--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Initiative is the privilege of picking…" description: "\"Initiative is the privilege of picking yourself.\" — Seth Godin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/232/seth-godin-152_initiative_initiative-is-the-privilege-of-picking-y_1343270.png" --- # Initiative is the privilege of picking yourself. ![“Initiative is the privilege of picking yourself.” quote by Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/232/seth-godin-152_initiative_initiative-is-the-privilege-of-picking-y_1343270.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/232/seth-godin-152_initiative_initiative-is-the-privilege-of-picking-y_1343270.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/232/seth-godin-152_initiative_initiative-is-the-privilege-of-picking-y_1343270.png) > “Initiative is the privilege of picking yourself.” [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. Taking initiative means choosing to act for yourself, not waiting for external permission. **In simple terms:** Initiative is self‑chosen action. Key Takeaway Own your choices and act. Themes initiative self‑direction empowerment Mood motivational encouraging Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - career - entrepreneurship - personal projects Key Concepts agency personal responsibility Questions to Reflect On - What would you choose to start today? - How can you reduce fear of acting? A Different Perspective Self‑initiative can be hindered by fear or lack of resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Initiative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/initiative/) [Initiative Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/initiative-privilege-4545573/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Picking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/picking/) [Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege/) [Privilege Picking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege-picking-4545574/) ## Related quotes > [It's impossible to have a coin with only one side. You can't have heads without tails. Innovation is like that. Initiative is like that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/it-s-impossible-to-have-a-coin-with-only-one-side-you-can-t-have/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [“Traditional corporations, particularly large-scale service and manufacturing businesses are organized for efficiency. Or consistency. But not joy. Joy comes from surprise and connection and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/traditional-corporations-particularly-large-scale-service-and/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Excellence isn’t about working extra hard to do what you’re told. It’s about taking the initiative to do work you decide is worth doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/excellence-isn-t-about-working-extra-hard-to-do-what-you-re-told-it-s/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [“Picking up the pieces is way better than leaving them the way they are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/picking-up-the-pieces-is-way-better-than-leaving-them-the-way-they-are/) [Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/) > [You're 13. you should be picking flowers, not baby names.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-re-13-you-should-be-picking-flowers-not-baby-names/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Picking other people's brains is an art worth cultivating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mitford/picking-other-people-s-brains-is-an-art-worth-cultivating/) [Jessica Mitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-mitford/) > [I don't need a coach to tell me what to say. I need a coach to figure out what kind of shirt to wear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-saylor/i-don-t-need-a-coach-to-tell-me-what-to-say-i-need-a-coach-to-figure/) [Michael J. Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-saylor/) > [“Sometimes I wonder if we ever truly let anyone completely in. The desire for another human being to know you, all of you, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-van-dyken/sometimes-i-wonder-if-we-ever-truly-let-anyone-completely-in-the/) [Rachel Van Dyken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-van-dyken/) > [It's hard to be a clubhouse guy without being a great guy. I mean, the nature of the job is, you know, you're picking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-francona/it-s-hard-to-be-a-clubhouse-guy-without-being-a-great-guy-i-mean-the/) [Terry Francona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-francona/) > [When you're picking up and moving, it does create... well, I can sleep anywhere, which is really useful, it turns out, on movie sets.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-adams/when-you-re-picking-up-and-moving-it-does-create-well-i-can-sleep/) [Amy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-adams/) > [Ask any guitar player - it's hard to feed yourself when you're picking for a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-cale/ask-any-guitar-player-it-s-hard-to-feed-yourself-when-you-re-picking/) [J. J. Cale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-cale/) > [I'm bad at picking heroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/i-m-bad-at-picking-heroes/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [You've got Washington picking winners and losers. And so, all of a sudden, decisions are being made on what helps politicians, not what helps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-hensarling/you-ve-got-washington-picking-winners-and-losers-and-so-all-of-a/) [Jeb Hensarling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-hensarling/) > [One of the first houses we lived in was like out of a fairy story. We had a stream that ran through our