"The first thing you have to do is take everything with a grain of salt. You know, you've gotta just look at the goal, focus on what you gotta do and take one step at a time, as a whole, as every performance being, that's it, that's one objective, and let's just move forward and work on that"
About this Quote
The subtext is about managing noise: judges, commenters, trends, even your own adrenaline. The "grain of salt" isn't cynicism so much as filtration. Then he pivots to the only thing a performer can truly own: process. "Look at the goal" and "one step at a time" are familiar sports-psych slogans, but coming from a musician they signal something sharper: success is volatile, and the work has to be repeatable. The phrase "as a whole" is telling, too - he's stitching together scattered moments (each gig, each take, each public impression) into a survivable narrative. One performance is not your identity; it's an objective you can complete.
Context matters: Langone came up in the era when a singer's career could hinge on a weekly vote and a viral clip. His rambling cadence reads like someone trying to build a mental routine in real time. The intent isn't inspiration; it's damage control with forward motion, a way to keep making art while the world grades you in public.
Quote Details
| Topic | Goal Setting |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Langone, Stefano. (2026, February 16). The first thing you have to do is take everything with a grain of salt. You know, you've gotta just look at the goal, focus on what you gotta do and take one step at a time, as a whole, as every performance being, that's it, that's one objective, and let's just move forward and work on that. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-first-thing-you-have-to-do-is-take-everything-133739/
Chicago Style
Langone, Stefano. "The first thing you have to do is take everything with a grain of salt. You know, you've gotta just look at the goal, focus on what you gotta do and take one step at a time, as a whole, as every performance being, that's it, that's one objective, and let's just move forward and work on that." FixQuotes. February 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-first-thing-you-have-to-do-is-take-everything-133739/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"The first thing you have to do is take everything with a grain of salt. You know, you've gotta just look at the goal, focus on what you gotta do and take one step at a time, as a whole, as every performance being, that's it, that's one objective, and let's just move forward and work on that." FixQuotes, 16 Feb. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-first-thing-you-have-to-do-is-take-everything-133739/. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.











