--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Focus on the “what is” before deciding…" description: "\"“Focus on the “what is” before deciding “what to do about it.”\" — Ray Dalio" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b11/ray-dalio-299_deciding_focus-on-the-what-is-before-deciding-wha_2308771.jpg" --- # Focus on the “what is” before deciding “what to do about it. ![“Focus on the “what is” before deciding “what to do about it.” quote by Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b11/ray-dalio-299_deciding_focus-on-the-what-is-before-deciding-wha_2308771.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b11/ray-dalio-299_deciding_focus-on-the-what-is-before-deciding-wha_2308771.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b11/ray-dalio-299_deciding_focus-on-the-what-is-before-deciding-wha_2308771.jpg) > ““Focus on the “what is” before deciding “what to do about it.”” [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understand the current reality before deciding on actions, ensuring decisions are grounded in facts. **In simple terms:** Know the facts before acting. Key Takeaway Assess reality first, then act. Themes decision-making clarity strategy Mood analytical focused Type advisory practical When to use this quote - business planning - personal goals - problem solving - crisis management Key Concepts critical thinking situational analysis Questions to Reflect On - What facts are you overlooking? - How do you balance analysis with timely action? A Different Perspective Over‑analysis can delay necessary action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Deciding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deciding/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Focus Deciding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus-deciding-3373335/) ## Related quotes > [“One of Job's great strengths was knowing how to focus. " Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/one-of-job-s-great-strengths-was-knowing-how-to-focus-deciding-what/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“there are some universal rules for good decision making. They start with: 5.1 Recognize that 1) the biggest threat to good decision making is harmful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/there-are-some-universal-rules-for-good-decision-making-they-start/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“decision making is a two-step process (first learning and then deciding).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/decision-making-is-a-two-step-process-first-learning-and-then-deciding/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [Faith isn't figuring out what we're able to do, it's deciding what we're going to do - even when we think we can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/faith-isn-t-figuring-out-what-we-re-able-to-do-it-s-deciding-what-we/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [It is easy to decide on what is wrong to wear to a party, such as deep-sea diving equipment or a pair of large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-easy-to-decide-on-what-is-wrong-to-wear-to-a-party-such-as-deep/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Getting what you want means deciding what youll give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/getting-what-you-want-means-deciding-what-youll-give-up/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/deciding-what-not-to-do-is-as-important-as-deciding-what-to-do/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I was born with this love for music, and I say 'born with' because I don't really remember a day waking up and deciding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-hayes/i-was-born-with-this-love-for-music-and-i-say-born-with-because-i-don/) [Hunter Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-hayes/) > [My faith is central to who I am as a human being, not just as an actor - so it informs every decision I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-mcdonough/my-faith-is-central-to-who-i-am-as-a-human-being-not-just-as-an-actor/) [Neal McDonough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-mcdonough/) > [The work of deciding cases goes on every day in hundreds of courts throughout the land. Any judge, one might suppose, would find it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-n-cardozo/the-work-of-deciding-cases-goes-on-every-day-in-hundreds-of-courts/) [Benjamin N. Cardozo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-n-cardozo/) > [My goal is to leave the producer with so many good takes, that he or she has a tough time deciding on the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-paulsen/my-goal-is-to-leave-the-producer-with-so-many-good-takes-that-he-or/) [Rob Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-paulsen/) > [One of the hardest parts of life is deciding to walk away or try harder...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-hardest-parts-of-life-is-deciding-to-walk-away-or-try/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The hardest thing is deciding what I should tell you and what not to. Well, anyway, I've got a while yet before you're old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-connor/the-hardest-thing-is-deciding-what-i-should-tell-you-and-what-not-to/) [Sarah Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-connor/) > [When a new idea comes our way, we must put it on our mental scales and weigh it carefully before deciding its value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/when-a-new-idea-comes-our-way-we-must-put-it-on-our-mental-scales-and/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [It's very important to me that I look good when I go out publicly. I like looking at my clothes rack in the morning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-wintour/it-s-very-important-to-me-that-i-look-good-when-i-go-out-publicly-i/) [Anna Wintour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-wintour/) ## More by Ray Dalio > [“Slow down your thinking so you can note the criteria you are using to make your decision. 2. Write the criteria down as a principle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/slow-down-your-thinking-so-you-can-note-the-criteria-you-are-using-to/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“Having a process that ensures problems are brought to the surface, and their root causes diagnosed, assures that continual improvements occur.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/having-a-process-that-ensures-problems-are-brought-to-the-surface-and/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“If you can’t successfully do something, don’t think you can tell others how it should be done”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/if-you-can-t-successfully-do-something-don-t-think-you-can-tell/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“Remember that a good plan should resemble a movie script.