--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You get to decide where your time goes…" description: "\"“You get to decide where your time goes. You can either spend it moving forward, or you can spend it putting out fires. You decide. And if you don't de..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/tony-morgan-68436_moving-forward_you-get-to-decide-where-your-time-goes-y_1386958.jpg" --- # You get to decide where your time goes. You can either… ![“You get to decide where your time goes. You can either spend it moving forward, or you can spend it putting out fires. You decide. And if you don't decide, others will decide for you.” quote by Tony Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/tony-morgan-68436_moving-forward_you-get-to-decide-where-your-time-goes-y_1386958.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/tony-morgan-68436_moving-forward_you-get-to-decide-where-your-time-goes-y_1386958.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b84/tony-morgan-68436_moving-forward_you-get-to-decide-where-your-time-goes-y_1386958.jpg) > ““You get to decide where your time goes. You can either spend it moving forward, or you can spend it putting out fires. You decide. And if you don't decide, others will decide for you.”” [Tony Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-morgan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. You control how you allocate time; choose between progress‑building activities or reactive crisis management, otherwise others will dictate your schedule. **In simple terms:** Choose how you spend time. Key Takeaway Decide daily between growth and firefighting. Themes time management choice agency productivity Mood motivational urgent Type self‑help inspirational When to use this quote - career planning - personal goals - emergency response Key Concepts prioritization self‑direction Questions to Reflect On - What tasks are your “fires”? - How can you protect time for forward movement? A Different Perspective Crisis may be unavoidable and dominate time. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decide/) [Decide Decide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decide-decide-723888/) [Decide Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decide-time-321095/) [Fires Decide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fires-decide-4821334/) [Moving forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving-forward/) [Putting Fires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/putting-fires-429428/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-management/) ## Related quotes > [So do all who see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-do-all-who-see-such-times-but-that-is-not-for-them-to-decide-all/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [So do all who live to see such times, Frodo, but it is not for us to decide. All we must decide is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-do-all-who-live-to-see-such-times-frodo-but-it-is-not-for-us-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [So do all who live to see such times, but that is not them to decide. All you have to decide is what to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-christensen/so-do-all-who-live-to-see-such-times-but-that-is-not-them-to-decide/) [Jacob Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-christensen/) > [“There’s three things ye can do in any situation, girl,” her father had told her once. “Ye can decide to do a thing, ye…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/there-s-three-things-ye-can-do-in-any-situation-girl-her-father-had/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Not to decide is to decide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-cox/not-to-decide-is-to-decide/) [Harvey Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-cox/) > [“Am I a child? Always someone else must decide for me. But this I will decide for myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-arden/am-i-a-child-always-someone-else-must-decide-for-me-but-this-i-will/) [Katherine Arden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-arden/) > [“Sometimes it is perfectly acceptable to decide not to decide, to remain confused and wide-eyed about the next thing that will pop up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-smith/sometimes-it-is-perfectly-acceptable-to-decide-not-to-decide-to/) [Andrew Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-smith/) > [“We get to decide each time whether we will lean in toward what is unfolding and say yes or back away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/we-get-to-decide-each-time-whether-we-will-lean-in-toward-what-is/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [You have to decide when it is time to move on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-whelan/you-have-to-decide-when-it-is-time-to-move-on/) [Wendy Whelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-whelan/) > [“When you run for your life, you will become the one deciding how you use your time. You will be the one deciding that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/when-you-run-for-your-life-you-will-become-the-one-deciding-how-you/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-do-all-who-live-to-see-such-times-but-that-is-not-for-them-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The way that I am, most of my time as a manager has been putting fires out and I don't enjoy dealing with chairmen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-warnock/the-way-that-i-am-most-of-my-time-as-a-manager-has-been-putting-fires/) [Neil Warnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-warnock/) > [“If your team is constantly chasing its own tail and putting out fires instead of having time to sit down and experiment, learn