Quotes about plan
page 5

“There was something horribly depressing, she felt, about watching the weather report. That life could be planned like the perfect summer picnic drained it of spontaneity.”

Galt Niederhoffer (1975) American writer

Source: The Romantics

Life, Summer, Perfection, Weather

“Athena always, always has a plan.”

Rick Riordan (1964) American writer

Variant: Always, Always have a plan

“See? My plans don’t all suck. Just most of them.”

Rachel Caine book Glass Houses

Source: Glass Houses

“I'd come here planning to leave as soon as I could. It was a pit stop, not a destination. I had my whole life mapped out."
"So what happened?"
"I guess that map didn't turn out to be mine after all”

Sarah Dessen book Along for the Ride

Source: Along for the Ride

Life

“All you can do is hope for a pattern to emerge, and sometimes it never does. Still, with a plan, you only get the best you can imagine. I'd always hoped for something better than that.”

Chuck Palahniuk book Lullaby

Source: Lullaby

Hope, Imagination

“Leo's biggest surprise: One look from Jason, and all three of them knew the game plan. When had that happened, that they could read each other so well?”

Rick Riordan book The Lost Hero

Source: The Lost Hero

Game, Reading

“Never depend on those luck moments – they are gifts – but instead always build your own back-up plan.”

Bear Grylls (1974) Chief Scout, adventurer, author

Source: Mud, Sweat and Tears

Dependency

“This stupid weapons-shopping idea. Last time I take dating advice from Jace.” “You let Jace plan our date?”

Cassandra Clare (1973) American author

Source: Pale Kings and Princes

Stupidity, Idea, Time

“This must be part of Mother Nature's master plan—making these boys so irresistibly cute, in such a naughty way, that the purity of their intentions becomes irrelevant.”

Rachel Cohn (1968) American writer

Source: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Way, Boy, Nature, Parting

“Adrian, we hashed this out! Everything's gone perfectly until now. Why would you even think about deviating from the plan?'

'Um, because that's how we roll?”

Richelle Mead book Silver Shadows

Source: Silver Shadows

Thinking

“That is a terrible plan."
"Hiccup's plans are always t-terrible."
"Hey! You're still here, aren't you?”

Cressida Cowell book How to Speak Dragonese

Source: How to Speak Dragonese

“Paul Gauguin asked, "whence do we come? What are we? Where are we going?" Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I came from my room, I'm a kid with big plans, and I'm going outside! See ya later! Say, who the heck is Paul Gauguin anyway?”

Bill Watterson (1958) American comic artist

“In the planning stage of a book, don't plan the ending. It has to be earned by all that will go before it.”

Rose Tremain (1943) English author, chancellor of the University of East Anglia

Books

“Shapeshifter parenting motto—if your kid slits somebody's throat, always have a backup plan to make the body disappear.”

Ilona Andrews American husband-and-wife novelist duo

Source: Magic Slays

Parent

“That's right," he said. "I created a a bunch of Forsaken Warriors, had them attack the Institute and kill Madeleine and nearly kill the rest of us, just so that I could keep Clary from at home. And lo and behold, my diabolical plan is working.”

Cassandra Clare book City of Glass

Source: City of Glass

Home

“storming, enjoying, planning, loving, cautioning,
Backing and filling, appearing and disappearing,
I tread day and night such roads.”

Walt Whitman book Fulles d'herba

Source: Leaves of Grass

Love, Appearance, Night

“But the Silent Brothers have tried everything to separate Jace from the heavenly fire, and they can't do it. It's in his soul. So what's their plan, hitting Sebastian over the head with Jace until he passes out?”

Cassandra Clare book City of Heavenly Fire

"Brother Zachariah said pretty much the same thing. Maybe with less sarcasm."
Clary Fray and Jace Herondale, pg. 100-101
Source: The Mortal Instruments, City of Heavenly Fire (2014)

Soul

“Hannah: What's your plan?
Claire: Go get him
Hannah: Honey, that is not a plan. That's what we in the military call an objective.”

Rachel Caine (1962) American writer

Source: Black Dawn

“One must plan for the future and anticipate the future without fearing the future.”

Robin Hobb book Ship of Magic

Source: Ship of Magic

Fear, Future

“‎Sincerity is the biggest part of selling anything -- including the Christian plan of salvation.”

Billy Graham (1918–2018) American Christian evangelist

Parting, Sincerity

“Nobodys life ever goes according to plan.
So why do we keep on planning?
Because that's how we know who we are. By what we intend to be. By what we try to become.
And fail.
I don't say 'fail'. I saw we aim and miss. But we still hit something.”

Orson Scott Card Treasure Box

Source: Treasure Box

Life

“It is the middle of December now, and we are about to travel to Switzerland - where we plan to ski a little, relax a little, and shoot a Dutch politician a little.”

