--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can focus on things that are barriers…" description: "\"You can focus on things that are barriers or you can focus on scaling the wall or redefining the problem.\" — Tim Cook" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66f/tim-cook-1729_barriers_you-can-focus-on-things-that-are-barrier_1835858.png" --- # You can focus on things that are barriers or you can focus… ![“You can focus on things that are barriers or you can focus on scaling the wall or redefining the problem.” quote by Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66f/tim-cook-1729_barriers_you-can-focus-on-things-that-are-barrier_1835858.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66f/tim-cook-1729_barriers_you-can-focus-on-things-that-are-barrier_1835858.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66f/tim-cook-1729_barriers_you-can-focus-on-things-that-are-barrier_1835858.png) > “You can focus on things that are barriers or you can focus on scaling the wall or redefining the problem.” [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Focus on overcoming obstacles by redefining problems rather than confronting barriers directly. **In simple terms:** Redefine problems instead of fixing barriers. Key Takeaway Reframe challenges to find innovative solutions. Themes innovation problem solving mindset Mood optimistic strategic Type business motivational When to use this quote - product development - entrepreneurship - team brainstorming Key Concepts design thinking strategic planning Questions to Reflect On - What barriers can’t be redefined? - How do you balance reframing with action? A Different Perspective Reframing may overlook immediate practical fixes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Barriers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barriers/) [Barriers Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barriers-focus-2310226/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Focus Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus-things/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Redefining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/redefining/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Things Barriers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-barriers-2310227/) [Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall/) ## Related quotes > [I believe in a wall between church and state so high that no one can climb over it. When religion controls government, political liberty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-ervin/i-believe-in-a-wall-between-church-and-state-so-high-that-no-one-can/) [Sam Ervin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-ervin/) > [The purest evil that human efforts could attain, in other words, was probably achieved by those men who made their wills the same and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukio-mishima/the-purest-evil-that-human-efforts-could-attain-in-other-words-was/) [Yukio Mishima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukio-mishima/) > [“Those walls and bars are there for a reason,' said Crake. ' Not to keep us out, but to keep them in. Mankind needs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/those-walls-and-bars-are-there-for-a-reason-said-crake-not-to-keep-us/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Dance, like music, knows no geographical boundaries, no linguistic barriers and no racial divisions. All walls crumble where art is concerned. It is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vempati-chinna-satyam/dance-like-music-knows-no-geographical-boundaries-no-linguistic/) [Vempati Chinna Satyam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vempati-chinna-satyam/) > [“All struggles against oppression in the modern woeld begin by redefining what had previously been consideered private, non-public and non-political issues as matters of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyla-benhabib/all-struggles-against-oppression-in-the-modern-woeld-begin-by/) [Seyla Benhabib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seyla-benhabib/) > [Black and Third World people are expected to educate white people as to our humanity. Women are expected to educate men. 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It's always redefining its 'core business' in ways that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/an-adaptable-company-is-one-that-captures-more-than-its-fair-share-of/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) > [MTV has always been about redefining itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-quinn/mtv-has-always-been-about-redefining-itself/) [Martha Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-quinn/) > [“Tycoon had a peddler's talent for using words to redefine reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernor-vinge/tycoon-had-a-peddler-s-talent-for-using-words-to-redefine-reality/) [Vernor Vinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernor-vinge/) ## More by Tim Cook > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [Televisions are devices with screens that things appear on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/televisions-are-devices-with-screens-that-things-appear-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [The sidelines are not where you want to live your life. The world needs you in the arena!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/the-sidelines-are-not-where-you-want-to-live-your-life-the-world/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [Honestly, we’ll compete with everybody. I love competition. As long as people invent their own stuff, I love competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/honestly-we-ll-compete-with-everybody-i-love-competition-as-long-as/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [Apple is this great American company that could have only happened here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/apple-is-this-great-american-company-that-could-have-only-happened/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [Our goal has never been to make the most. It's always been to make the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/our-goal-has-never-been-to-make-the-most-it-s-always-been-to-make-the/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [It's hard to edit. It's hard to stay focused. And yet, we know we'll only do our best work if we stay focused. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/it-s-hard-to-edit-it-s-hard-to-stay-focused-and-yet-we-know-we-ll/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [The reality is, is that we love competition, at Apple. We think it makes us all better. But we want people to invent their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/the-reality-is-is-that-we-love-competition-at-apple-we-think-it-makes/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I love museums. But I don't want to live in one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/i-love-museums-but-i-don-t-want-to-live-in-one/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [From an app point of view, if you looked at innovation on the PC, you'd be hard pressed to find companies innovating. The list…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/from-an-app-point-of-view-if-you-looked-at-innovation-on-the-pc-you-d/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [Without encryption, you and I wouldn't be able to do our banking online. We wouldn't be able to buy things online, because your credit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/without-encryption-you-and-i-wouldn-t-be-able-to-do-our-banking/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [We have never said that we're perfect. We've said that we seek that. But we sometimes fall short.