--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you don't make a conscious effort to…" description: "\"If you don't make a conscious effort to control your focus-and decide in advance which things you're going to focus on-you'll be so pulled by the deman..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/237/tony-robbins-232_conscious_if-you-don-t-make-a-conscious-effort-to_534900.jpg" --- # If you don't make a conscious effort to control your… ![“If you don't make a conscious effort to control your focus-and decide in advance which things you're going to focus on-you'll be so pulled by the demands of the world that you will soon find yourself living in reaction rather than living a life plan you've designed for yourself.” quote by Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/237/tony-robbins-232_conscious_if-you-don-t-make-a-conscious-effort-to_534900.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/237/tony-robbins-232_conscious_if-you-don-t-make-a-conscious-effort-to_534900.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/237/tony-robbins-232_conscious_if-you-don-t-make-a-conscious-effort-to_534900.jpg) > “If you don't make a conscious effort to control your focus-and decide in advance which things you're going to focus on-you'll be so pulled by the demands of the world that you will soon find yourself living in reaction rather than living a life plan you've designed for yourself.” [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Without deliberate focus, external demands dominate, leading to a reactive life instead of a self‑designed plan. **In simple terms:** Losing control to the world makes you react, not plan. Key Takeaway Set clear focus priorities daily. Themes focus self‑direction reactivity planning Mood determined reflective Type motivational practical When to use this quote - career planning - personal development - daily work - relationships Key Concepts mindfulness goal‑setting self‑mastery Questions to Reflect On - What priorities will you protect today? - How can you guard against reactive habits? A Different Perspective Even with focus, unexpected crises can derail plans. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conscious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious/) [Conscious effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious-effort/) [Demand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demand/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Finding yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finding-yourself/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Focus Decide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus-decide-2246745/) [Going Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-focus-609946/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Plan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-plan/) [Living a life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-a-life/) [Make Conscious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-conscious-538062/) [Plans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plans/) [Reactions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reactions/) [Self control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-control/) [Self discipline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-discipline/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I don't make a conscious effort about being a fashionista.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/athiya-shetty/i-don-t-make-a-conscious-effort-about-being-a-fashionista/) [Athiya Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/athiya-shetty/) > [I do make a conscious effort to bring energy every day. Have fun, keep stuff light, all of that stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-compton/i-do-make-a-conscious-effort-to-bring-energy-every-day-have-fun-keep/) [Will Compton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-compton/) > [“The only reason why our minds are controlled is due to the fact that we don't make the conscious effort to control what goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-jacinta-mpalyenkana-ph-d-mba/the-only-reason-why-our-minds-are-controlled-is-due-to-the-fact-that/) [Dr. Jacinta Mpalyenkana, Ph.D, MBA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-jacinta-mpalyenkana-ph-d-mba/) > [In life, when presented with any situation, breathe, take your time, focus and then decide what to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rickson-gracie/in-life-when-presented-with-any-situation-breathe-take-your-time/) [Rickson Gracie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rickson-gracie/) > [What are you going to focus on, that's what affects everybody's life. If you focus on what you can't control, you're a little crazy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/what-are-you-going-to-focus-on-that-s-what-affects-everybody-s-life/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Where focus goes, energy flows. And if you don't take the time to focus on what matters, then you're living a life of someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/where-focus-goes-energy-flows-and-if-you-don-t-take-the-time-to-focus/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [But to me the notion that spirituality is separate from the rest of life does not allow for a practical approach to living a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/but-to-me-the-notion-that-spirituality-is-separate-from-the-rest-of/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [It is so important to remember that, as we travel through life, there will be so many events which we can't control. These are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/it-is-so-important-to-remember-that-as-we-travel-through-life-there/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [“She was going to focus on the task before her. Not one step behind. Not one mile ahead. Just one step at a time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-merrill/she-was-going-to-focus-on-the-task-before-her-not-one-step-behind-not/) [Christine Merrill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-merrill/) > [I'm going to focus on people and what they need, not on name calling between politicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-schumer/i-m-going-to-focus-on-people-and-what-they-need-not-on-name-calling/) [Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-schumer/) > [I have to be able to stick to very dedicated times to work on things, do exactly as I say I'm going to do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delonge/i-have-to-be-able-to-stick-to-very-dedicated-times-to-work-on-things/) [Tom DeLonge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delonge/) > [“Focus on what is going well. Focus on what is present. By focusing on what is going well, you will create a channel for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-m-cantrell-kraig/focus-on-what-is-going-well-focus-on-what-is-present-by-focusing-on/) [Molly M. Cantrell-Kraig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-m-cantrell-kraig/) > [I'm going to focus on speed, doing little things like my turns and my starts - just speed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-lochte/i-m-going-to-focus-on-speed-doing-little-things-like-my-turns-and-my/) [Ryan Lochte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-lochte/) > [I'm just going to also focus on what I need to do, focus on my game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-kenin/i-m-just-going-to-also-focus-on-what-i-need-to-do-focus-on-my-game/) [Sofia Kenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-kenin/) > [I'm just looking to explore every medium to express my talent, but I think mostly it's going to be a focus on features.