--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The key to success isn't just thinking…" description: "\"The key to success isn't just thinking about what we are doing but doing something about what we are thinking.\" — Peter Senge" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/peter-senge-3906_key-to-success_the-key-to-success-isn-t-just-thinking-a_1001150.png" --- # The key to success isn't just thinking about what we are… ![“The key to success isn't just thinking about what we are doing but doing something about what we are thinking.” quote by Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/peter-senge-3906_key-to-success_the-key-to-success-isn-t-just-thinking-a_1001150.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/peter-senge-3906_key-to-success_the-key-to-success-isn-t-just-thinking-a_1001150.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/peter-senge-3906_key-to-success_the-key-to-success-isn-t-just-thinking-a_1001150.png) > “The key to success isn't just thinking about what we are doing but doing something about what we are thinking.” [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success requires aligning thought and action; merely thinking isn’t enough without taking concrete steps based on those thoughts. **In simple terms:** Think and act together for success. Key Takeaway Turn thoughts into purposeful actions. Themes productivity mindset action success Mood motivational focused Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - project management - personal development - team leadership Key Concepts cognitive alignment behavioral execution goal setting Questions to Reflect On - What thoughts are you not acting on? - How can you bridge the gap between planning and doing? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doing Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-thinking-549609/) [Key Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/key-success/) [Key to success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/key-to-success/) [Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keys/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Success Isn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success-isn/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thinking Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking-doing/) ## Related quotes > [That's the key to success, isn't it? It has to be fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-seles/that-s-the-key-to-success-isn-t-it-it-has-to-be-fun/) [Monica Seles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-seles/) > [The key to success isn't much good until one discovers the right lock to insert it in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tehyi-hsieh/the-key-to-success-isn-t-much-good-until-one-discovers-the-right-lock/) [Tehyi Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tehyi-hsieh/) > [“Life is about doing, not thinking about doing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theresa-francis-cheung/life-is-about-doing-not-thinking-about-doing/) [Theresa Francis-Cheung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theresa-francis-cheung/) > [“The art of coaching is doing, thinking, and being: doing a set of actions, holding a set of beliefs, and being in a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-aguilar/the-art-of-coaching-is-doing-thinking-and-being-doing-a-set-of/) [Elena Aguilar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-aguilar/) > [And what does really matter? That is easy: thinking and doing, doing and thinking--and these are the sum of all wisdom. . . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/and-what-does-really-matter-that-is-easy-thinking-and-doing-doing-and/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I think we all learn by doing rather than thinking about doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-westfeldt/i-think-we-all-learn-by-doing-rather-than-thinking-about-doing/) [Jennifer Westfeldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-westfeldt/) > [It's not about knowing the key to success, but knowing how to use it and which doors to open](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsi-nami/it-s-not-about-knowing-the-key-to-success-but-knowing-how-to-use-it/) [Arsi Nami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsi-nami/) > [The key to success is to develop a winning edge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/the-key-to-success-is-to-develop-a-winning-edge/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [The key to success is to be true to who you really are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-miller/the-key-to-success-is-to-be-true-to-who-you-really-are/) [Dan Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-miller/) > [Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morihei-ueshiba/failure-is-the-key-to-success-each-mistake-teaches-us-something/) [Morihei Ueshiba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morihei-ueshiba/) > [Size alone is not a key to success, as we have seen recently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-reithofer/size-alone-is-not-a-key-to-success-as-we-have-seen-recently/) [Norbert Reithofer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-reithofer/) > [Buy gold and sit on it. That is the key to success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-pick/buy-gold-and-sit-on-it-that-is-the-key-to-success/) [Franz Pick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-pick/) > [Longevity is the key to success,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-seykota/longevity-is-the-key-to-success/) [Ed Seykota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-seykota/) > [The single most important key to success is to be a good listener.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-wearstler/the-single-most-important-key-to-success-is-to-be-a-good-listener/) [Kelly Wearstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-wearstler/) > [Success isn't something that just happens - success is learned, success is practiced and then it is shared.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sparky-anderson/success-isn-t-something-that-just-happens-success-is-learned-success/) [Sparky Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sparky-anderson/) ## More by Peter Senge > [If people don't have their own vision, all they can do is 'sign-up' for someone else's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/if-people-don-t-have-their-own-vision-all-they-can-do-is-sign-up-for/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [In the Machine Age, the company itself became a machine - a machine for making money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/in-the-machine-age-the-company-itself-became-a-machine-a-machine-for/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [Trusting people to be creative and constructive when given more freedom does not imply an overly optimistic belief in the perfectibility of human nature.