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/remember-that-a-good-plan-should-resemble-a-movie-script/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“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/) > [I'm scared of one man, one vote because it suggests that everybody has an equal ability at making decisions, and I think that's dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/i-m-scared-of-one-man-one-vote-because-it-suggests-that-everybody-has/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“A manager’s ability to recognize when outcomes are inconsistent with goals and then modify designs and assemble people to rectify them makes all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/a-manager-s-ability-to-recognize-when-outcomes-are-inconsistent-with/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“So I learned to be radically open-minded to allow others to point out what I might be missing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/so-i-learned-to-be-radically-open-minded-to-allow-others-to-point-out/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“During those terrible days after 9/11, when the whole country was being whipsawed by emotion, or the weeks between September 19 and October 10,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/during-those-terrible-days-after-9-11-when-the-whole-country-was/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“is more effective to train that subconscious, emotional you the same way you would teach a child to behave”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/is-more-effective-to-train-that-subconscious-emotional-you-the-same/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [I think that the first thing is you should have a strategic asset allocation mix that assumes that you don't know what the future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/i-think-that-the-first-thing-is-you-should-have-a-strategic-asset/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [Life is like a game where you seek to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of achieving your goals. You get better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/life-is-like-a-game-where-you-seek-to-overcome-the-obstacles-that/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“when we look down on ourselves through the eyes of nature we are of absolutely no significance. It is a reality that each one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/when-we-look-down-on-ourselves-through-the-eyes-of-nature-we-are-of/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“Great questions are a much better indicator of future success than great answers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/great-questions-are-a-much-better-indicator-of-future-success-than/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“Georgi Plekhanov’s classic On the Role of the Individual in History.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/georgi-plekhanov-s-classic-on-the-role-of-the-individual-in-history/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) [Explore all 716 Ray Dalio quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) ## More Deciding quotes > [It's very important to me that I look good when I go out publicly. I like looking at my clothes rack in the morning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-wintour/it-s-very-important-to-me-that-i-look-good-when-i-go-out-publicly-i/) [Anna Wintour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-wintour/) > [When a new idea comes our way, we must put it on our mental scales and weigh it carefully before deciding its value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/when-a-new-idea-comes-our-way-we-must-put-it-on-our-mental-scales-and/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [The hardest thing is deciding what I should tell you and what not to. Well, anyway, I've got a while yet before you're old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-connor/the-hardest-thing-is-deciding-what-i-should-tell-you-and-what-not-to/) [Sarah Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-connor/) > [One of the hardest parts of life is deciding to walk away or try harder...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-hardest-parts-of-life-is-deciding-to-walk-away-or-try/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My goal is to leave the producer with so many good takes, that he or she has a tough time deciding on the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-paulsen/my-goal-is-to-leave-the-producer-with-so-many-good-takes-that-he-or/) [Rob Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-paulsen/) > [The work of deciding cases goes on every day in hundreds of courts throughout the land. Any judge, one might suppose, would find it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-n-cardozo/the-work-of-deciding-cases-goes-on-every-day-in-hundreds-of-courts/) [Benjamin N. Cardozo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-n-cardozo/) > [My faith is central to who I am as a human being, not just as an actor - so it informs every decision I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-mcdonough/my-faith-is-central-to-who-i-am-as-a-human-being-not-just-as-an-actor/) [Neal McDonough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-mcdonough/) > [I was born with this love for music, and I say 'born with' because I don't really remember a day waking up and deciding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-hayes/i-was-born-with-this-love-for-music-and-i-say-born-with-because-i-don/) [Hunter Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-hayes/) > [Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/deciding-what-not-to-do-is-as-important-as-deciding-what-to-do/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Getting what you want means deciding what youll give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/getting-what-you-want-means-deciding-what-youll-give-up/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [It is easy to decide on what is wrong to wear to a party, such as deep-sea diving equipment or a pair of large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-easy-to-decide-on-what-is-wrong-to-wear-to-a-party-such-as-deep/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Faith isn't figuring out what we're able to do, it's deciding what we're going to do - even when we think we can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/faith-isn-t-figuring-out-what-we-re-able-to-do-it-s-deciding-what-we/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [“We’re making our decisions … or so we think. Yet in truth, ignorance, greed, and the scourge of immediate gratification are often the things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/we-re-making-our-decisions-or-so-we-think-yet-in-truth-ignorance/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [Attention is the fundamental instrument we use for learning, thinking, communicating, deciding, yet neither parents nor schools spend any time helping young people learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/attention-is-the-fundamental-instrument-we-use-for-learning-thinking/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [When I'm deciding to read a book, I never open to the first chapter, because that's been revised and worked over 88 times. I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hiaasen/when-i-m-deciding-to-read-a-book-i-never-open-to-the-first-chapter/) [Carl Hiaasen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-hiaasen/) [Browse all 259 Deciding quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deciding/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Focus on the “what is” before deciding “what to do about it.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ray Dalio" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/focus-on-the-what-is-before-deciding-what-to-do-about-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Deciding" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/focus-on-the-what-is-before-deciding-what-to-do-about-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b11/ray-dalio-299_deciding_focus-on-the-what-is-before-deciding-wha_2308771.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b11/ray-dalio-299_deciding_focus-on-the-what-is-before-deciding-wha_2308771.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b11/ray-dalio-299_deciding_focus-on-the-what-is-before-deciding-wha_2308771.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Focus on the “what is” before deciding “what to do about it.” — Ray Dalio", "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": "Ray Dalio", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Focus on the “what is” before...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/focus-on-the-what-is-before-deciding-what-to-do-about-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/focus-on-the-what-is-before-deciding-what-to-do-about-it/#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 } } ] } ```