Hugh Laurie book The Gun Seller

Source: The Gun Seller (1996)

Travel

“There is nothing wrong with God's plan that man should earn his bread by the sweat of his brow.”

Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867–1957) American children's writer, diarist, and journalist

Source: Writings to Young Women from Laura Ingalls Wilder: On Wisdom and Virtues

God

“SITTING TIGHT? Holing up? Waiting for answers?
Those are things I'm not good at.
Planning a massive attack against mechanical geeky-like things when i was already furious and itching to kill something?
Piece o'cake”

James Patterson book Maximum Ride

Source: Max

Waiting

“Choose a love and work to make it true, and somehow, something will happen, something you couldn’t plan, will come along to move like to like, to set you loose, to set you on the way to your next brick wall.”

Richard Bach (1936) American spiritual writer

Source: Running from Safety: An Adventure of the Spirit

Love, Way

“Well then," Faye said. "Now that you've heard our story, we have just one question to ask you." She fixed Cassie with an odd half smile and said in a sweet, false voice, "Are you planning to be a good witch or a bad witch?”

L.J. Smith book The Initiation

Source: The Initiation

Smile, Question, Falseness

“Plan to be spontaneous tomorrow.”

Steven Wright (1955) American actor and author

“I planned my death carefully, unlike my life, which meandered along from one thing to another, despite my feeble attempts to control it.”

Margaret Atwood book Lady Oracle

Source: Lady Oracle

Life, Death

“And lo and behold, my diabolical plan is working.”

Cassandra Clare book City of Glass

Source: City of Glass

“God's plan is not to abandon this world, the world which he said was "very good." Rather, he intends to remake it. And when he does he will raise all his people to new bodily life to live in it. That is the promise of the Christian gospel.”

N.T. Wright (1948) Anglican bishop

Source: Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense

Life, God, People, World

“You plan, you prepare, and you’ll do just fine.”

Nick Cole (1984) Player of American football

The Savage Boy

“Their plan had been very simple: to stay together for the rest of their lives.”

Cecelia Ahern (1981) Irish novelist

Source: P.S. I Love You

“You can't get a suit of armour and a rubber chicken just like that. You have to plan ahead.”

Michael Palin (1943) British comedian, actor, writer and television presenter

“Love is a battle," said Marie-Claude, still smiling. "And I plan to go on fighting. To the end."
Love is a battle?" said Franz. "Well, I don't feel at all like fighting." And he left.”

Milan Kundera book The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Source: The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Love, Smile, Feeling, Fight

“You can't plan for everything or you never get started in the first place.”

Jim Butcher book Changes

Source: Changes

“He looks at my hand. “So it’s you and a syringe against the Capitol? See, this is why no one lets you make the plans.””

Suzanne Collins book Catching Fire

Haymitch to Katniss, p. 384
Source: The Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire (2009)

“There's one thing you don't put in a trap, if you're smart, if you value your continued existance, if you have any plans about seeing tomorrow, there is one thing you never ever put in a trap.

And what would that be sir?

Me”

Russell T. Davies (1963) Screenwriter, former executive producer of Doctor Who

“An average person who develops the habit of setting clear priorities and getting important tasks completed quickly will run circles around a genius who talks a lot and makes wonderful plans but gets very little done.”

Brian Tracy (1944) American motivational speaker and writer

Personality

“The time is now, the place is here. Stay in the present. You can do nothing to change the past, and the future will never come exactly as you plan or hope for.”

Dan Millman (1946) American self help writer

Hope, Change, Time, Past

“So that plan worked out well.'

Skulduggery, your entire plan consisted of, and I quote, "Let's get up close and then see what happens."'

All the same,' he said, 'I think the whole thing worked out rather beautifully.”

Derek Landy (1974) Irish children's writer

Source: Playing with Fire

Quotes, Thinking

“I had my whole life planned.. I knew exactly where it was taking me..”

Sara Gruen book Water for Elephants

Source: Water for Elephants

Life

“A surprise trigonometry quiz that everyone in class fails? Must be in the Lord’s plan to give us challenges.”

Nicholas Sparks book A Walk to Remember

Source: A Walk to Remember

“Your master plan has holes big enough to drive a truck through.”

Ilona Andrews American husband-and-wife novelist duo

Source: Magic Slays

“Your birth was no mistake or mishap, and your life is no fluke of nature. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. He was not at all surprised by your birth. In fact, he expected it.”

Rick Warren (1954) Christian religious leader

Source: The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for?

Life, God, Birth, Nature

“The door slammed open. Vivenna jumped, putting a hand to her chest.

Vasher walked in. 'Start reaching for that sword when you're startled,' he said. 'There's little reason to grab your shirt, unless you're planning to rip it off.”

