--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man tends to over-estimate what he can…" description: "\"A man tends to over-estimate what he can do in one year...and under-estimate what he can do in five.\" — Theodore Wilhelm Engstrom" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5f/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom-4017_can-do_a-man-tends-to-over-estimate-what-he-can_957327.jpg" --- # A man tends to over-estimate what he can do in one… ![“A man tends to over-estimate what he can do in one year...and under-estimate what he can do in five.” quote by Theodore Wilhelm Engstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5f/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom-4017_can-do_a-man-tends-to-over-estimate-what-he-can_957327.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5f/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom-4017_can-do_a-man-tends-to-over-estimate-what-he-can_957327.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5f/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom-4017_can-do_a-man-tends-to-over-estimate-what-he-can_957327.jpg) > “A man tends to over-estimate what he can do in one year...and under-estimate what he can do in five.” [Theodore Wilhelm Engstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People overestimate short‑term abilities but underestimate long‑term potential. **In simple terms:** We misjudge what we can do now versus later. Key Takeaway Plan for sustained growth over years. Themes productivity time management expectations Mood practical motivational Type business self‑help When to use this quote - career planning - skill development - project management - education Key Concepts goal setting long‑term planning Questions to Reflect On - What goals can you break into yearly milestones? - How do you measure five‑year growth? A Different Perspective Short‑term successes can create complacency, hindering long‑term progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Can do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/can-do/) [Estimate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/estimate/) [Estimate Year](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/estimate-year-1747235/) [Five](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five/) [Man Tends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-tends-1747236/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Motivational sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational-sports/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) [Tends Estimate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tends-estimate-1747237/) [Year Estimate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/year-estimate-1747234/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [Man tends to treat all his opinions as principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-agar/man-tends-to-treat-all-his-opinions-as-principles/) [Herbert Agar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-agar/) > [Man tends to increase at a greater rate than his means of subsistence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/man-tends-to-increase-at-a-greater-rate-than-his-means-of-subsistence/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [Man tends always to satisfy his needs and desires with the least possible exertion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-j-nock/man-tends-always-to-satisfy-his-needs-and-desires-with-the-least/) [Albert J. 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To estimate Facebook's value through its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/didier-sornette/economic-theory-dictates-that-the-value-of-a-company-is-basically-the/) [Didier Sornette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/didier-sornette/) > [“The predicted USA aurora was a bust! The solar radiation definitely arrived, as people had strange fatigue and pains in Oregon, USA on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-predicted-usa-aurora-was-a-bust-the-solar-radiation-definitely/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [She was at the beauty shop for two hours. That was only for the estimate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henny-youngman/she-was-at-the-beauty-shop-for-two-hours-that-was-only-for-the/) [Henny Youngman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henny-youngman/) > [“People tend to over estimate my character.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/people-tend-to-over-estimate-my-character/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [“We, of all the beings that we know of, can think. We can eat, write, build, save. We can predict, estimate, and count. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarun-betala/we-of-all-the-beings-that-we-know-of-can-think-we-can-eat-write-build/) [Tarun Betala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarun-betala/) > [The average estimate themselves by what they do, the above average by what they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-average-estimate-themselves-by-what-they-do-the-above-average-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Theodore Wilhelm Engstrom > [Though leadership may be hard to define, the one characteristic common to all leaders is the ability to make things happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/though-leadership-may-be-hard-to-define-the-one-characteristic-common/) [Theodore Wilhelm Engstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/) > [Concentrate on the essentials. We will then be accomplishing the greatest possible results with the effort expended.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/concentrate-on-the-essentials-we-will-then-be-accomplishing-the/) [Theodore Wilhelm Engstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/) > [A smile breeds a smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/a-smile-breeds-a-smile/) [Theodore Wilhelm Engstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/) > [Integrity is doing what you said you would do. It means you keep your promises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/integrity-is-doing-what-you-said-you-would-do-it-means-you-keep-your/) [Theodore Wilhelm Engstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/) > [There is enough time in every day to do God's work...in God's way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/there-is-enough-time-in-every-day-to-do-god-s-work-in-god-s-way/) [Theodore Wilhelm Engstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/) > [Ultimately you are doing what you do for one of two reasons: to serve oneself or to serve God. There is enough time in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/ultimately-you-are-doing-what-you-do-for-one-of-two-reasons-to-serve/) [Theodore Wilhelm Engstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/) > [A congregation that is not deeply and earnestly involved in the worldwide proclamation of the