--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It takes three years to be an overnight…" description: "\"It takes three years to be an overnight success, sometimes more.\" — Seth Godin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/seth-godin-152_overnight_it-takes-three-years-to-be-an-overnight_148268.png" --- # It takes three years to be an overnight success, sometimes… ![“It takes three years to be an overnight success, sometimes more.” quote by Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/seth-godin-152_overnight_it-takes-three-years-to-be-an-overnight_148268.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/seth-godin-152_overnight_it-takes-three-years-to-be-an-overnight_148268.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/seth-godin-152_overnight_it-takes-three-years-to-be-an-overnight_148268.png) > “It takes three years to be an overnight success, sometimes more.” [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. Overnight success is a myth; it requires years of unseen effort and persistence. **In simple terms:** Success takes years, not moments. Key Takeaway Invest time and patience for lasting success. Themes patience effort myth‑busting Mood steady hopeful Type motivational practical When to use this quote - entrepreneurship - career growth - creative endeavors Key Concepts long‑term planning skill development perseverance Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay motivated during slow progress? - What milestones keep you moving forward? A Different Perspective Patience may delay gratification. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Overnight success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overnight-success/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [“It takes at least twenty years to become an overnight success.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sravani-saha-nakhro/it-takes-at-least-twenty-years-to-become-an-overnight-success/) [Sravani Saha Nakhro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sravani-saha-nakhro/) > [My dad told me, 'It takes fifteen years to be an overnight success', and it took me seventeen and a half years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrien-brody/my-dad-told-me-it-takes-fifteen-years-to-be-an-overnight-success-and/) [Adrien Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrien-brody/) > [It takes twenty years to become an overnight success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-cantor/it-takes-twenty-years-to-become-an-overnight-success/) [Eddie Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-cantor/) > [There are no quick wins in business - it takes years to become an overnight success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/there-are-no-quick-wins-in-business-it-takes-years-to-become-an/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [I worked 18 years to become an overnight success. Now MagicPlace.com will short circuit that process for people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-angel/i-worked-18-years-to-become-an-overnight-success-now-magicplace-com/) [Criss Angel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-angel/) > [It takes years to make an overnight success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-cantor/it-takes-years-to-make-an-overnight-success/) [Eddie Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-cantor/) > [Sometimes it takes years for a person to become an overnight success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince/sometimes-it-takes-years-for-a-person-to-become-an-overnight-success/) [Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince/) > [It takes years to establish yourself, and then you have one big film and everyone calls you an overnight success. You think, 'Christ, I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/it-takes-years-to-establish-yourself-and-then-you-have-one-big-film/) [Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) > [Everybody wants the quick fix, but it doesn't happen overnight. You have to be willing to put it out there. I call it 'the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/everybody-wants-the-quick-fix-but-it-doesn-t-happen-overnight-you/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [I published so many books, which, for years, didn't get published here in America, at all - and which barely got any attention in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-dyer/i-published-so-many-books-which-for-years-didn-t-get-published-here/) [Geoff Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-dyer/) > [It generally takes about 10 years to become an overnight sensation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/it-generally-takes-about-10-years-to-become-an-overnight-sensation/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [“Eventually, after years of blood, sweat, and lots of tears, you become an “overnight success.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-wright/eventually-after-years-of-blood-sweat-and-lots-of-tears-you-become-an/) [Christy Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christy-wright/) > [It's so funny, this thing of 'overnight success.' I've been doing this for 20 years, but yes, sure, it happened overnight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-goldstein/it-s-so-funny-this-thing-of-overnight-success-i-ve-been-doing-this/) [Brett Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-goldstein/) > [An overnight success is ten years in the making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/an-overnight-success-is-ten-years-in-the-making/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [My sister was cute, she said, 'Oh my gosh, you're an overnight success.' 