--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My idea was always to start with a small…" description: "\"My idea was always to start with a small press and then move up to a national press. I had those goals for my career from the time I was a very young w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b3/sandra-cisneros-862_accomplish_my-idea-was-always-to-start-with-a-small_907640.jpg" --- # My idea was always to start with a small press and then… ![“My idea was always to start with a small press and then move up to a national press. I had those goals for my career from the time I was a very young woman. I wanted to win a local award, then I wanted a state or national award. Small press, big press. Some women fantasize about their weddings…” quote by Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b3/sandra-cisneros-862_accomplish_my-idea-was-always-to-start-with-a-small_907640.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b3/sandra-cisneros-862_accomplish_my-idea-was-always-to-start-with-a-small_907640.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b3/sandra-cisneros-862_accomplish_my-idea-was-always-to-start-with-a-small_907640.jpg) > “My idea was always to start with a small press and then move up to a national press. I had those goals for my career from the time I was a very young woman. I wanted to win a local award, then I wanted a state or national award. Small press, big press. Some women fantasize about their weddings, their husbands, and children. I fantasized about what I wanted to accomplish with my books.” [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A career plan of progressing from small to large publishing, emphasizing ambition and goal setting. **In simple terms:** Start small, aim big, set clear goals. Key Takeaway Set incremental goals toward larger ambitions. Themes career development goal setting ambition women writers Mood inspirational reflective Type career creative When to use this quote - book publishing - award applications - career planning Key Concepts progressive scaling recognition milestones Questions to Reflect On - What steps can writers take to reach national recognition? - How do early goals shape long‑term career paths? A Different Perspective Ambition may clash with market realities; success not linear. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accomplish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accomplish/) [Accomplish Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accomplish-books-1302163/) [Awards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awards/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Careers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careers/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Husband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/husband/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Locals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/locals/) [Moving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving/) [Press Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/press-goals-1302161/) [Presses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presses/) [Small Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-press-1302162/) [Start Small](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/start-small/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) [Wanted Accomplish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-accomplish-779806/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) [Young woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-woman/) [Young women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-women/) ## Related quotes > [Without writers fooling themselves about what their books might accomplish there would be no books at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-vonnegut/without-writers-fooling-themselves-about-what-their-books-might/) [Mark Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-vonnegut/) > [Thankfully, I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish in CrossFit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mat-fraser/thankfully-i-accomplished-what-i-wanted-to-accomplish-in-crossfit/) [Mat Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mat-fraser/) > [All my life I wanted to accomplish something worthwhile-a thing people will say took a little something ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-malamud/all-my-life-i-wanted-to-accomplish-something-worthwhile-a-thing/) [Bernard Malamud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-malamud/) > [I have achieved everything that I ever wanted to accomplish in this game and more so, for me, I have been fulfilled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmitt-smith/i-have-achieved-everything-that-i-ever-wanted-to-accomplish-in-this/) [Emmitt Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmitt-smith/) > [I feel like I accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish in college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-young/i-feel-like-i-accomplished-everything-i-wanted-to-accomplish-in/) [Vince Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-young/) > [If people feel inspired to try something new and different in the kitchen then I'll have accomplished what I wanted to accomplish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-yeh/if-people-feel-inspired-to-try-something-new-and-different-in-the/) [Molly Yeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-yeh/) > [I thought a book would be a great way to reach out to people, not just to dancers but also those who have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-deprince/i-thought-a-book-would-be-a-great-way-to-reach-out-to-people-not-just/) [Michaela DePrince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-deprince/) > [At a very young age, I wrote down the goals that I had so I could always see what I wanted to accomplish. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-phelps/at-a-very-young-age-i-wrote-down-the-goals-that-i-had-so-i-could/) [Michael Phelps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-phelps/) > [My mind's never gone very far away from what I wanted to accomplish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gable/my-mind-s-never-gone-very-far-away-from-what-i-wanted-to-accomplish/) [Dan Gable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gable/) > [“Personal Legend; It is what you have always wanted to accomplish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho-the-alchemist/personal-legend-it-is-what-you-have-always-wanted-to-accomplish/) [Paulo Coelho The Alchemist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho-the-alchemist/) > [“It's what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-s-what-you-have-always-wanted-to-accomplish-everyone-when-they-are/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [In one sense, you put a lot of yourself into a small press - it's your personal tastes that are on the line -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-latimer/in-one-sense-you-put-a-lot-of-yourself-into-a-small-press-it-s-your/) [Andrew Latimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-latimer/) > [There's a reason that so much good material is coming down to the small presses: it's difficult to turn a profit, all things considered.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-latimer/there-s-a-reason-that-so-much-good-material-is-coming-down-to-the/) [Andrew Latimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-latimer/) > [“sadness usually does, as soon as I sat down and began to listen. The small press had a correspondingly”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-wells/sadness-usually-does-as-soon-as-i-sat-down-and-began-to-listen-the/) [Rebecca Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-wells/) > [I wanted to pursue my own thing - I had desires, ideas I wanted to accomplish, and I needed to be on my own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmine-hamdan/i-wanted-to-pursue-my-own-thing-i-had-desires-ideas-i-wanted-to/) [Yasmine Hamdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmine-hamdan/) ## More by Sandra Cisneros > [We tend to think of orphans as being the protagonist of stories we read when we're kids, and yet here you are: you're an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/we-tend-to-think-of-orphans-as-being-the-protagonist-of-stories-we/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [I'm learning a lot by reading teachers like Thich Nhat Hanh, Pema Chodron. They teach me because I feel like I have a responsibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-m-learning-a-lot-by-reading-teachers-like-thich-nhat-hanh-pema/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [I never know what something is going to be until it emerges from the womb and you see the crown of its head and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-never-know-what-something-is-going-to-be-until-it-emerges-from-the/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [Believe it or not, Mexican cooking, for those of you who have not gone farther south than Taco Bell, uses a lot of vegetables.