--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If your agenda is set by someone else and…" description: "\"“If your agenda is set by someone else and it doesn’t lead you where you want to go, why is it your agenda?”\" — Seth Godin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f81/seth-godin-152_agenda_if-your-agenda-is-set-by-someone-else-an_2840881.png" --- # If your agenda is set by someone else and it doesn’t lead… ![“If your agenda is set by someone else and it doesn’t lead you where you want to go, why is it your agenda?” quote by Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f81/seth-godin-152_agenda_if-your-agenda-is-set-by-someone-else-an_2840881.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f81/seth-godin-152_agenda_if-your-agenda-is-set-by-someone-else-an_2840881.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f81/seth-godin-152_agenda_if-your-agenda-is-set-by-someone-else-an_2840881.png) > ““If your agenda is set by someone else and it doesn’t lead you where you want to go, why is it your agenda?”” [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 your goals are imposed by others, they aren’t truly yours. **In simple terms:** Own your agenda. Key Takeaway Align actions with personal values. Themes authenticity self‑direction leadership Mood reflective inspirational Type self‑help business When to use this quote - career planning - entrepreneurship - life choices Key Concepts psychology personal development Questions to Reflect On - What values guide your decisions? - How to balance personal and external expectations? A Different Perspective May ignore external constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [I'm not an artist who has an agenda that's set by the work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anish-kapoor/i-m-not-an-artist-who-has-an-agenda-that-s-set-by-the-work/) [Anish Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anish-kapoor/) > [“Do What You Want; these are the 4 most frightening words brought to us by the Connection Revolution. If you want to sing, sing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/do-what-you-want-these-are-the-4-most-frightening-words-brought-to-us/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [It's important for the progressive youth to remember that the agenda you set today is the agenda that will matter tomorrow. If you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-pinckney/it-s-important-for-the-progressive-youth-to-remember-that-the-agenda/) [Darryl Pinckney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-pinckney/) > [If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-a-clark/if-you-find-a-path-with-no-obstacles-it-probably-doesn-t-lead-anywhere/) [Frank A. Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-a-clark/) > [If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-a-clark-2/if-you-can-find-a-path-with-no-obstacles-it-probably-doesn-t-lead/) Frank A Clark > [“Some people think that sex doesn't lead to pregnancy" RjS”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rassool-jibraeel-snyman/some-people-think-that-sex-doesn-t-lead-to-pregnancy-rjs/) [rassool jibraeel snyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rassool-jibraeel-snyman/) > [“Jesus doesn’t lead you out of your day, He leads you into it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-stocker/jesus-doesn-t-lead-you-out-of-your-day-he-leads-you-into-it/) [Todd Stocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-stocker/) > [Do you want to lead, or do you want to be liked?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alistair-begg/do-you-want-to-lead-or-do-you-want-to-be-liked/) [Alistair Begg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alistair-begg/) > [One doesn't win by chance. One doesn't lead a business to make a €1 billion or €500 million if he is a moron.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/massimiliano-allegri/one-doesn-t-win-by-chance-one-doesn-t-lead-a-business-to-make-a-1/) [Massimiliano Allegri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/massimiliano-allegri/) > [“Life will lead you, where you need to be, or you need to men up and lead it where you want it to go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-michele/life-will-lead-you-where-you-need-to-be-or-you-need-to-men-up-and/) Ryan Michele > [The same thinking that has led you to where you are is not going to lead you to where you want to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-same-thinking-that-has-led-you-to-where-you-are-is-not-going-to/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I went through so much no one knew about. Go to a funeral on Saturday, fly into the game on Sunday. Then I hear,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamarcus-russell/i-went-through-so-much-no-one-knew-about-go-to-a-funeral-on-saturday/) [JaMarcus Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamarcus-russell/) > [Don't wish, DO!…Don't pretend, BE!...Don't hope, EXPECT!...Don't follow, LEAD!...You can DO it, BE who you want to be, EXPECT to grow as a person,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-wish-do-don-t-pretend-be-don-t-hope-expect-don-t-follow-lead/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I want to lead. I want to change. And I'm going to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ehud-olmert/i-want-to-lead-i-want-to-change-and-i-m-going-to-do-it/) [Ehud Olmert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ehud-olmert/) > [One of our things is that money follows; it does not lead. So we want people that are fired up and passionate about their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gilbert/one-of-our-things-is-that-money-follows-it-does-not-lead-so-we-want/) [Dan Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gilbert/) ## 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/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Forgive yourself for not being the richest, the thinnest, the tallest, the one with the best hair. Forgive yourself for not being the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/forgive-yourself-for-not-being-the-richest-the-thinnest-the-tallest/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The easier it is to quantify, the less it's worth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-easier-it-is-to-quantify-the-less-it-s-worth/) [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/) > [The next thing you do today will be the most important thing on your agenda, because, after all, you're doing it next. Well, perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-next-thing-you-do-today-will-be-the-most-important-thing-on-your/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [I look at Starbucks, Howard Schultz has made many brilliant decisions, and one of the things that they did was they invented the third…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/i-look-at-starbucks-howard-schultz-has-made-many-brilliant-decisions/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Be relentlessly generous, without focusing on when it will come back to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/be-relentlessly-generous-without-focusing-on-when-it-will-come-back/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The public square is more public than ever, but minds are rarely changed in 140 character bursts and by selfies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-public-square-is-more-public-than-ever-but-minds-are-rarely/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Making an average pitch to average people, or having an average gala for average people isn't going to scale anymore. You've got