'Oh,' I said, 'this is the longest night.' I've been at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-jordan/my-sister-was-cute-she-said-oh-my-gosh-you-re-an-overnight-success-oh/) [Leslie Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-jordan/) ## 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 Overnight quotes > [I thought I would be an overnight star when I had a hit record in Brazil with my first album - but things didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-de-burgh/i-thought-i-would-be-an-overnight-star-when-i-had-a-hit-record-in/) [Chris de Burgh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-de-burgh/) > [Becoming famous is a really shocking thing, especially when you don't have aspirations to it. It got to the point where I would try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/becoming-famous-is-a-really-shocking-thing-especially-when-you-don-t/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [I worked 18 years to become an overnight success. Now MagicPlace.com will short circuit that process for people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-angel/i-worked-18-years-to-become-an-overnight-success-now-magicplace-com/) [Criss Angel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-angel/) > [Success doesn't happen overnight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-collins/success-doesn-t-happen-overnight/) [Petra Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-collins/) > [Marathons don't come to you overnight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-coe/marathons-don-t-come-to-you-overnight/) [Sebastian Coe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-coe/) > [It's so funny, this thing of 'overnight success.' I've been doing this for 20 years, but yes, sure, it happened overnight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-goldstein/it-s-so-funny-this-thing-of-overnight-success-i-ve-been-doing-this/) [Brett Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-goldstein/) > [The thing that is cool about my come up is that I dealt with fame and having money gradually. It didn't happen overnight. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trey-songz/the-thing-that-is-cool-about-my-come-up-is-that-i-dealt-with-fame-and/) [Trey Songz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trey-songz/) > [During an early performance of 'Spamalot,' I left my regal gloves in the fridge to cool down and didn't remember them until I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjeev-bhaskar/during-an-early-performance-of-spamalot-i-left-my-regal-gloves-in-the/) [Sanjeev Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjeev-bhaskar/) > [My sister was cute, she said, 'Oh my gosh, you're an overnight success.' 'Oh,' I said, 'this is the longest night.' I've been at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-jordan/my-sister-was-cute-she-said-oh-my-gosh-you-re-an-overnight-success-oh/) [Leslie Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-jordan/) > [I am not in a hurry, I don't want to become a star overnight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koena-mitra/i-am-not-in-a-hurry-i-don-t-want-to-become-a-star-overnight/) [Koena Mitra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koena-mitra/) > [“Eventually, after years of blood, sweat, and lots of tears, you become an “overnight success.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-wright/eventually-after-years-of-blood-sweat-and-lots-of-tears-you-become-an/) [Christy Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christy-wright/) > [I feel I've done everything late in life. Got married late, and I didn't do my first movie until I was 31. But in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-liotta/i-feel-i-ve-done-everything-late-in-life-got-married-late-and-i-didn/) [Ray Liotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-liotta/) > [An overnight success is ten years in the making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/an-overnight-success-is-ten-years-in-the-making/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [I did it overnight, it couldn't happen any quicker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/i-did-it-overnight-it-couldn-t-happen-any-quicker/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [Only the film industry can make you an overnight success. Unlike other jobs where you have to work your way up, here you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-akkineni/only-the-film-industry-can-make-you-an-overnight-success-unlike-other/) [Samantha Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-akkineni/) Browse all 282 Overnight quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It takes three years to be an overnight success, sometimes more.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Seth Godin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/it-takes-three-years-to-be-an-overnight-success-sometimes-more/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Overnight" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/it-takes-three-years-to-be-an-overnight-success-sometimes-more/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/seth-godin-152_overnight_it-takes-three-years-to-be-an-overnight_148268.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/seth-godin-152_overnight_it-takes-three-years-to-be-an-overnight_148268.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/047/seth-godin-152_overnight_it-takes-three-years-to-be-an-overnight_148268.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It takes three years to be an overnight success, sometimes more.” — 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": "It takes three years to be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/it-takes-three-years-to-be-an-overnight-success-sometimes-more/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/it-takes-three-years-to-be-an-overnight-success-sometimes-more/#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 } } ] } ```