Brandon Sanderson book Warbreaker

Source: Warbreaker

“I hate this plan,” I said. “Let’s do it.”

Rick Riordan book The Sword of Summer

Source: The Sword of Summer

Hate

“I made no resolutions for the New Year. The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me.”

Anaïs Nin (1903–1977) writer of novels, short stories, and erotica

Life

“Life doesn't have to be so planned. Just roll with it and let it happen.”

Jenny Han book To All the Boys I've Loved Before

Source: To All the Boys I've Loved Before

Life

“This one incident I will not allow you to shrug off!"
"I wasn't planning to," Jace said. "I can't shrug anything off. My shoulder's dislocated."
-Hodge & Jace, pg.296-”

Cassandra Clare book City of Bones

Source: City of Bones

“I am unaware of his plans but I shall never stop believing in them because I cannot fathom them and I prefer to mistrust my own intellectual capacities than his justice.”

Alexis De Tocqueville book Democracy in America

Source: Democracy in America

Justice

“Life doesn't work out the way we plan, but maybe it works out the way it's supposed to after all.”

Kristin Harmel (1979) American journalist

Source: The Sweetness of Forgetting

Life, Way

“You know what we need?"

"A new plan?" asked Lissa.

"A miracle?" asked Eddie.

I paused and glared at them both before responding. Since when had they become the comedians here? "”

Richelle Mead book Spirit Bound

Source: Spirit Bound

“If you plan for the worst, all surprises are pleasant.”

Robert Jordan The Shadow Rising

Gaul
(15 September 1992)
Variant: Always plan for the worst, that way all your surprises will be pleasant ones.
Source: The Shadow Rising

“That's a horrible plan."
"Yes, but I have chosen to ignore that.”

Christopher Moore (1957) American writer of comic fantasy

Source: Sacré Bleu: A Comedy d'Art

“Any idea, plan, or purpose may be placed in the mind through repetition of thought.”

Napoleon Hill book Think and Grow Rich

Source: Think and Grow Rich (1938), p. 54

Idea

“You are the only young man that I know of who ignores the fact that the future becomes the present, the present the past and the past turns into everlasting regret if you don't plan for it!”

Tennessee Williams The Glass Menagerie

Amanda, Scene Five
Source: The Glass Menagerie (1944)

Past, Future

“What were you going to do with it?” McCain asked.

"I just thought it might come in useful.”

"Were you planning to attack me?”

"No. But that’s a good idea.”

Anthony Horowitz book Crocodile Tears

Source: Crocodile Tears

Idea

“Apparently unaffected, she rose. "Yeah, you're probably right. I should be going." She feigned a yawn. "You've gotta head back to work and I've gotta head to jail. Big night for me. I'm planning to shiv someone for a bar of soap. --”

Kresley Cole American writer

Source: Dreams of a Dark Warrior

Night

“Sometimes a wind comes up, blows you off course. You’re not ready for it, but if you’re lucky, you end up in a more interesting place than you’d planned.”

Nora Roberts (1950) American romance writer

Source: The Calhouns: Suzanna & Megan

“You can’t have a plan for your day, ‘til you have a plan for your life.”

Anthony Robbins (1960) Author, actor, professional speaker

Life

“We can't plan life. All we can do is be available for it.”

Lauryn Hill (1975) American singer, rapper, songwriter, record producer, actress

Life, Life

“Failing to plan is planning to fail”

Alan Lakein (1973) American writer

“I love stupid plans.”

Megan Whalen Turner The Queen of Attolia

Source: The Queen of Attolia

Love, Stupidity

“Things will work out - maybe just not the way you plan”

Rick Riordan book The Lost Hero

Source: The Lost Hero

Way

“Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
With your one wild and precious life?”

Mary Oliver (1935–2019) American writer

Life

“People disappeared, reappeared, made plans to go somewhere, and then lost each other, searched for each other, found each other a few feet away.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby

Source: The Great Gatsby

People, Search

“Hell, any plan that added "and then we pray" is not a trip to Disneyland.”

Jessica Bird book Lover Revealed

Source: Lover Revealed

Hell

“Have you made any plans?
Take an overdose, slash my wrists then hang myself.
All those things together?
It couldn't possibly be misconstrued as a cry for help.”

Sarah Kane book 4.48 Psychosis

Source: 4.48 Psychosis

Help, Cry

“I am a master of foolhardy plans.”

Megan Whalen Turner The Thief

Source: The Thief

“Unbelievable," I said. "First you wanted to hide her away to keep you alive. Now you actually want her out in the world to use her compulsion for your own psycho plans.”

