---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you can influence the outcome, do the…"
description: "\"If you can influence the outcome, do the work. If you can't influence the outcome, ignore the possibility. It's merely a distraction.\" — Seth Godin"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe8/seth-godin-152_distraction_if-you-can-influence-the-outcome-do-the_2722137.png"
---

#  If you can influence the outcome, do the work. If you…

![“If you can influence the outcome, do the work. If you can't influence the outcome, ignore the possibility. It's merely a distraction.” quote by Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe8/seth-godin-152_distraction_if-you-can-influence-the-outcome-do-the_2722137.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe8/seth-godin-152_distraction_if-you-can-influence-the-outcome-do-the_2722137.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe8/seth-godin-152_distraction_if-you-can-influence-the-outcome-do-the_2722137.png)

> “If you can influence the outcome, do the work. If you can't influence the outcome, ignore the possibility. It's merely a distraction.”

[Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/)

## About This Quote

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

If you can affect results, act; if not, dismiss it as a distraction and focus elsewhere.

**In simple terms:** Act on what you can change; ignore what you cannot.

Key Takeaway

Focus energy on controllable outcomes.

Themes

focus agency productivity decision‑making

Mood

pragmatic motivational

Type

business self‑help

When to use this quote

- project management
- personal goals
- team leadership
- strategic planning

Key Concepts

influence distraction prioritization

Questions to Reflect On

- What can you influence right now?
- When might a distraction be a warning sign?

A Different Perspective

Sometimes ignoring a problem can miss hidden opportunities.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Distraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distraction/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Possibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility/)

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> [Generally, I think my work has so much influence because of its reasonableness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/generally-i-think-my-work-has-so-much-influence-because-of-its/)

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> [I intentionally abandoned the hard stuff early on because not only do I think it's useless, I think it's a distraction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/i-intentionally-abandoned-the-hard-stuff-early-on-because-not-only-do/)

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> [You're competing against people in a state of flow, people who are truly committed, people who care deeply about the outcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/you-re-competing-against-people-in-a-state-of-flow-people-who-are/)

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> [Almost all accidents take place because of human distraction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-thrun/almost-all-accidents-take-place-because-of-human-distraction/)

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[Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/)

## More by Seth Godin

> [“You weren't born to be a cog in the giant industrial machine. You were trained to become a cog. There's an alternative available to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/you-weren-t-born-to-be-a-cog-in-the-giant-industrial-machine-you-were/)

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[Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/)

> [Developing expertise or assets that are not easily copied is essential; otherwise you're just a middleman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/developing-expertise-or-assets-that-are-not-easily-copied-is/)

[Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/)

> [Leadership is a choice. It's the choice not to do nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/leadership-is-a-choice-it-s-the-choice-not-to-do-nothing/)

[Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/)

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[Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/)

[Explore all 1,110 Seth Godin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/)

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