/to-love-is-to-be-in-communion-with-the-other-and-to-discover-in-that/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [It is not enough to dream of the Impossible Love - it is necessary to conquer it too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-is-not-enough-to-dream-of-the-impossible-love-it-is-necessary-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Eat when it is time to eat. And walk when it is time to walk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/eat-when-it-is-time-to-eat-and-walk-when-it-is-time-to-walk/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [People are reading more and writing more because of the internet. So the virtual world is a way for me to listen to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/people-are-reading-more-and-writing-more-because-of-the-internet-so/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Joy is like sex – it begins and ends. I want pleasure. I want to be contended, but happiness? I no longer fall into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/joy-is-like-sex-it-begins-and-ends-i-want-pleasure-i-want-to-be/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Trudi se da zivis, sjecanja su za starije ljude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/trudi-se-da-zivis-sjecanja-su-za-starije-ljude/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I've always been a very restless person. I work hard, spend too much time looking after my son, I dance like a mad thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-ve-always-been-a-very-restless-person-i-work-hard-spend-too-much/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [When someone leaves, it's because someone else is about to arrive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-someone-leaves-it-s-because-someone-else-is-about-to-arrive/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-past-and-the-future-become-unimportant-there-is-only-that-moment/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [She didn't need to understand the meaning of life; it was enough to find someone who did, and then fall asleep in his arms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/she-didn-t-need-to-understand-the-meaning-of-life-it-was-enough-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The simpler the pose, the better; the more sober, the more beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-simpler-the-pose-the-better-the-more-sober-the-more-beautiful/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) [Explore all 3,665 Paulo Coelho quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More Goal quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The goal of spiritual practice is full recovery, and the only thing you need to recover from is a fractured sense of self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-goal-of-spiritual-practice-is-full-recovery-and-the-only-thing/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [According to the best research, less than 3% of Americans have written goals, and less than 1% review and rewrite their goals on a daily basis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/according-to-the-best-research-less-than-3-of-americans-have-written/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [When you have accomplished your goal simply walk away. This is the path way to Heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/when-you-have-accomplished-your-goal-simply-walk-away-this-is-the/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [“my role my goal my dream my life not yours -all mine”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emi-sisk/my-role-my-goal-my-dream-my-life-not-yours-all-mine/) Emi Sisk > [Eugenic goals are most likely to be attained under another name than eugenics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-osborn/eugenic-goals-are-most-likely-to-be-attained-under-another-name-than/) [Frederick Osborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-osborn/) > [The Only cure for nihilism is for liberal democratic societies - their electorates, their judiciary, and their political leadership- to insist that force is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/the-only-cure-for-nihilism-is-for-liberal-democratic-societies-their/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [Everybody tries to score a great goal, and I am lucky I have netted a few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zlatan-ibrahimovic/everybody-tries-to-score-a-great-goal-and-i-am-lucky-i-have-netted-a/) [Zlatan Ibrahimovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zlatan-ibrahimovic/) > [However, however, if the goal is to abandon America's free enterprise economy, if the goal is to convert America into a submissive member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/however-however-if-the-goal-is-to-abandon-america-s-free-enterprise/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/if-your-only-goal-is-to-become-rich-you-will-never-achieve-it/) [John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) > [When you look around the room during meetings and practice, you see that everyone has the same goal. It's obvious by the way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kendricks/when-you-look-around-the-room-during-meetings-and-practice-you-see/) Eric Kendricks > [I like to wake up and just feel gratitude. Gratitude for waking up, for my health, for my kids, for my family. A lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-corcoran/i-like-to-wake-up-and-just-feel-gratitude-gratitude-for-waking-up-for/) [Barbara Corcoran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-corcoran/) > [“Dreams will come true as long as you give some effort towards your goal”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dayana/dreams-will-come-true-as-long-as-you-give-some-effort-towards-your/) Dayana > [“There are two kinds of people: goal-oriented and ego-oriented. Goal-oriented people work together and get things gone. Ego-oriented people don’t work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charbel-tadros/there-are-two-kinds-of-people-goal-oriented-and-ego-oriented-goal/) [Charbel Tadros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charbel-tadros/) [Browse all 9,890 Goal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When we want something, we have to have a clear purpose in mind for the thing that we want. The only reason for seeking a reward is to know what to do with that reward”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paulo Coelho" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-we-want-something-we-have-to-have-a-clear-purpose-in-mind-for/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Goal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-we-want-something-we-have-to-have-a-clear-purpose-in-mind-for/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/321/paulo-coelho-10_goal_when-we-want-something-we-have-to-have-a_2512245.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/321/paulo-coelho-10_goal_when-we-want-something-we-have-to-have-a_2512245.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/321/paulo-coelho-10_goal_when-we-want-something-we-have-to-have-a_2512245.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When we want something, we have to have a clear purpose in mind for the thing that we want. The only reason…” — Paulo Coelho", "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": "Paulo Coelho", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“When we want something, we have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-we-want-something-we-have-to-have-a-clear-purpose-in-mind-for/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-we-want-something-we-have-to-have-a-clear-purpose-in-mind-for/#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 } } ] } ```