---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you set a goal, it's a personal…"
description: "\"When you set a goal, it's a personal thing, and that goal should be very big, hairy and audacious.\" — Tony Bates"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/tony-bates-42643_audacious_when-you-set-a-goal-it-s-a-personal-thin_702659.jpg"
---

#  When you set a goal, it's a personal thing, and that goal…

![“When you set a goal, it's a personal thing, and that goal should be very big, hairy and audacious.” quote by Tony Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/tony-bates-42643_audacious_when-you-set-a-goal-it-s-a-personal-thin_702659.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/tony-bates-42643_audacious_when-you-set-a-goal-it-s-a-personal-thin_702659.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ded/tony-bates-42643_audacious_when-you-set-a-goal-it-s-a-personal-thin_702659.jpg)

> “When you set a goal, it's a personal thing, and that goal should be very big, hairy and audacious.”

[Tony Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bates/)

## About This Quote

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

Setting goals that are large, bold, and challenging drives ambition and innovation.

**In simple terms:** Aim for big, bold goals.

Key Takeaway

Embrace audacious goals.

Themes

ambition innovation goal setting

Mood

determined optimistic

Type

motivational inspirational

When to use this quote

- career planning
- startup growth
- personal development
- team objectives

Key Concepts

Strategic vision risk taking

Questions to Reflect On

- What big goal excites you most?
- How will you measure progress?

A Different Perspective

Overly ambitious goals can lead to burnout or unrealistic expectations.

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[Audacious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audacious/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Personal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal/)

## Related quotes

> [“Set a goal. A personal goal. Then achieve it. Forget about what others say. Their opinion does not count. Just do it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-mansfield-bradberry/set-a-goal-a-personal-goal-then-achieve-it-forget-about-what-others/)

Denise Mansfield Bradberry

> [You want to set a goal that is big enough that in the process of achieveing it you become someone worth becoming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/you-want-to-set-a-goal-that-is-big-enough-that-in-the-process-of/)

[Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/)

> [Set a goal SO BIG that you can't achieve it until YOU GROW INTO THE PERSON WHO CAN...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/set-a-goal-so-big-that-you-can-t-achieve-it-until-you-grow-into-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Set a goal so big that if you achieved it, it would blow your mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/set-a-goal-so-big-that-if-you-achieved-it-it-would-blow-your-mind/)

[Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/)

> [When you're in a sport like speed skating where the clock gives you the results, there is always a faster goal or a personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-blair/when-you-re-in-a-sport-like-speed-skating-where-the-clock-gives-you/)

[Bonnie Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-blair/)

> [When I moved to Dallas, I had two big goals. The first, of course, had to do with basketball. I came here to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-barnes/when-i-moved-to-dallas-i-had-two-big-goals-the-first-of-course-had-to/)

[Harrison Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-barnes/)

> [When I made 'Sleepwalk with Me,' many people asked me if was a novelty thing, a one-off. But this is the goal, I'm just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-birbiglia/when-i-made-sleepwalk-with-me-many-people-asked-me-if-was-a-novelty/)

[Mike Birbiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-birbiglia/)

> [For any women trying to do comedy, I would suggest you do one thing every day towards your goal. First, you figure out what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-haddish/for-any-women-trying-to-do-comedy-i-would-suggest-you-do-one-thing/)

[Tiffany Haddish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-haddish/)

> [It's one thing to have a goal, but it's quite another thing to actually accept the challenge, develop a strategy to press for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/it-s-one-thing-to-have-a-goal-but-it-s-quite-another-thing-to/)

[Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/)

> [The real thing is not the goal, the real thing is the beauty of the movement. The real thing is not reaching, the real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/the-real-thing-is-not-the-goal-the-real-thing-is-the-beauty-of-the/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [“We killed this big hairy thing and that big hairy thing. And that was our day. You know what I mean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-smith/we-killed-this-big-hairy-thing-and-that-big-hairy-thing-and-that-was/)

[Andrew Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-smith/)

> [“And any man who would build a room in his house for some chick who blew him off? Any man who would wait years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-chase/and-any-man-who-would-build-a-room-in-his-house-for-some-chick-who/)

[Emma Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-chase/)

> [I’m just a big, hairy, American winning machine!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-ferrell/i-m-just-a-big-hairy-american-winning-machine/)

[Will Ferrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-ferrell/)

> [People need BHAGs - big hairy audacious goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/people-need-bhags-big-hairy-audacious-goals/)

[James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/)

> [I'm not afraid to look like a big, hairy, smelly, foreign devil in Tokyo, though I do my best not to, I really do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/i-m-not-afraid-to-look-like-a-big-hairy-smelly-foreign-devil-in-tokyo/)

[Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/)

## More by Tony Bates

> [There's a shift to mobile apps; I'd like to see a more pervasive communications experience, and I think Skype can contribute to that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bates/there-s-a-shift-to-mobile-apps-i-d-like-to-see-a-more-pervasive/)

[Tony Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bates/)

