"Goals provide the energy source that powers our lives. One of the best ways we can get the most from the energy we have is to focus it. That is what goals can do for us; concentrate our energy"
About this Quote
The subtext is distinctly late-20th-century American: agency as management. You are not a person buffeted by chance so much as a battery whose performance depends on proper wiring. That metaphor quietly flatters the reader. It implies you already have the energy; you’re not broken, just unfocused. It also smuggles in a moral judgment: a scattered life is a life that’s being “wasted,” and waste is a kind of failure. The quote’s mildness hides its disciplinary edge.
Context matters here. Waitley rose with the personal-development boom that fed corporate training rooms as much as it fed bookstores. His language fits that ecosystem: goals are tools, efficiency is virtue, and inner life is rendered in productivity terms. The line works because it promises transformation without romance. No destiny, no inspiration required - just concentration. It’s a comforting bargain for an anxious, overstimulated culture: you don’t need more time or talent; you need aim.
Quote Details
| Topic | Goal Setting |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Waitley, Denis. (2026, January 17). Goals provide the energy source that powers our lives. One of the best ways we can get the most from the energy we have is to focus it. That is what goals can do for us; concentrate our energy. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/goals-provide-the-energy-source-that-powers-our-30768/
Chicago Style
Waitley, Denis. "Goals provide the energy source that powers our lives. One of the best ways we can get the most from the energy we have is to focus it. That is what goals can do for us; concentrate our energy." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/goals-provide-the-energy-source-that-powers-our-30768/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Goals provide the energy source that powers our lives. One of the best ways we can get the most from the energy we have is to focus it. That is what goals can do for us; concentrate our energy." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/goals-provide-the-energy-source-that-powers-our-30768/. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.