garden,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-clarke/one-of-the-first-houses-we-lived-in-was-like-out-of-a-fairy-story-we/) [Emilia Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-clarke/) > [Personally, when I'm picking friends, I like the ones who don't make me cry myself to sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-behrendt/personally-when-i-m-picking-friends-i-like-the-ones-who-don-t-make-me/) [Greg Behrendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-behrendt/) ## 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 Initiative quotes > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [The vast majority of local people will neither know all of the initiatives nor have any perception that the individual elements are beginning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-burrell/the-vast-majority-of-local-people-will-neither-know-all-of-the/) [Paul Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-burrell/) > [The search for truth is a cooperative, unending endeavor. We can, and should, engage in it to the extent we can and encourage others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-search-for-truth-is-a-cooperative-unending-endeavor-we-can-and/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [We embark unhesitatingly on the path, in a direction that is absolutely right and urgent, supported by everyone, in the knowledge that this path…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yehudi-menuhin/we-embark-unhesitatingly-on-the-path-in-a-direction-that-is/) [Yehudi Menuhin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yehudi-menuhin/) > [I want to take initiative; I know my game and I know what I need to do to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-tiafoe/i-want-to-take-initiative-i-know-my-game-and-i-know-what-i-need-to-do/) [Frances Tiafoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-tiafoe/) > [Continue to witness to the Gospel every day and commit yourselves generously in the next missionary initiatives in the Diocese of Rome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/continue-to-witness-to-the-gospel-every-day-and-commit-yourselves/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [“Be the Inviter “When I began my speaking career, I designed and delivered motivational programs for children teaching them success skills for life. Before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/be-the-inviter-when-i-began-my-speaking-career-i-designed-and/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [It is rather unusual for Italy to be at the forefront of pro-market initiatives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-monti/it-is-rather-unusual-for-italy-to-be-at-the-forefront-of-pro-market/) [Mario Monti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-monti/) > [“Don’t simply exist in this world, but grasp life’s potential by the jacket. Dare it to be all it can. Make life historical—a gripping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-goodrich/don-t-simply-exist-in-this-world-but-grasp-life-s-potential-by-the/) [Richelle Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-goodrich/) > [By declaring yourself a leader, you're taking initiative and moving into a role of influence in a lively and vital network that's changing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/by-declaring-yourself-a-leader-you-re-taking-initiative-and-moving/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [We are entering an era in which national government, instead of directing, enables powerful regional and local initiatives to work, where Britain becomes as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-are-entering-an-era-in-which-national-government-instead-of/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [Initiative is at the heart of manhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-rainey/initiative-is-at-the-heart-of-manhood/) [Dennis Rainey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-rainey/) > [Football is a personal interest which has been turned into a philanthropic initiative directed at encouraging social cohesion during the difficult process of African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-hussein-al-amoudi/football-is-a-personal-interest-which-has-been-turned-into-a/) [Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-hussein-al-amoudi/) > [Initiative is doing the right thing without being told.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/initiative-is-doing-the-right-thing-without-being-told/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) [Browse all 777 Initiative quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/initiative/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Initiative is the privilege of picking yourself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Godin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/initiative-is-the-privilege-of-picking-yourself/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Initiative" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/initiative-is-the-privilege-of-picking-yourself/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/232/seth-godin-152_initiative_initiative-is-the-privilege-of-picking-y_1343270.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/232/seth-godin-152_initiative_initiative-is-the-privilege-of-picking-y_1343270.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/232/seth-godin-152_initiative_initiative-is-the-privilege-of-picking-y_1343270.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Initiative is the privilege of picking yourself.” — 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": "Initiative is the privilege of picking...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/initiative-is-the-privilege-of-picking-yourself/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/initiative-is-the-privilege-of-picking-yourself/#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 } } ] } ```