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/we-have-never-said-that-we-re-perfect-we-ve-said-that-we-seek-that/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [Those who try to achieve success without hard work ultimately deceive themselves-or worse-deceive others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/those-who-try-to-achieve-success-without-hard-work-ultimately-deceive/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [The pre-owned market allows us to reach customers who really want an Apple device but can't really reach that point. I think it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/the-pre-owned-market-allows-us-to-reach-customers-who-really-want-an/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [America is always stronger when we do things together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/america-is-always-stronger-when-we-do-things-together/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) [Explore all 213 Tim Cook quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) ## More Barriers quotes > [Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?" said Hermione as they got off the train and joined the crowd thronging toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-aunt-and-uncle-will-be-proud-though-won-t-they-said-hermione-as/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The gear you can't afford is not the barrier keeping you from success. Gear has very little to do with photography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chase-jarvis/the-gear-you-can-t-afford-is-not-the-barrier-keeping-you-from-success/) [Chase Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chase-jarvis/) > [All of the barriers to innovation in the energy sector are arguments for a big commitment to public investment. Only the public sector can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nordhaus/all-of-the-barriers-to-innovation-in-the-energy-sector-are-arguments/) [Ted Nordhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nordhaus/) > [The "health, education, and welfare" section of government is another boondoggle. First we manufacture indigent and superfluous people by legal monopolies in land, money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurance-labadie/the-health-education-and-welfare-section-of-government-is-another/) [Laurance Labadie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurance-labadie/) > [Security is a component of everyday life that one spending time in Washington, D.C., gets accustomed to. Metal detectors, police vehicle barriers and heavily-armed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-crapo/security-is-a-component-of-everyday-life-that-one-spending-time-in/) [Mike Crapo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-crapo/) > [The biggest obstacles to our progress exist within our own lives in the form of cowardice and the tendency to give up. Breaking through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senora-roy/the-biggest-obstacles-to-our-progress-exist-within-our-own-lives-in/) [Senora Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senora-roy/) > [I feel that there are a few things in the world without cultural barriers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-chan/i-feel-that-there-are-a-few-things-in-the-world-without-cultural/) [Jackie Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-chan/) > [English literature is a glorious inheritance which is open to all - there are no barriers, no coupons, and no restrictions. In the English…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/english-literature-is-a-glorious-inheritance-which-is-open-to-all/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Friendship embraces innumerable ends; turn where you will it is ever at your side; no barrier shuts it out; it is never untimely and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/friendship-embraces-innumerable-ends-turn-where-you-will-it-is-ever/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [I've cosponsored legislation to establish a lend-lease program to simplify bureaucratic barriers and allow a speedier transfer of U.S. military equipment to Ukraine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/i-ve-cosponsored-legislation-to-establish-a-lend-lease-program-to/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [Don't be afraid of what you want. This is your time. The barriers are down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/don-t-be-afraid-of-what-you-want-this-is-your-time-the-barriers-are/) [Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/) > [Fear is the single biggest barrier to creativity. Unless we're brave enough to risk looking foolish, we'll inevitably find ourselves sticking to the status…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-linkner/fear-is-the-single-biggest-barrier-to-creativity-unless-we-re-brave/) [Josh Linkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-linkner/) > [He looked at my lips. I suddenly found myself wanting to lick his. 'Yes,' he replied, his eyes going molten. My breath caught in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-macalister/he-looked-at-my-lips-i-suddenly-found-myself-wanting-to-lick-his-yes/) [Katie MacAlister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-macalister/) > [What do you have to surrender? A drop has to dissolve into the ocean to become the ocean. 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Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-w-johnson/) [Browse all 1,191 Barriers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barriers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You can focus on things that are barriers or you can focus on scaling the wall or redefining the problem.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tim Cook" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/you-can-focus-on-things-that-are-barriers-or-you-can-focus-on-scaling/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Barriers" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/you-can-focus-on-things-that-are-barriers-or-you-can-focus-on-scaling/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66f/tim-cook-1729_barriers_you-can-focus-on-things-that-are-barrier_1835858.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66f/tim-cook-1729_barriers_you-can-focus-on-things-that-are-barrier_1835858.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66f/tim-cook-1729_barriers_you-can-focus-on-things-that-are-barrier_1835858.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can focus on things that are barriers or you can focus on scaling the wall or redefining the problem.” — Tim Cook", "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": "Tim Cook", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You can focus on things that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/you-can-focus-on-things-that-are-barriers-or-you-can-focus-on-scaling/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/you-can-focus-on-things-that-are-barriers-or-you-can-focus-on-scaling/#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 } } ] } ```