---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've always been about setting goals…"
description: "\"I've always been about setting goals. Then when I had a near death experience at nineteen, it made it even more important to strive to achieve certain ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/phil-keoghan-15799_achieve_i-ve-always-been-about-setting-goals-the_2939599.png"
---

#  I've always been about setting goals. Then when I had a…

![“I've always been about setting goals. Then when I had a near death experience at nineteen, it made it even more important to strive to achieve certain things.” quote by Phil Keoghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/phil-keoghan-15799_achieve_i-ve-always-been-about-setting-goals-the_2939599.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/phil-keoghan-15799_achieve_i-ve-always-been-about-setting-goals-the_2939599.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/phil-keoghan-15799_achieve_i-ve-always-been-about-setting-goals-the_2939599.png)

> “I've always been about setting goals. Then when I had a near death experience at nineteen, it made it even more important to strive to achieve certain things.”

[Phil Keoghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-keoghan/)

## About This Quote

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

Near‑death experience intensifies the drive to set and achieve meaningful goals.

**In simple terms:** Near‑death fuels goal‑setting urgency.

Key Takeaway

Channel urgency into purposeful action.

Themes

mortality motivation goal‑setting

Mood

reflective motivational

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- career planning
- personal development
- legacy building

Key Concepts

existentialism psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- How does mortality reshape your priorities?
- What goals truly matter after such an event?

A Different Perspective

The urgency may cause reckless decisions without reflection.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Achieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieve/) [Achieve Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieve-certain-2969376/) [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Experience Nineteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience-nineteen-4376337/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Important Strive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-strive-1148691/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Made it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made-it/) [Near death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/near-death/) [Near death experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/near-death-experience/) [Nineteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nineteen/) [Setting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setting/) [Setting Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setting-goal/) [Setting goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setting-goals/) [Settings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/settings/) [Strive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strive/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/)

## Related quotes

> [Sometimes a little near death experience helps them put things into perspective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-shropshire/sometimes-a-little-near-death-experience-helps-them-put-things-into/)

[Anne Shropshire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-shropshire/)

> [And I'm the kind of person who does not let inconsequential things like boys and near death experiences stop her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/and-i-m-the-kind-of-person-who-does-not-let-inconsequential-things/)

[Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/)

> [I had this crazy, a bit of a near-death experience in Estonia. I had these visions of the future but I was in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taraka-larson/i-had-this-crazy-a-bit-of-a-near-death-experience-in-estonia-i-had/)

[Taraka Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taraka-larson/)

> [Don’t yell at me when I just survived a near-death experience. (Abbie)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/don-t-yell-at-me-when-i-just-survived-a-near-death-experience-abbie/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [The Soul is a fact, but it is not physical. ... Survivors of near-death experiences attest that some part of them apparently detaches from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-myss/the-soul-is-a-fact-but-it-is-not-physical-survivors-of-near-death/)

[Caroline Myss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-myss/)

> [“Whoever has experienced near-death, knows how gracious, it is to be alive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/whoever-has-experienced-near-death-knows-how-gracious-it-is-to-be/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [I believe love is why we're here on the planet and that ultimately it's our purpose for life. They say people who've had near-death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marci-shimoff/i-believe-love-is-why-we-re-here-on-the-planet-and-that-ultimately-it/)

[Marci Shimoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marci-shimoff/)

> [We tend to take a great deal for granted, because you feel like you're going to live forever. It's only if you lose a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-lee/we-tend-to-take-a-great-deal-for-granted-because-you-feel-like-you-re/)

[Brandon Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-lee/)

> [ “…depressive realism. Depression is not the near death experience described by so many, \[Kayla Dunn\] suggests, but a rebirth in which the new psyche… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-wong/depressive-realism-depression-is-not-the-near-death-experience/)

[Jan Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-wong/)

> [I still live. Pretty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-webster/i-still-live-pretty/)

[Daniel Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-webster/)

> [I feel as though I am trying to describe a three-dimensional experience while living in a two-dimension world. The appropriate words, descriptions, and concepts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-c-neal/i-feel-as-though-i-am-trying-to-describe-a-three-dimensional/)

[Mary C. Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-c-neal/)

> [If I lived a billion years more, in my body or yours, there's not a single experience on Earth that could ever be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/di-morrissey/if-i-lived-a-billion-years-more-in-my-body-or-yours-there-s-not-a/)

[Di Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/di-morrissey/)

> [I'm a really cautious person, so I don't let myself get into near-death experiences. I'm not into the idea of skydiving or anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-elizabeth-winstead/i-m-a-really-cautious-person-so-i-don-t-let-myself-get-into-near/)

[Mary Elizabeth Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-elizabeth-winstead/)

> [I believe that everybody, whether you believe in the afterlife or the chance of a near-death experience and you come back and you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/i-believe-that-everybody-whether-you-believe-in-the-afterlife-or-the/)

[Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/)

> [I have them a few minutes to absorb everything while I teased Ubie, who only had to recover from his near-death experience. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darynda-jones/i-have-them-a-few-minutes-to-absorb-everything-while-i-teased-ubie/)

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

## More by Phil Keoghan

> [We need diversity in our population to make it work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-keoghan/we-need-diversity-in-our-population-to-make-it-work/)

[Phil Keoghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-keoghan/)

> [As you get older and you realize you really don't know as much as you think you know, you listen more. Because then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-keoghan/as-you-get-older-and-you-realize-you-really-don-t-know-as-much-as-you/)

[Phil Keoghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-keoghan/)