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/trusting-people-to-be-creative-and-constructive-when-given-more/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [It takes courage and skill to be unambiguous and clear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/it-takes-courage-and-skill-to-be-unambiguous-and-clear/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [One possibility for difficulties innovating is that most people really donÕt care about innovation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/one-possibility-for-difficulties-innovating-is-that-most-people/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [One industrial age belief is that GDP or GNP is a measure of progress. I don't care if you're the President of China or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/one-industrial-age-belief-is-that-gdp-or-gnp-is-a-measure-of-progress/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [“The only sustainable competitive advantage is an organization's ability to learn faster than the competition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/the-only-sustainable-competitive-advantage-is-an-organization-s/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [Businesses and other human endeavors are also systems. They, too, are bound by invisible fabrics of interrelated actions, which often take years to fully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/businesses-and-other-human-endeavors-are-also-systems-they-too-are/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [To listen fully means to pay close attention to what is being said beneath the words. You listen not only to the 'music,' but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/to-listen-fully-means-to-pay-close-attention-to-what-is-being-said/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [The faster we go, the slower we need to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/the-faster-we-go-the-slower-we-need-to-be/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [Leadership is about creating new realities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/leadership-is-about-creating-new-realities/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [Don't push growth; remove the factors limiting growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/don-t-push-growth-remove-the-factors-limiting-growth/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [All great things have small beginnings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/all-great-things-have-small-beginnings/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [It's common to say that trees come from seeds. But how can a tiny seed create a huge tree? Seeds do not contain the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/it-s-common-to-say-that-trees-come-from-seeds-but-how-can-a-tiny-seed/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [Innovation requires resources to invest, and you can see many companies pulling back and going into an intense protective mode in a major extended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/innovation-requires-resources-to-invest-and-you-can-see-many/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) [Explore all 119 Peter Senge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) ## More Key to success quotes > [Business is always a struggle. There are always obstacles and competitors. There is never an open road, except the wide road that leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kirubi/business-is-always-a-struggle-there-are-always-obstacles-and/) [Chris Kirubi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kirubi/) > [You can make money two ways - make more, or spend less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hope-bryant/you-can-make-money-two-ways-make-more-or-spend-less/) [John Hope Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hope-bryant/) > [“I believe that the key to success lies in knowing how to both strive for a lot and fail well. By failing well, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/i-believe-that-the-key-to-success-lies-in-knowing-how-to-both-strive/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [The single most important key to success is to be a good listener.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-wearstler/the-single-most-important-key-to-success-is-to-be-a-good-listener/) [Kelly Wearstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-wearstler/) > [“The key to success is playing to people’s strengths.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blair-singer/the-key-to-success-is-playing-to-people-s-strengths/) [Blair Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blair-singer/) > [Longevity is the key to success,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-seykota/longevity-is-the-key-to-success/) [Ed Seykota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-seykota/) > [Think about who you are. Think about how nice you can be to another person. By the same token then, to have your own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-wiseau/think-about-who-you-are-think-about-how-nice-you-can-be-to-another/) [Tommy Wiseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-wiseau/) > [The strength of character and emotional intelligence to face your failures and learn from them are at the core of success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/the-strength-of-character-and-emotional-intelligence-to-face-your/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [“The key to success in the Gold Room was information. Knowledge of a battle’s outcome obtained an hour before one’s competitors could be parlayed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/the-key-to-success-in-the-gold-room-was-information-knowledge-of-a/) [Mike Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wallace/) > [I do not see myself as talented. I just sweat it off, doing what you love is the key to success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/i-do-not-see-myself-as-talented-i-just-sweat-it-off-doing-what-you/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [The most important ingredient of leadership is character. Most of the proficiencies can be learned, but what's inside you is something that's difficult to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-robredo/the-most-important-ingredient-of-leadership-is-character-most-of-the/) [Jesse Robredo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-robredo/) > [They'll try to close the door on you... Just open it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-khaled/they-ll-try-to-close-the-door-on-you-just-open-it/) [DJ Khaled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-khaled/) > [Buy gold and sit on it. That is the key to success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-pick/buy-gold-and-sit-on-it-that-is-the-key-to-success/) [Franz Pick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-pick/) > [“Seeing persistence as the key to success is also democratic. If hanging in there is what’s required, then all the other characteristics and advantages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peg-streep/seeing-persistence-as-the-key-to-success-is-also-democratic-if/) [Peg Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peg-streep/) > [The bible does not say that a man's education makes room for him, but that his gifts does. Education is not the key to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myles-munroe/the-bible-does-not-say-that-a-man-s-education-makes-room-for-him-but/) [Myles Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myles-munroe/) [Browse all 459 Key to success quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/key-to-success/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The key to success isn't just thinking about what we are doing but doing something about what we are thinking.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter Senge" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/the-key-to-success-isn-t-just-thinking-about-what-we-are-doing-but/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Key to success" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/the-key-to-success-isn-t-just-thinking-about-what-we-are-doing-but/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/peter-senge-3906_key-to-success_the-key-to-success-isn-t-just-thinking-a_1001150.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/peter-senge-3906_key-to-success_the-key-to-success-isn-t-just-thinking-a_1001150.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/peter-senge-3906_key-to-success_the-key-to-success-isn-t-just-thinking-a_1001150.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The key to success isn't just thinking about what we are doing but doing something about what we are thinking.” — Peter Senge", "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": "Peter Senge", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The key to success isn't just...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/the-key-to-success-isn-t-just-thinking-about-what-we-are-doing-but/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/the-key-to-success-isn-t-just-thinking-about-what-we-are-doing-but/#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 } } ] } ```