gospel does not understand the nature of salvation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/a-congregation-that-is-not-deeply-and-earnestly-involved-in-the/) [Theodore Wilhelm Engstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/) > [Intergrity is not only teh way one thinks but even moer the way one acts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/intergrity-is-not-only-teh-way-one-thinks-but-even-moer-the-way-one/) [Theodore Wilhelm Engstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/) > [Somehow ungodly men have developed systems of organization which permit them to work together in states of relative harmony and unity, whereas godly men,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/somehow-ungodly-men-have-developed-systems-of-organization-which/) [Theodore Wilhelm Engstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/) > [Excellence demands that you be better than yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/excellence-demands-that-you-be-better-than-yourself/) [Theodore Wilhelm Engstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/) [Explore all 11 Theodore Wilhelm Engstrom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/) ## More Can do quotes > [Changes before your eyes, things you can do and things you can't. My attitude is always let it keep rolling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-malick/changes-before-your-eyes-things-you-can-do-and-things-you-can-t-my/) [Terrence Malick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-malick/) > [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [If I had a million dollars, I just wouldn't just completely set back. I'd have to get out there and show my face to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muddy-waters/if-i-had-a-million-dollars-i-just-wouldn-t-just-completely-set-back-i/) [Muddy Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muddy-waters/) > [Anybody can be Prince Charming one day a year, with the dinner and the flowers and all that. But you know what impresses me?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-howard/anybody-can-be-prince-charming-one-day-a-year-with-the-dinner-and-the/) [Ryan Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-howard/) > [And if the mind thinks with a believing attitude one can do amazing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/and-if-the-mind-thinks-with-a-believing-attitude-one-can-do-amazing/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [The amount of things you can do with a kettlebell is unsurpassed by any other training equipment - dumbbells, resistance machines, free weights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laird-hamilton/the-amount-of-things-you-can-do-with-a-kettlebell-is-unsurpassed-by/) [Laird Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laird-hamilton/) > [It's nice when you've done enough movies that you can do your own anthology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/it-s-nice-when-you-ve-done-enough-movies-that-you-can-do-your-own/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [If people don't have their own vision, all they can do is 'sign-up' for someone else's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/if-people-don-t-have-their-own-vision-all-they-can-do-is-sign-up-for/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [The one thing that flies in the face of all human history and experience, is that the government can do a superior job than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/the-one-thing-that-flies-in-the-face-of-all-human-history-and/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [...what I can do is offer myself, wholehearted and present, to walk with the people I love through the fear and the mess. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/what-i-can-do-is-offer-myself-wholehearted-and-present-to-walk-with/) [Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/) > [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/) [Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/) > [The average ordinary citizen can do a lot of different things when it comes to the climate crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/the-average-ordinary-citizen-can-do-a-lot-of-different-things-when-it/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [A professional is a man who can do his job when he doesn't feel like it. An amateur is a man who can't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-agate/a-professional-is-a-man-who-can-do-his-job-when-he-doesn-t-feel-like/) [James Agate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-agate/) > [The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, as it pleases him, for he can do all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/the-lord-gives-and-the-lord-takes-away-as-it-pleases-him-for-he-can/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [I'm not an educated man. I only know what I'm told, and I'm not told that much; I have no frame of reference for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-m-not-an-educated-man-i-only-know-what-i-m-told-and-i-m-not-told/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) [Browse all 5,673 Can do quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/can-do/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A man tends to over-estimate what he can do in one year...and under-estimate what he can do in five.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Theodore Wilhelm Engstrom" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/a-man-tends-to-over-estimate-what-he-can-do-in-one-year-and-under/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Can do" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/a-man-tends-to-over-estimate-what-he-can-do-in-one-year-and-under/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5f/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom-4017_can-do_a-man-tends-to-over-estimate-what-he-can_957327.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5f/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom-4017_can-do_a-man-tends-to-over-estimate-what-he-can_957327.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5f/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom-4017_can-do_a-man-tends-to-over-estimate-what-he-can_957327.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A man tends to over-estimate what he can do in one year...and under-estimate what he can do in five.” — Theodore Wilhelm Engstrom", "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": "Theodore Wilhelm Engstrom", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A man tends to over-estimate what...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/a-man-tends-to-over-estimate-what-he-can-do-in-one-year-and-under/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-wilhelm-engstrom/a-man-tends-to-over-estimate-what-he-can-do-in-one-year-and-under/#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 } } ] } ```