> [With Skype video calling, teachers can provide their students with first-hand knowledge from experts around the world and with other classes who are studying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bates/with-skype-video-calling-teachers-can-provide-their-students-with/)

[Tony Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bates/)

> [Every day at Skype, I am able to connect with employees from around the world and engage with them on a level that just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bates/every-day-at-skype-i-am-able-to-connect-with-employees-from-around/)

[Tony Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bates/)

> [The education process is moving beyond the traditional classroom/lecture setting. More and more teachers are seeking tools and techniques to engage their classes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bates/the-education-process-is-moving-beyond-the-traditional-classroom/)

[Tony Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bates/)

> [I do come from fairly humble beginnings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bates/i-do-come-from-fairly-humble-beginnings/)

[Tony Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bates/)

> [GoPro represents everything that excites me in a company - incredible products, compelling content, a world-renowned brand and, above all, amazing people who make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bates/gopro-represents-everything-that-excites-me-in-a-company-incredible/)

[Tony Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bates/)

> [The amount of education, in the most basic sense of the word, I receive on a daily basis through Skype amazes me. The technology…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bates/the-amount-of-education-in-the-most-basic-sense-of-the-word-i-receive/)

[Tony Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bates/)

> [Skype is kind of amazing - look at Skype in the classroom - those are things that can really excite your organization. That's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bates/skype-is-kind-of-amazing-look-at-skype-in-the-classroom-those-are/)

[Tony Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bates/)

> [Microsoft is committed to the ubiquity of the Skype experience - communication across every device and every platform will remain a primary focus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bates/microsoft-is-committed-to-the-ubiquity-of-the-skype-experience/)

[Tony Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bates/)

[Explore all 10 Tony Bates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bates/)

## More Audacious quotes

> [The most radical, audacious thing to think is that there might be some point to working hard and thinking hard and reading hard and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-most-radical-audacious-thing-to-think-is-that-there-might-be-some/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I am, what you call, an audacious man. I could walk into the room of Warren Buffet, and he may not give me the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anubhav-sinha/i-am-what-you-call-an-audacious-man-i-could-walk-into-the-room-of/)

[Anubhav Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anubhav-sinha/)

> [I look forward to growing old and wise and audacious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/i-look-forward-to-growing-old-and-wise-and-audacious/)

[Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/)

> [I respect the astute and rigorously unsentimental David Horowitz as one of America's most original and courageous political analysts. He has the true 1960s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/i-respect-the-astute-and-rigorously-unsentimental-david-horowitz-as/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [You can call it what you like, categorize it, vivisect it, qualify, quantify, or dismiss it, and none of it will make grace anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathleen-falsani/you-can-call-it-what-you-like-categorize-it-vivisect-it-qualify/)

[Cathleen Falsani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathleen-falsani/)

> [We must move forward in the days ahead with audacious faith. The moral arc of the universe is long but it bends toward justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-must-move-forward-in-the-days-ahead-with-audacious-faith-the-moral/)

[Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/)

> [Holiness is a disposition of the heart that makes us humble and little in the arms of God, aware of our weakness, and confident…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/therese-of-lisieux/holiness-is-a-disposition-of-the-heart-that-makes-us-humble-and/)

[Therese of Lisieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/therese-of-lisieux/)

> [Think about how audacious it is to really believe in yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/think-about-how-audacious-it-is-to-really-believe-in-yourself/)

[Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/)

> [There's something to be said for going right into people's living rooms. I think actors have always loved that medium - you're right in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigourney-weaver/there-s-something-to-be-said-for-going-right-into-people-s-living/)

[Sigourney Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigourney-weaver/)

> [Live. Love. Smile. Hug. Laugh. Dream. Do. Create. Have fun. Be intense. Be audacious. Be unreasonable. Act impeccably. Breathe. Be you. Be different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-johnson/live-love-smile-hug-laugh-dream-do-create-have-fun-be-intense-be/)

[Brian Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-johnson/)

> [Audacious faith is the raw material that authentic Christianity is made of. It's the stuff that triggers ordinarily level-headed people like you and me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-furtick/audacious-faith-is-the-raw-material-that-authentic-christianity-is/)

[Steven Furtick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-furtick/)

> [I like Diaspora because it's audacious, it's driven by passion, and it's very, very hard to do. After all, who in their right mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/i-like-diaspora-because-it-s-audacious-it-s-driven-by-passion-and-it/)

[John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/)

> [It's an audacious thing to build a model of the cosmos. It's exciting how little we know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shea-hembrey/it-s-an-audacious-thing-to-build-a-model-of-the-cosmos-it-s-exciting/)

[Shea Hembrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shea-hembrey/)

> [People need BHAGs - big hairy audacious goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/people-need-bhags-big-hairy-audacious-goals/)

[James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/)

> [I think it is conceded that I generally do pretty big things as a manager, am audacious in my outlays and risks, give much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-barnum/i-think-it-is-conceded-that-i-generally-do-pretty-big-things-as-a/)

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

[Browse all 113 Audacious quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audacious/)

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