new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-osherove/if-your-team-is-constantly-chasing-its-own-tail-and-putting-out-fires/) [Roy Osherove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-osherove/) > [“If I don't learn how to move from a place where I am constantly putting out fires, I will never learn how to plant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glynn-brown-marlayna/if-i-don-t-learn-how-to-move-from-a-place-where-i-am-constantly/) [Glynn Brown, Marlayna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glynn-brown-marlayna/) > [Some people procrastinate so much that all they can do is run around like firefighters all day - putting out fires that should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nido-r-qubein/some-people-procrastinate-so-much-that-all-they-can-do-is-run-around/) [Nido R Qubein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nido-r-qubein/) ## More by Tony Morgan > [“Hope is not a strategy.” The same broken plan with more hope will never produce a bigger impact.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-morgan/hope-is-not-a-strategy-the-same-broken-plan-with-more-hope-will-never/) [Tony Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-morgan/) > [“How do you build trust? Through relationships, good decision making, consistency, and leadership.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-morgan/how-do-you-build-trust-through-relationships-good-decision-making/) [Tony Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-morgan/) [Explore all 3 Tony Morgan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-morgan/) ## More Decide quotes > [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [DECIDE, v.i. To succumb to the preponderance of one set of influences over another set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/decide-v-i-to-succumb-to-the-preponderance-of-one-set-of-influences/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [We do not know which irresponsible Israeli prime minister will take office and decide to use nuclear weapons in the struggle against neighboring Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordechai-vanunu/we-do-not-know-which-irresponsible-israeli-prime-minister-will-take/) [Mordechai Vanunu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordechai-vanunu/) > [In New York, you are constantly faced with this very urgent decision that you have to make, about every twenty minutes...you have to decide,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/in-new-york-you-are-constantly-faced-with-this-very-urgent-decision/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [Nothing is more private than a woman's body; it is her physical, emotional, and moral citadel. She cannot be free at all if she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-b-smedes/nothing-is-more-private-than-a-woman-s-body-it-is-her-physical/) [Lewis B. Smedes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-b-smedes/) > [LOOK before you pick,DECIDE WELL before you choose,because these two things are very important in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oluwatayo-oluwatoyosi/look-before-you-pick-decide-well-before-you-choose-because-these-two/) [Oluwatayo Oluwatoyosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oluwatayo-oluwatoyosi/) > [Decisions decide destiny, there is no action without decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/decisions-decide-destiny-there-is-no-action-without-decision/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [“Do you keep pace with those around you, or do you decide yourself just how you will live your life? The truth is...only you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/do-you-keep-pace-with-those-around-you-or-do-you-decide-yourself-just/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) > [All the people ought to decide, but now most states are tossed on the scrap heap and ignored](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-anderson/all-the-people-ought-to-decide-but-now-most-states-are-tossed-on-the/) [John Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-anderson/) > [Fear is going to be a player in your life, but you get to decide how much!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carrey/fear-is-going-to-be-a-player-in-your-life-but-you-get-to-decide-how/) [Jim Carrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carrey/) > [We cant choose our lives, but we can decide what to do with the joys or griefs were given.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/we-cant-choose-our-lives-but-we-can-decide-what-to-do-with-the-joys/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [It’s as easy as we choose to make it,” he murmured, pressing his forehead to mine. “At least, this decision is. Nothing’s truly easy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/it-s-as-easy-as-we-choose-to-make-it-he-murmured-pressing-his/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [What you believe in, is the life you decide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keshia-chante/what-you-believe-in-is-the-life-you-decide/) [Keshia Chante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keshia-chante/) > [Heart is decide u want in ur life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raajni/heart-is-decide-u-want-in-ur-life/) [Raajni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raajni/) > [I think hopefully we've got enough brain cells left to decide if our music is really worth something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-champion/i-think-hopefully-we-ve-got-enough-brain-cells-left-to-decide-if-our/) [Will Champion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-champion/) [Browse all 1,644 Decide quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decide/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You get to decide where your time goes. 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