---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never hanker after the past - I prefer…"
description: "\"I never hanker after the past - I prefer to devote myself to new tasks.\" — Steffi Graf"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a84/steffi-graf-18587_devote_i-never-hanker-after-the-past-i-prefer-t_1977493.png"
---

#  I never hanker after the past - I prefer to devote myself…

![“I never hanker after the past - I prefer to devote myself to new tasks.” quote by Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a84/steffi-graf-18587_devote_i-never-hanker-after-the-past-i-prefer-t_1977493.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a84/steffi-graf-18587_devote_i-never-hanker-after-the-past-i-prefer-t_1977493.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a84/steffi-graf-18587_devote_i-never-hanker-after-the-past-i-prefer-t_1977493.png)

> “I never hanker after the past - I prefer to devote myself to new tasks.”

[Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/)

## About This Quote

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

She prefers focusing on future challenges rather than longing for past achievements.

**In simple terms:** Live forward, not backward.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize new goals over nostalgia.

Themes

future focus goal setting resilience

Mood

motivated forward‑looking

Type

professional inspirational

When to use this quote

- career planning
- training regimens
- post‑career transitions

Key Concepts

sports psychology personal development

Questions to Reflect On

- What new challenge excites you now?
- How do you keep past lessons without clinging?

A Different Perspective

Dwelling on past successes can hinder progress.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [You've got to be able to manage change. You've got to be able to learn new tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/you-ve-got-to-be-able-to-manage-change-you-ve-got-to-be-able-to-learn/)

[Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/)

> [I don't care too much what happened in the past. I prefer to focus on what is coming next and I am really looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-vettel/i-don-t-care-too-much-what-happened-in-the-past-i-prefer-to-focus-on/)

[Sebastian Vettel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-vettel/)

> [If I have to have a past, then I prefer it to be multiple choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/if-i-have-to-have-a-past-then-i-prefer-it-to-be-multiple-choice/)

[Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/)

> [Women like a man with a past, but they prefer a man with a present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-west/women-like-a-man-with-a-past-but-they-prefer-a-man-with-a-present/)

[Mae West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-west/)

> [“Sometimes, new tasks and challenges come to reveal a new you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-dzifah-tamakloe/sometimes-new-tasks-and-challenges-come-to-reveal-a-new-you/)

Deborah Dzifah Tamakloe

> [“(1) Jot down new tasks and assignments on your list during the day; (2) next morning, transfer these new items from your list onto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/1-jot-down-new-tasks-and-assignments-on-your-list-during-the-day-2/)

[Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/)

> [To keep a vow, means not to keep from breaking it, but rather to devote the rest of one's life to discovering what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mason/to-keep-a-vow-means-not-to-keep-from-breaking-it-but-rather-to-devote/)

[Mike Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mason/)

> [Normally, people give up parliament because they want to do more business or spend more time with family. My wife said 'why don't you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/normally-people-give-up-parliament-because-they-want-to-do-more/)

[Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/)

> [I will devote my body and soul to the service of the people and the nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norodom-sihamoni/i-will-devote-my-body-and-soul-to-the-service-of-the-people-and-the/)

Norodom Sihamoni

> [If you want to be led by the Spirit of God, then devote yourself to the Word of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-greear-2/if-you-want-to-be-led-by-the-spirit-of-god-then-devote-yourself-to/)

[J. D. Greear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-greear-2/)

> [Medical physicists work in cooperation with doctors. A few medical physicists devote their time to research and teaching. A few get involved with administrative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cameron/medical-physicists-work-in-cooperation-with-doctors-a-few-medical/)

[John Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cameron/)

> [Four of my children are daughters, and I've watched them devote themselves to reading books about how little girls learn to become women -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-k-massie/four-of-my-children-are-daughters-and-i-ve-watched-them-devote/)

[Robert K. Massie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-k-massie/)

> [I'd never devote a whole record to heartbreak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-perry/i-d-never-devote-a-whole-record-to-heartbreak/)

[Katy Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-perry/)

> [When you devote yourself to being an artist, you have to stay on your craft and always try to get better and better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raekwon/when-you-devote-yourself-to-being-an-artist-you-have-to-stay-on-your/)

[Raekwon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raekwon/)

> [Why not have your first baby at sixty, when your husband is already dead and your career is over? Then you can really devote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/why-not-have-your-first-baby-at-sixty-when-your-husband-is-already/)

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

## More by Steffi Graf

> [If you go to a big city anywhere in the world and you need a doctor, just ask me. I can tell you who's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/if-you-go-to-a-big-city-anywhere-in-the-world-and-you-need-a-doctor/)

[Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/)

> [I am a person who sticks to her word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/i-am-a-person-who-sticks-to-her-word/)

[Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/)

> [I still take it seriously, but once I go out there I think I've got more relaxed and I think it shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/i-still-take-it-seriously-but-once-i-go-out-there-i-think-i-ve-got/)

[Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/)

> [I've thrown away lots of my old diaries - you never know who might get their hands on them. But I have kept a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/i-ve-thrown-away-lots-of-my-old-diaries-you-never-know-who-might-get/)

[Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/)

> [I don't wake up every day and think about which tournaments I won and which titles I hold. It's something I don't care about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/i-don-t-wake-up-every-day-and-think-about-which-tournaments-i-won-and/)

[Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/)

> [I think it takes people to get to know you and the recognition comes over time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/i-think-it-takes-people-to-get-to-know-you-and-the-recognition-comes/)

[Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/)

