---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you really want to go after something…"
description: "\"If you really want to go after something, you have to keep hammering at the stone whether or not the first hit or the 100th hit breaks the stone. You'v..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc0/spencer-dinwiddie-5416_believe_if-you-really-want-to-go-after-something_1130165.jpg"
---

#  If you really want to go after something, you have to keep…

![“If you really want to go after something, you have to keep hammering at the stone whether or not the first hit or the 100th hit breaks the stone. You've got to believe that the stone is going to break.” quote by Spencer Dinwiddie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc0/spencer-dinwiddie-5416_believe_if-you-really-want-to-go-after-something_1130165.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc0/spencer-dinwiddie-5416_believe_if-you-really-want-to-go-after-something_1130165.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc0/spencer-dinwiddie-5416_believe_if-you-really-want-to-go-after-something_1130165.jpg)

> “If you really want to go after something, you have to keep hammering at the stone whether or not the first hit or the 100th hit breaks the stone. You've got to believe that the stone is going to break.”

[Spencer Dinwiddie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-dinwiddie/)

## About This Quote

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

Success requires persistent effort despite uncertainty; keep trying until breakthrough occurs.

**In simple terms:** Keep trying until you succeed.

Key Takeaway

Persist despite setbacks.

Themes

perseverance effort goal achievement

Mood

determined focused

Type

motivational inspirational

When to use this quote

- sports training
- career goals
- skill development
- creative projects
- entrepreneurship

Key Concepts

growth mindset resilience determination

Questions to Reflect On

- What goal are you willing to pursue relentlessly?
- How do you know when to adjust strategy?

A Different Perspective

If resources are limited, repeated attempts may waste time and resources.

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[Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Breaks Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breaks-stone-2274162/) [Go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/go/) [Hammering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hammering-1728898/) [Hammering Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hammering-stone-3101059/) [Keep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keep/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stone/) [Stone Hit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stone-hit-3101061/) [Want Hammering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-hammering-3101060/)

## Related quotes

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[Asking Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asking-alexander/)

> [Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-august-riis/look-at-a-stone-cutter-hammering-away-at-his-rock-perhaps-a-hundred/)

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> [When nothing seems to help, I go look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-nothing-seems-to-help-i-go-look-at-a-stonecutter-hammering-away/)

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> [“Autists are the ultimate square pegs, and the problem with pounding a square peg into a round hole is not that the hammering is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-collins/autists-are-the-ultimate-square-pegs-and-the-problem-with-pounding-a/)

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> [I think that in the sexual act, as delightful as it can be, the very physical part of it is, yes, a hammering away.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-berliawsky-nevelson/i-think-that-in-the-sexual-act-as-delightful-as-it-can-be-the-very/)

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> [A good leader has a plan that consists of changing simple pictures. Just because a group of people has a bunch of boards, hammers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-beth-jones/a-good-leader-has-a-plan-that-consists-of-changing-simple-pictures/)

[Laurie Beth Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-beth-jones/)

> [The hammers must be swung in cadence, when more than one is hammering the iron.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giordano-bruno/the-hammers-must-be-swung-in-cadence-when-more-than-one-is-hammering/)

[Giordano Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giordano-bruno/)

> [“But now he stops hammering, his back still to me when he yells, "Would you stop staring at me?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/but-now-he-stops-hammering-his-back-still-to-me-when-he-yells-would/)

[Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/)

> [I was used to football supporters hammering me and I thought my name was Graham Potter-Boo at one point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-potter/i-was-used-to-football-supporters-hammering-me-and-i-thought-my-name/)

[Graham Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-potter/)

> [At times, we, as coaches, try to shove guys as square pegs into round holes and keep hammering away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calipari/at-times-we-as-coaches-try-to-shove-guys-as-square-pegs-into-round/)

[John Calipari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calipari/)

> [ \[Donald\] Trump is most comfortable when he is hammering something. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/donald-trump-is-most-comfortable-when-he-is-hammering-something/)

[Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/)

> [No wonder men got impervious to superficial pain, I thought. It came from this habit of hammering each other incessantly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/no-wonder-men-got-impervious-to-superficial-pain-i-thought-it-came/)

[Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/)

> [I don't want to lose too much of the mystery by hammering every detail to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-aveyard/i-don-t-want-to-lose-too-much-of-the-mystery-by-hammering-every/)

[Victoria Aveyard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-aveyard/)

> [“You bend the nail But keep hammering because Hammering makes the world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-young/you-bend-the-nail-but-keep-hammering-because-hammering-makes-the-world/)

[Dean Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-young/)

> [Constant hammering on one nail will generally drive it home at last, so that it can be clinched. When a man's undivided attention is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/constant-hammering-on-one-nail-will-generally-drive-it-home-at-last/)

[P. T. Barnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-barnum/)

## More by Spencer Dinwiddie

> [Even if I'm the worst player in the NBA, I'm one of the best players in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-dinwiddie/even-if-i-m-the-worst-player-in-the-nba-i-m-one-of-the-best-players/)

[Spencer Dinwiddie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-dinwiddie/)

> [We need more flexibility and ownership over the value we bring to the league.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-dinwiddie/we-need-more-flexibility-and-ownership-over-the-value-we-bring-to-the/)

[Spencer Dinwiddie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-dinwiddie/)

> [I stand up for what I believe in and what I believe is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-dinwiddie/i-stand-up-for-what-i-believe-in-and-what-i-believe-is-right/)

[Spencer Dinwiddie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-dinwiddie/)

> [Shoe companies and endorsers influence team decisions all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-dinwiddie/shoe-companies-and-endorsers-influence-team-decisions-all-the-time/)

[Spencer Dinwiddie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-dinwiddie/)

> [I finally feel like I have an NBA home in Brooklyn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-dinwiddie/i-finally-feel-like-i-have-an-nba-home-in-brooklyn/)

[Spencer Dinwiddie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-dinwiddie/)

> [When you have people telling you they believe in you, it helps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-dinwiddie/when-you-have-people-telling-you-they-believe-in-you-it-helps/)

[Spencer Dinwiddie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-dinwiddie/)

> [I'm passionate about blockchain as a whole, decentralized finance as a whole.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-dinwiddie/i-m-passionate-about-blockchain-as-a-whole-decentralized-finance-as-a/)

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> [I basically started to adopt the mentality of, I'm going to say what I'm going to say. I'm not going to apologize about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-dinwiddie/i-basically-started-to-adopt-the-mentality-of-i-m-going-to-say-what-i/)

[Spencer Dinwiddie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-dinwiddie/)

> [It's fun to be tasked with making plays and being allowed that freedom. It's everything I really dreamed of in the NBA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-dinwiddie/it-s-fun-to-be-tasked-with-making-plays-and-being-allowed-that/)

[Spencer Dinwiddie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-dinwiddie/)

> [I'm in the mode of acquiring knowledge and relationships on the business side and it's paramount that you learn as much as you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-dinwiddie/i-m-in-the-mode-of-acquiring-knowledge-and-relationships-on-the/)

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[Spencer Dinwiddie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-dinwiddie/)

> [My job is to help the team win games to the best of my ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-dinwiddie/my-job-is-to-help-the-team-win-games-to-the-best-of-my-ability/)

[Spencer Dinwiddie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-dinwiddie/)

[Explore all 100 Spencer Dinwiddie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-dinwiddie/)

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[Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/)

> [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/)

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[Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/)

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