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/i-m-just-looking-to-explore-every-medium-to-express-my-talent-but-i/) [Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/) ## More by Tony Robbins > [The only people without problems are in cemeteries. If you don't have problems, get on your knees and pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/the-only-people-without-problems-are-in-cemeteries-if-you-don-t-have/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [When you feel you have good although incomplete expertise, start trying things. If it's not working, try something else; maintain an experimental mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/when-you-feel-you-have-good-although-incomplete-expertise-start/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Without a vision there is no possibility of creating something larger than what al-ready exists. An entrepreneur has to be able to bring something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/without-a-vision-there-is-no-possibility-of-creating-something-larger/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Our beliefs are like the unquestioned commands, telling us how things are, what's possible and what's impossible, what we can and can not do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/our-beliefs-are-like-the-unquestioned-commands-telling-us-how-things/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [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/) > [With goals you can create the future in advance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/with-goals-you-can-create-the-future-in-advance/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/one-reason-so-few-of-us-achieve-what-we-truly-want-is-that-we-never/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [How do you turn the invisible into the visible? The first step is to define your dream precisely; the only limit to what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/how-do-you-turn-the-invisible-into-the-visible-the-first-step-is-to/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Think of your mind, your emotions, and your spirit as the ultimate garden. The way to ensure a bountiful, nourishing harvest is to plant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/think-of-your-mind-your-emotions-and-your-spirit-as-the-ultimate/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [The message of frustration is an exciting signal. it means that your brain beleives you could be doing better than you currently are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/the-message-of-frustration-is-an-exciting-signal-it-means-that-your/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [I'm a strategist, not a motivator. I'm obsessed with finding strategies that create real results in the shortest period of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/i-m-a-strategist-not-a-motivator-i-m-obsessed-with-finding-strategies/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [“Leadership is producing a standard in someone that they will live by to produce higher level results consistently.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/leadership-is-producing-a-standard-in-someone-that-they-will-live-by/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Whenever people have trouble public speaking, it's because they are just thinking about themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/whenever-people-have-trouble-public-speaking-it-s-because-they-are/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Progress is the ultimate motivation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/progress-is-the-ultimate-motivation/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/if-you-do-what-you-ve-always-done-you-ll-get-what-you-ve-always-gotten/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) [Explore all 854 Tony Robbins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) ## More Conscious quotes > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [Woman, in short, has an unconscious life, man a conscious life, and the genius the most conscious life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-weininger/woman-in-short-has-an-unconscious-life-man-a-conscious-life-and-the/) [Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-weininger/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-a-negro-in-this-country-and-to-be-relatively-conscious-is-to-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Just as everybody has the vote including women, I think children should, because as a child is conscious of itself then it has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/just-as-everybody-has-the-vote-including-women-i-think-children/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [If you are not conscious of all of the different parts of yourself, the part of yourself that is the strongest will win out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/if-you-are-not-conscious-of-all-of-the-different-parts-of-yourself/) [Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/) > [One of the noblest words in our language is "grace," defined as "unearned blessing." We live by grace far more than by anything else.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-elton-trueblood/one-of-the-noblest-words-in-our-language-is-grace-defined-as-unearned/) [D. Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-elton-trueblood/) > [Repugnant is a creature who would squander the ability To lift an eye to heaven, conscious of his fleeting time here](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/repugnant-is-a-creature-who-would-squander-the-ability-to-lift-an-eye/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [The goal of the Creator is for each entity to make a conscious choice to again seek Oneness, out of our own free will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wilcock/the-goal-of-the-creator-is-for-each-entity-to-make-a-conscious-choice/) [David Wilcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wilcock/) > [I know one thing: that you can do a lot of things but if you don't educate people into conscious anarchism it gets frittered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bookchin/i-know-one-thing-that-you-can-do-a-lot-of-things-but-if-you-don-t/) [Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bookchin/) > [All black people who are even minimally conscious, black people who have ever experienced Europe's technological power crusading in the vanguard of a civilizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-nkosi/all-black-people-who-are-even-minimally-conscious-black-people-who/) [Lewis Nkosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-nkosi/) > [ A mind conscious of right laughs at the falsehoods of rumour. \[Lat., Conscia mens recti famae mendacia risit.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/a-mind-conscious-of-right-laughs-at-the-falsehoods-of-rumour-lat/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [I don't think my paintings are self-conscious but you feel the consciousness of them. Without them being self-conscious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-schnabel/i-don-t-think-my-paintings-are-self-conscious-but-you-feel-the/) [Julian Schnabel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-schnabel/) [Browse all 3,716 Conscious quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you don't make a conscious effort to control your focus-and decide in advance which things you're going to focus on-you'll be so pulled by the demands of the world that you will soon find yourself living in reaction rather than living a life plan you've designed for yourself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tony Robbins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/if-you-don-t-make-a-conscious-effort-to-control-your-focus-and-decide/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conscious" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/if-you-don-t-make-a-conscious-effort-to-control-your-focus-and-decide/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/237/tony-robbins-232_conscious_if-you-don-t-make-a-conscious-effort-to_534900.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/237/tony-robbins-232_conscious_if-you-don-t-make-a-conscious-effort-to_534900.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/237/tony-robbins-232_conscious_if-you-don-t-make-a-conscious-effort-to_534900.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you don't make a conscious effort to control your focus-and decide in advance which things you're going…” — Tony Robbins", "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": "Tony Robbins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you don't make a conscious...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/if-you-don-t-make-a-conscious-effort-to-control-your-focus-and-decide/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/if-you-don-t-make-a-conscious-effort-to-control-your-focus-and-decide/#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 } } ] } ```