--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our entire career has been unplanned…" description: "\"Our entire career has been unplanned. Things have really happened by chance, despite our best efforts to do things in a more orderly fashion.\" — Russel..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a20/russell-mael-5251_best_our-entire-career-has-been-unplanned-thi_2542245.jpg" --- # Our entire career has been unplanned. Things have really… ![“Our entire career has been unplanned. Things have really happened by chance, despite our best efforts to do things in a more orderly fashion.” quote by Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a20/russell-mael-5251_best_our-entire-career-has-been-unplanned-thi_2542245.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a20/russell-mael-5251_best_our-entire-career-has-been-unplanned-thi_2542245.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a20/russell-mael-5251_best_our-entire-career-has-been-unplanned-thi_2542245.jpg) > “Our entire career has been unplanned. Things have really happened by chance, despite our best efforts to do things in a more orderly fashion.” [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Careers often unfold unpredictably, despite attempts at careful planning. **In simple terms:** Plans rarely control career paths. Key Takeaway Embrace flexibility and chance. Themes career uncertainty chance planning Mood contemplative optimistic Type reflective philosophical When to use this quote - job hunting - entrepreneurship - artistic projects Key Concepts serendipity adaptability creative process Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance planning with openness? - What role does luck play in success? A Different Perspective Overreliance on planning can cause rigidity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best/) [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Career Unplanned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career-unplanned-1444748/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Fashion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fashion/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Really Happened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-happened-504919/) [Things Orderly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-orderly-1175150/) [Unplanned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unplanned/) [Unplanned Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unplanned-things-223655/) ## Related quotes > [I like things to be orderly. For seven years I ate at Bob's Big Boy. I would go at 2:30, after the lunch rush.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david/i-like-things-to-be-orderly-for-seven-years-i-ate-at-bob-s-big-boy-i/) [David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david/) > [I like things to be orderly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lynch/i-like-things-to-be-orderly/) [David Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lynch/) > [Do I wish that things were more orderly in Washington and rational and people listened to the best arguments and compromised and operated in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/do-i-wish-that-things-were-more-orderly-in-washington-and-rational/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Unplanned moments are always better then the planned ones!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/unplanned-moments-are-always-better-then-the-planned-ones/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) > [Unplanned pregnancy is an equal-opportunity affliction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-mclane-kuster/unplanned-pregnancy-is-an-equal-opportunity-affliction/) [Ann McLane Kuster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-mclane-kuster/) > [“awareness. “Yeah, but I can’t wait to get you up there. Besides, unplanned, spontaneous”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsty-dallas/awareness-yeah-but-i-can-t-wait-to-get-you-up-there-besides-unplanned/) [Kirsty Dallas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsty-dallas/) > [That epic moment when you and your friend had an unplanned night out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shennon-fabiano/that-epic-moment-when-you-and-your-friend-had-an-unplanned-night-out/) [Shennon Fabiano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shennon-fabiano/) > [All my birthdays have been kind of interesting; and very unplanned and spontaneous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prachi-desai/all-my-birthdays-have-been-kind-of-interesting-and-very-unplanned-and/) [Prachi Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prachi-desai/) > [“sometimes the best things in life are unplanned.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jana-aston/sometimes-the-best-things-in-life-are-unplanned/) [Jana Aston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jana-aston/) > [The best kind of kiss is the un-expected; unplanned ones that come naturally. Like, in the middle of a sentence...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-best-kind-of-kiss-is-the-un-expected-unplanned-ones-that-come/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Love is an involuntary gift that manifests unplanned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riaz-ahmed-gohar-shahi/love-is-an-involuntary-gift-that-manifests-unplanned/) [Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riaz-ahmed-gohar-shahi/) > [An important part of my story is that I didn't walk out of Planned Parenthood immediately after witnessing the ultrasound-guided abortion. It is made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-johnson/an-important-part-of-my-story-is-that-i-didn-t-walk-out-of-planned/) [Abby Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-johnson/) > [“An unplanned day invites both distraction and destruction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hendrith-vanlon-smith-jr-ceo-of-mayflower-plymouth/an-unplanned-day-invites-both-distraction-and-destruction/) [Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr, CEO of Mayflower-Plymouth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hendrith-vanlon-smith-jr-ceo-of-mayflower-plymouth/) > [While it will be desirable to achieve planned results, it will be even more important to avoid unplanned disasters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/while-it-will-be-desirable-to-achieve-planned-results-it-will-be-even/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [My songs emerge from my life, or wherever they do, unbidden and unplanned and completely on a schedule of their own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crosby/my-songs-emerge-from-my-life-or-wherever-they-do-unbidden-and/) [David Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crosby/) ## More by Russell Mael > [There are all these safety nets in pop music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/there-are-all-these-safety-nets-in-pop-music/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [Occasionally and all-too-infrequently a song comes along that jolts you and you prick up your ears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/occasionally-and-all-too-infrequently-a-song-comes-along-that-jolts/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [The unfortunate thing with COVID is that Ron's been working separately from me, but it hasn't stopped the flow of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/the-unfortunate-thing-with-covid-is-that-ron-s-been-working/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [I sing and Ron doesn't want to be the singer of the band, he's the keyboard player and predominant writer of the band. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/i-sing-and-ron-doesn-t-want-to-be-the-singer-of-the-band-he-s-the/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [We loved the Beach Boys, bands like that, but our originality came out of our lack of ability as copiers. They did mostly complicated,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/we-loved-the-beach-boys-bands-like-that-but-our-originality-came-out/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [A lot of people build up a backlog of songs and you can kind of go, 'Let's explore that song we did six years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/a-lot-of-people-build-up-a-backlog-of-songs-and-you-can-kind-of-go/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [I like when somebody is able to create their own universe, have a consistency to it and not break from character - that's something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/i-like-when-somebody-is-able-to-create-their-own-universe-have-a/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [There are still some people - it's hard to believe - that aren't aware yet of Sparks. So we still kind of go at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/there-are-still-some-people-it-s-hard-to-believe-that-aren-t-aware/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [There was nothing radically different about what we were doing musically or image-wise, and yet in L.A. there'd been total indifference, so to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/there-was-nothing-radically-different-about-what-we-were-doing/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [Having an image was really important to us and that was kind of contrary to the bands in L.A. that we had grown up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/having-an-image-was-really-important-to-us-and-that-was-kind-of/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [As long as it elicits some kind of thought on the listener's part, that's good. If no one's paying attention to the lyrics it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/as-long-as-it-elicits-some-kind-of-thought-on-the-listener-s-part/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [Bands can get lazy after 20 albums. But that's not us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/bands-can-get-lazy-after-20-albums-but-that-s-not-us/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [We'd been approached various times during our career about a documentary, but we always hesitated to say yes, because what we do musically speaks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/we-d-been-approached-various-times-during-our-career-about-a/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [A lot of times people ask about Sparks songs: are they autobiographical in a way? And we don't think so much that they are;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/a-lot-of-times-people-ask-about-sparks-songs-are-they/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) > [Yeah, we've been offered lots of advice over the years about not moving on from something that is successful, but it's just in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-mael/yeah-we-ve-been-offered-lots-of-advice-over-the-years-about-not/) [Russell Mael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) [Explore all 102 Russell Mael quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-mael/) ## More Best quotes > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... 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When I knew I could work with him I was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ederson/it-s-no-wonder-pep-is-one-of-the-best-coaches-in-the-world-when-i/) [Ederson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ederson/) > [“Before you were my enemy, you were my best friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/before-you-were-my-enemy-you-were-my-best-friend/) [Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/) > [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I want to be perceived as a guy who played his best in all facets, not just scoring. A guy who loved challenges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/i-want-to-be-perceived-as-a-guy-who-played-his-best-in-all-facets-not/) [Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/) > [I feel like I'm the best, but you're not going to get me to say that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/i-feel-like-i-m-the-best-but-you-re-not-going-to-get-me-to-say-that/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [Life is where you love people and use things not use people and love things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/life-is-where-you-love-people-and-use-things-not-use-people-and-love/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [With every product, the delta between the brand and the reality determines its power over the minds of consumers, and with Trump, that delta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/with-every-product-the-delta-between-the-brand-and-the-reality/) [Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/) > [The human element should be the two players on the court, not the officials. 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I genuinely believe that 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Angels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwin-sanghi/it-is-no-secret-that-i-have-read-the-da-vinci-code-several-times-i/) [Ashwin Sanghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwin-sanghi/) > [Any position I was going to be in, I was going to make the best of it. I always do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bledsoe/any-position-i-was-going-to-be-in-i-was-going-to-make-the-best-of-it/) [Eric Bledsoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bledsoe/) [Browse all 21,674 Best quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Our entire career has been unplanned. 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