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/believe-it-or-not-mexican-cooking-for-those-of-you-who-have-not-gone/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [I feel that I can teach my listener about a new word they can use too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-feel-that-i-can-teach-my-listener-about-a-new-word-they-can-use-too/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [Now I feel life is really short and I have to take care of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/now-i-feel-life-is-really-short-and-i-have-to-take-care-of-things/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [To this day, on my cheat days from my diet, which are New Year's Eve and my birthday, I buy luxury foods that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/to-this-day-on-my-cheat-days-from-my-diet-which-are-new-year-s-eve/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [You can never have too much sky . You can fall asleep and wake up drunk on sky, and sky can keep you safe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/you-can-never-have-too-much-sky-you-can-fall-asleep-and-wake-up-drunk/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [ \[Jorge Luis Borges\] had short stories, and I was trying to learn how to write short stories, and then he had these things in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/jorge-luis-borges-had-short-stories-and-i-was-trying-to-learn-how-to/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [I want to thank you, especially those people who are agnostic or atheist. I don't mean any offense by the things I said of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-want-to-thank-you-especially-those-people-who-are-agnostic-or/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [ We changed it to emocionó, the way you say in Spanish, "to emotion me" \[to be moved\]. That, as opposed to "haunt." We wanted… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/we-changed-it-to-emocion-the-way-you-say-in-spanish-to-emotion-me-to/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [When I'm starting to feel, "How many more people are there?" I go slower. I ask questions, and that person engaging with me gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/when-i-m-starting-to-feel-how-many-more-people-are-there-i-go-slower/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [I've put up with too much, too long, and now I'm just too intelligent, too powerful, too beautiful, too sure of who I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-ve-put-up-with-too-much-too-long-and-now-i-m-just-too-intelligent/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [If we got an educational program going, we could tell people, "Instead of butter, use avocado." That's something we eat, it has the good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/if-we-got-an-educational-program-going-we-could-tell-people-instead/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [I always have to have sweet and salty. I know some of you are going to say, "Oh, I tried dates. I hate them."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-always-have-to-have-sweet-and-salty-i-know-some-of-you-are-going-to/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) [Explore all 347 Sandra Cisneros quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) ## More Accomplish quotes > [Learn to see the big picture. Often times we get tunnel vision and lose sight of the big picture and what we're really trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cheeke/learn-to-see-the-big-picture-often-times-we-get-tunnel-vision-and/) [Robert Cheeke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cheeke/) > [You know, by the time you reach my age, you've made plenty of mistakes if you've lived your life properly. So you learn. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/you-know-by-the-time-you-reach-my-age-you-ve-made-plenty-of-mistakes/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I work every day. Sometimes I don't accomplish anything every day, but if I don't work every day, I get depressed and get afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-work-every-day-sometimes-i-don-t-accomplish-anything-every-day-but/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [God has given believers the responsibility of spreading the Gospel to all the world, and we need to use all at our disposal to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-epp/god-has-given-believers-the-responsibility-of-spreading-the-gospel-to/) [Theodore Epp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-epp/) > [ \[The Community's\] crosses and trials give me confidence. But I derive my hope above all, and most especially, from our utter incapacity, for it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-guerin/the-community-s-crosses-and-trials-give-me-confidence-but-i-derive-my/) [Theodore Guerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-guerin/) > [There's things that you want to accomplish, but to do that you have to work. That's the name of the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-schwarber/there-s-things-that-you-want-to-accomplish-but-to-do-that-you-have-to/) [Kyle Schwarber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-schwarber/) > [To accomplish much you must first lose everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/to-accomplish-much-you-must-first-lose-everything/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [We have to think about the future and what it is we want to accomplish from this party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-bernice-johnson/we-have-to-think-about-the-future-and-what-it-is-we-want-to/) [Eddie Bernice Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-bernice-johnson/) > [Everything that I have ever hoped to accomplish, she has done and done better than anyone I have ever seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-hathaway/everything-that-i-have-ever-hoped-to-accomplish-she-has-done-and-done/) [Anne Hathaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-hathaway/) > [There's a lot that I want to accomplish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/there-s-a-lot-that-i-want-to-accomplish/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [For what we want to accomplish in the future, we have to be able to view everything from the eyes of the customer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-katz/for-what-we-want-to-accomplish-in-the-future-we-have-to-be-able-to/) [Karen Katz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-katz/) > [And for me the only way to live life is to grab the bull by the horns and call up recording studios and set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-frusciante/and-for-me-the-only-way-to-live-life-is-to-grab-the-bull-by-the-horns/) [John Frusciante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-frusciante/) > [A great tennis career is something that a 15-year-old normally doesn't have. I hope my example helps other teens believe they can accomplish things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/a-great-tennis-career-is-something-that-a-15-year-old-normally-doesn/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [Somebody once told me that if you laugh at a George Bush joke, or you send an email cartoon to your friends that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/somebody-once-told-me-that-if-you-laugh-at-a-george-bush-joke-or-you/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [One should not withdraw from individuals and commit to the community what they can accomplish by their own enterprise and industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-pius-xi/one-should-not-withdraw-from-individuals-and-commit-to-the-community/) [Pope Pius XI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-pius-xi/) [Browse all 2,426 Accomplish quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accomplish/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My idea was always to start with a small press and then move up to a national press. 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