> [It shifted attention away from that and Ive never been someone who liked the attention from the media anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/it-shifted-attention-away-from-that-and-ive-never-been-someone-who/)

[Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/)

> [The tennis wasn't really very much on my mind, so it wasn't like I was thinking about it all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/the-tennis-wasn-t-really-very-much-on-my-mind-so-it-wasn-t-like-i-was/)

[Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/)

> [I appreciate very much being injury-free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/i-appreciate-very-much-being-injury-free/)

[Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/)

> [I have always been guided by striving to show the best that I could. That is what kept me going in tennis and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/i-have-always-been-guided-by-striving-to-show-the-best-that-i-could/)

[Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/)

> [You can have a certain arrogance, and I think that's fine, but what you should never lose is the respect for the others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/you-can-have-a-certain-arrogance-and-i-think-that-s-fine-but-what-you/)

[Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/)

> [Ive been taught very early on that if you want to win a tournament youve got to beat anybody, and hopefully I play well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/ive-been-taught-very-early-on-that-if-you-want-to-win-a-tournament/)

[Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/)

> [Age, what is it? It's not a figure that has ever meant anything to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/age-what-is-it-it-s-not-a-figure-that-has-ever-meant-anything-to-me/)

[Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/)

> [I don't ever look back. I look forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/i-don-t-ever-look-back-i-look-forward/)

[Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/)

> [I don't like the word 'businesswoman.' Perhaps 'committed mother' would be the best description.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/i-don-t-like-the-word-businesswoman-perhaps-committed-mother-would-be/)

[Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/)

[Explore all 34 Steffi Graf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/)

## More Devote quotes

> [Why not have your first baby at sixty, when your husband is already dead and your career is over? Then you can really devote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/why-not-have-your-first-baby-at-sixty-when-your-husband-is-already/)

[Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/)

> [When you devote yourself to being an artist, you have to stay on your craft and always try to get better and better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raekwon/when-you-devote-yourself-to-being-an-artist-you-have-to-stay-on-your/)

[Raekwon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raekwon/)

> [I'd never devote a whole record to heartbreak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-perry/i-d-never-devote-a-whole-record-to-heartbreak/)

[Katy Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-perry/)

> [Four of my children are daughters, and I've watched them devote themselves to reading books about how little girls learn to become women -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-k-massie/four-of-my-children-are-daughters-and-i-ve-watched-them-devote/)

[Robert K. Massie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-k-massie/)

> [Medical physicists work in cooperation with doctors. A few medical physicists devote their time to research and teaching. A few get involved with administrative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cameron/medical-physicists-work-in-cooperation-with-doctors-a-few-medical/)

[John Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cameron/)

> [If you want to be led by the Spirit of God, then devote yourself to the Word of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-greear-2/if-you-want-to-be-led-by-the-spirit-of-god-then-devote-yourself-to/)

[J. D. Greear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-greear-2/)

> [I will devote my body and soul to the service of the people and the nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norodom-sihamoni/i-will-devote-my-body-and-soul-to-the-service-of-the-people-and-the/)

Norodom Sihamoni

> [Normally, people give up parliament because they want to do more business or spend more time with family. My wife said 'why don't you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/normally-people-give-up-parliament-because-they-want-to-do-more/)

[Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/)

> [To keep a vow, means not to keep from breaking it, but rather to devote the rest of one's life to discovering what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mason/to-keep-a-vow-means-not-to-keep-from-breaking-it-but-rather-to-devote/)

[Mike Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mason/)

> [If you devote yourself to more than yourself ... you will have more than yourself to show for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-stanley/if-you-devote-yourself-to-more-than-yourself-you-will-have-more-than/)

[Andy Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-stanley/)

> [Human beings are social animals; we devote a significant portion of our brain just to dealing with interactions with other humans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/human-beings-are-social-animals-we-devote-a-significant-portion-of/)

[Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/)

> [Working long hours being single helps because your time is yours. Once you have a family your time isn't all yours anymore. Most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-hertzfeld/working-long-hours-being-single-helps-because-your-time-is-yours-once/)

[Andy Hertzfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-hertzfeld/)

> [I guess what I want to learn is how to live in this world and enjoy its delights but also devote myself to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-guess-what-i-want-to-learn-is-how-to-live-in-this-world-and-enjoy/)

[Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/)

> [Devote each day to the object then in time and every evening will find something done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/devote-each-day-to-the-object-then-in-time-and-every-evening-will/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [I decided to take two years between finishing undergraduate and beginning medical school to devote fully to medical research. I knew that I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-vertes/i-decided-to-take-two-years-between-finishing-undergraduate-and/)

[Eva Vertes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-vertes/)

Browse all 90 Devote quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I never hanker after the past - I prefer to devote myself to new tasks.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Steffi Graf"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/i-never-hanker-after-the-past-i-prefer-to-devote-myself-to-new-tasks/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Devote"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/i-never-hanker-after-the-past-i-prefer-to-devote-myself-to-new-tasks/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a84/steffi-graf-18587_devote_i-never-hanker-after-the-past-i-prefer-t_1977493.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a84/steffi-graf-18587_devote_i-never-hanker-after-the-past-i-prefer-t_1977493.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a84/steffi-graf-18587_devote_i-never-hanker-after-the-past-i-prefer-t_1977493.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I never hanker after the past - I prefer to devote myself to new tasks.” — Steffi Graf",
                "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": "Steffi Graf",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I never hanker after the past...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/i-never-hanker-after-the-past-i-prefer-to-devote-myself-to-new-tasks/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/i-never-hanker-after-the-past-i-prefer-to-devote-myself-to-new-tasks/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```