> [If you look around my room, you see lots of lists. I'm inspired by what's up on the wall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-keoghan/if-you-look-around-my-room-you-see-lots-of-lists-i-m-inspired-by-what/)

[Phil Keoghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-keoghan/)

> [Inevitably you're going to be delayed somewhere. Always have a book. Always have a movie. Always have a notebook. And then always have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-keoghan/inevitably-you-re-going-to-be-delayed-somewhere-always-have-a-book/)

[Phil Keoghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-keoghan/)

> [I'm a big fan of human dynamics. Nothing fascinates me more than really interesting people and human dynamics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-keoghan/i-m-a-big-fan-of-human-dynamics-nothing-fascinates-me-more-than/)

[Phil Keoghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-keoghan/)

> [Stories have inspired me all my life. I like reading about what other people have done and it inspires me to share my own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-keoghan/stories-have-inspired-me-all-my-life-i-like-reading-about-what-other/)

[Phil Keoghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-keoghan/)

> [There was some expiration point to my life, and it became very important to maximize the time that I did have on Earth. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-keoghan/there-was-some-expiration-point-to-my-life-and-it-became-very/)

[Phil Keoghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-keoghan/)

> [A good storyteller can hold everybody captive without the special effects of Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-keoghan/a-good-storyteller-can-hold-everybody-captive-without-the-special/)

[Phil Keoghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-keoghan/)

> [All of us make assumptions about what somebody's potential is, because we all think of why somebody can or can't do something. We make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-keoghan/all-of-us-make-assumptions-about-what-somebody-s-potential-is-because/)

[Phil Keoghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-keoghan/)

> [I try to encourage people to identify the things in life that they really want to do, so that over a period of time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-keoghan/i-try-to-encourage-people-to-identify-the-things-in-life-that-they/)

[Phil Keoghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-keoghan/)

> [There are amazing teachers, but the system doesn't always allow them to address the individual needs of a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-keoghan/there-are-amazing-teachers-but-the-system-doesn-t-always-allow-them/)

[Phil Keoghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-keoghan/)

> [At the end of the day, we're all judged by those we leave behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-keoghan/at-the-end-of-the-day-we-re-all-judged-by-those-we-leave-behind/)

[Phil Keoghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-keoghan/)

> [I love to be challenged because I'm wrong a lot of the times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-keoghan/i-love-to-be-challenged-because-i-m-wrong-a-lot-of-the-times/)

[Phil Keoghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-keoghan/)

> [Anything new and different is most susceptible to market research.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-keoghan/anything-new-and-different-is-most-susceptible-to-market-research/)

[Phil Keoghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-keoghan/)

> [Where we really effect change, in terms of creating a passionate work force, is by listening to kids early.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-keoghan/where-we-really-effect-change-in-terms-of-creating-a-passionate-work/)

[Phil Keoghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-keoghan/)

[Explore all 42 Phil Keoghan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-keoghan/)

## More Achieve 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/)

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/)

[Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/)

> [Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-pink/human-beings-have-an-innate-inner-drive-to-be-autonomous-self/)

[Daniel H. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/)

> [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/)

[Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/)

> [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/)

> [I'm a film guy. I love it. When I read the screenplay, I knew that there would be no HD camera that could achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-taylor/i-m-a-film-guy-i-love-it-when-i-read-the-screenplay-i-knew-that-there/)

[Deon Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deon-taylor/)

> [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/)

[Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/)

> [I'm optimistic Hong Kong will achieve universal suffrage - no matter the attitude of Beijing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-m-optimistic-hong-kong-will-achieve-universal-suffrage-no-matter/)

[Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/)

> [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [Governments follow their people. A great deal has to do with the vision of the leadership of governments. They have a vision, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-khurshid/governments-follow-their-people-a-great-deal-has-to-do-with-the/)

[Salman Khurshid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-khurshid/)

> [To achieve victory we must mass our forces at the hub of all power & movement. The enemy's 'Center of Gravity'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-achieve-victory-we-must-mass-our-forces-at-the-hub-of-all-power/)

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

> [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/)

> [To achieve something you've never achieved before, you must become someone you've never been before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubham-joshi/to-achieve-something-you-ve-never-achieved-before-you-must-become/)

[Shubham Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubham-joshi/)

> [I've identified as bisexual since I was a teenager, and if we want to achieve equality for all in our policies, we need more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hill/i-ve-identified-as-bisexual-since-i-was-a-teenager-and-if-we-want-to/)

[Katie Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hill/)

[Browse all 6,390 Achieve quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieve/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I've always been about setting goals. Then when I had a near death experience at nineteen, it made it even more important to strive to achieve certain things.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Phil Keoghan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-keoghan/i-ve-always-been-about-setting-goals-then-when-i-had-a-near-death/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Achieve"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-keoghan/i-ve-always-been-about-setting-goals-then-when-i-had-a-near-death/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/phil-keoghan-15799_achieve_i-ve-always-been-about-setting-goals-the_2939599.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/phil-keoghan-15799_achieve_i-ve-always-been-about-setting-goals-the_2939599.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/phil-keoghan-15799_achieve_i-ve-always-been-about-setting-goals-the_2939599.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I've always been about setting goals. Then when I had a near death experience at nineteen, it made it even…” — Phil Keoghan",
                "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": "Phil Keoghan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-keoghan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I've always been about setting goals....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-keoghan/i-ve-always-been-about-setting-goals-then-when-i-had-a-near-death/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-keoghan/i-ve-always-been-about-setting-goals-then-when-i-had-a-near-death/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```