to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/making-an-average-pitch-to-average-people-or-having-an-average-gala/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Our job is to make change. Our job is to connect to people, to interact with them in a way that leaves them better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/our-job-is-to-make-change-our-job-is-to-connect-to-people-to-interact/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [“Life is actually far better than it is in the movies. And it takes longer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/life-is-actually-far-better-than-it-is-in-the-movies-and-it-takes/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [I don't think there's a shortage of remarkable ideas. I think your business has plenty of great opportunities to do great things. Nope, what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-shortage-of-remarkable-ideas-i-think-your/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The mirror we hold up to the person next to us is one of the most important pictures she will ever see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-mirror-we-hold-up-to-the-person-next-to-us-is-one-of-the-most/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [If you're a marketer who doesn't know how to invent, design, influence, adapt, and ultimately discard products, then you're no longer a marketer. You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/if-you-re-a-marketer-who-doesn-t-know-how-to-invent-design-influence/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) [Explore all 1,110 Seth Godin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) ## More Agenda quotes > [It's when someone has an agenda of their own for the record that it doesn't work for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alanis-morissette/it-s-when-someone-has-an-agenda-of-their-own-for-the-record-that-it/) [Alanis Morissette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alanis-morissette/) > [Realizing that they can't get their agenda across: against religious liberty, against a culture of life, they can't get those issues across through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-parsley/realizing-that-they-can-t-get-their-agenda-across-against-religious/) [Rod Parsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-parsley/) > [Hypocrisy is a detriment to progress. There's always a hidden agenda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/hypocrisy-is-a-detriment-to-progress-there-s-always-a-hidden-agenda/) [Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/) > [I didn't want to go marching down the street with camera crews. Oy. To get married? Really? It seems like you have an agenda…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-patrick-harris/i-didn-t-want-to-go-marching-down-the-street-with-camera-crews-oy-to/) [Neil Patrick Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-patrick-harris/) > [I'm not afraid of having an agenda. I do have an agenda. It's a positive agenda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-m-not-afraid-of-having-an-agenda-i-do-have-an-agenda-it-s-a/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I think in some ways we have allowed other people to set the agenda. Other people to define who we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-scott/i-think-in-some-ways-we-have-allowed-other-people-to-set-the-agenda/) [Lee Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-scott/) > [The doughy-faced woman has been forced to sit on the sidelines of culture for too long, and it's now time for us to stand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/the-doughy-faced-woman-has-been-forced-to-sit-on-the-sidelines-of/) [Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/) > [The face of time is our agenda. our agenda is a task,task of time. to prepare is to task our agenda. preparing is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-face-of-time-is-our-agenda-our-agenda-is-a-task-task-of-time-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I love the energy of an independent film set. No one is there for the money. Everyone is there 'cause they really want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mamie-gummer/i-love-the-energy-of-an-independent-film-set-no-one-is-there-for-the/) [Mamie Gummer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mamie-gummer/) > [Healthcare reform is a paradigmatic case. It is self-evidently necessary and inevitable and has been on the agenda for 35 years, and the political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/healthcare-reform-is-a-paradigmatic-case-it-is-self-evidently/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [I've said in the primary race repeatedly that a Labour Party that I lead would be a true red Labour Party, be very clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cunliffe/i-ve-said-in-the-primary-race-repeatedly-that-a-labour-party-that-i/) [David Cunliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cunliffe/) > [I'm really looking for an agenda that looks at safety for our communities beyond policing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/i-m-really-looking-for-an-agenda-that-looks-at-safety-for-our/) [Opal Tometi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-tometi/) > [My district really wanted me... to take a hard stance against a Donald Trump agenda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-gomez/my-district-really-wanted-me-to-take-a-hard-stance-against-a-donald/) [Jimmy Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-gomez/) > [Commercial theater, in its agenda to appeal to everybody, is often at the expense of the unique vision of the artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-wolfe/commercial-theater-in-its-agenda-to-appeal-to-everybody-is-often-at/) [George C. Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-wolfe/) > [Others have said it before me. If you don't have a seat at the table, you're probably on the menu. And so it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/others-have-said-it-before-me-if-you-don-t-have-a-seat-at-the-table/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) Browse all 296 Agenda quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If your agenda is set by someone else and it doesn’t lead you where you want to go, why is it your agenda?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Godin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/if-your-agenda-is-set-by-someone-else-and-it-doesn-t-lead-you-where/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Agenda" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/if-your-agenda-is-set-by-someone-else-and-it-doesn-t-lead-you-where/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f81/seth-godin-152_agenda_if-your-agenda-is-set-by-someone-else-an_2840881.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f81/seth-godin-152_agenda_if-your-agenda-is-set-by-someone-else-an_2840881.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f81/seth-godin-152_agenda_if-your-agenda-is-set-by-someone-else-an_2840881.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If your agenda is set by someone else and it doesn’t lead you where you want to go, why is it your agenda?” — Seth Godin", "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": "Seth Godin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“If your agenda is set by...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/if-your-agenda-is-set-by-someone-else-and-it-doesn-t-lead-you-where/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/if-your-agenda-is-set-by-someone-else-and-it-doesn-t-lead-you-where/#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 } } ] } ```