You know, a goal without a plan really is just a wish. It’s a simple but brutal truth I’ve seen play out time and again in business and life. That gap between aspiration and reality? It’s filled with a solid, actionable plan.
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Meaning
This quote draws a critical distinction. A wish is passive hope. A goal becomes real through active, strategic planning.
Explanation
Look, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat with founders or even my own team members who have this incredible, ambitious goal. They’re fired up. But when you ask “Okay, so what’s the first step you’re taking on Tuesday at 9 AM?”… silence. That’s the wish. It’s a dream floating in the air. The plan is what nails it to the ground. It’s the how. It’s the system that transforms that raw desire into a series of executable tasks. Without it, you’re just hoping the universe aligns for you, and let’s be real, that’s not a strategy.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Success (341) |
| Topics | execution (14), goals (48), planning (22) |
| Literary Style | direct (414), memorable (234) |
| Emotion / Mood | determined (116) |
| Overall Quote Score | 77 (179) |
Origin & Factcheck
This one comes straight from Marc Perry’s 2011 fitness book, Built Lean, published in the United States. It’s a modern classic in the self-help and fitness space. You’ll sometimes see it mistakenly attributed to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, but that’s not correct—this is Perry’s clear, no-nonsense formulation.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Marc Perry (57) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | Built Lean: The Bodybuilding Guide for Men and Women Who Want to Lose Fat and Build Muscle (57) |
| Origin Timeperiod | 21st Century (1892) |
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Marc D. Perry studies how hip hop and performance shape Black identity, citizenship, and everyday life in the Caribbean and the Americas. An associate professor and author of Negro Soy Yo: Hip Hop and Raced Citizenship in Neoliberal Cuba, he engages anthropology and African American studies to analyze culture, politics, and belonging. The Marc Perry book list emphasizes ethnography and critical theory, and his teaching, writing, and public talks translate complex scholarship into accessible insights about race and culture.
Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | A goal without a plan is just a wish |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2019; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 9781097511885; Last edition: 2019; Number of pages: 240 |
| Where is it? | Chapter 9: Time and Focus, page 184 / 240 |