Richelle Mead Shadow Kiss

Source: Shadow Kiss

World

“Slippery slope. I carry a spare shirt, pretty soon I'm carrying spare pants. Then I'd need a suitcase. Next thing I know, I've got a house and a car and a savings plan and I'm filling out all kinds of forms.”

Lee Child book Bad Luck and Trouble

Source: Bad Luck and Trouble

Cars, Housing

“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.”

Peter F. Drucker (1909–2005) American business consultant

Hope

“Why don't you ever wait a second and see what I'm planning, or thinking, before you burst in with your opinions and ideas? You never even give me a chance.”

Sarah Dessen (1970) American writer

Source: Someone Like You

Idea, Thinking, Chance, Waiting

“Rhage nodded. “The place is also big enough. We could all live there without killing each other.”
“That depends more on your mouth than any floor plan,” Phury said with a grin.”

Jessica Bird book Dark Lover

Variant: The place is also big enough. We could all live there without killing each other." -Rhage
"That depends more on your mouth than any floorplan." -Phury
Source: Dark Lover

Dependency

“big plans require big action”

Greg Behrendt book He's Just Not That into You

He's Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys

“It would have really cramped my future plans had I died. (Nick)”

Sherrilyn Kenyon (1965) Novelist

Source: Infinity

Future

“Just who are you planning to call? Ghostbusters?”

Rachel Caine (1962) American writer

Source: The Dead Girls' Dance

“Does Batman ever NOT have a plan…?”

Mark Waid (1962) American comics writer

Source: Kingdom Come #2 "Truth and Justice"

“All the things she planned to feel, the way she planned to look and seem, the appropriate things she planned to say. None of them came to pass.”

Ann Brashares (1967) American children's writer

Way, Feeling

“If you want to see God laugh, make a plan.”

Jodi Picoult (1966) Author

God

“On a planet that increasingly resembles one huge Maximum Security prison, the only intelligent choice is to plan a jail break.”

Robert Anton Wilson (1932–2007) American author and polymath

Source: Cosmic Trigger 2: Down to Earth

Intelligence

“But no matter how much planning you do, one tiny miscalculation, one moment of distraction, can end it all in an instant.”

Jeannette Walls book Half Broke Horses

Source: Half Broke Horses

“First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.”

Napoleon Hill (1883–1970) American author

Imagination, Idea, Reality

“The heart wants what it wants, Dolp. You don't plan on making your life complicated, it just happens, and you don"t do it on purpose, and you don't do it to hurt people who love you. It just turns out that way sometimes.”

Laurell K. Hamilton book Narcissus in Chains

Source: Narcissus in Chains

Love, Life, People, Way

“You can't just plan a moment when things get back on track, just as you can't plan the moment you lose your way in the first place.”

Sarah Dessen (1970) American writer

Source: Someone Like You (1998)

Way

“When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.”

Napoleon Hill (1883–1970) American author

Source: Think and Grow Rich: The Landmark Bestseller - Now Revised and Updated for the 21st Century

“Together, they would watch everything that was so carefully planned collapse, and they would smile at the beauty of destruction.”

Markus Zusak book The Book Thief

Source: The Book Thief

Smile, Beauty

“In my experience, boys are predictable. As soon as they think of something, they do it. Girls are smarter—they plan ahead. They think about not getting caught.”

Eoin Colfer (1965) Irish author of children's books

Source: Half-Moon Investigations

Girl, Boy, Thinking

“I have important business to get to. I plan to sulk all afternoon, followed, perhaps, by an evening of Byronic brooding and a nighttime of dissipation.”

Cassandra Clare book Clockwork Prince

Source: Clockwork Prince

Business

“Sounds like a plan worthy of Athena.”

Rick Riordan book The Lightning Thief

Source: The Lightning Thief

“I asked you what you wanted and you said you didn't want anything. And I told you I wasn't planning on giving you anything; I was planning on giving you something.”

David Levithan book Every You, Every Me

Source: Every You, Every Me

“A lot can change between planning something and actually doing it. But maybe all that really matters is that anything is different at all.”

Sarah Dessen Lock and Key

Source: Lock and Key

Change

“Lothaire said, “I have a much better plan.”
“Why help him?” Thad asked pointedly. “When you don’t help anybody else?”
Lothaire exhaled ruefully. “Incurable romantic.”

Kresley Cole American writer

Source: Dreams of a Dark Warrior

Help

“What could a child know of the darkness of God's plan? Or how flesh is so frail it is hardly more than a dream”

Cormac McCarthy book Suttree

page 154
Source: Suttree (1979)
Context: Pale manchild were there last agonies? Were you in terror, did you know? Could you feel the claw that claimed you? And who is this fool kneeling over your bones, choked with bitterness? And what could a child know of the darkness of God's plan? Or how flesh is so frail it is hardly more than a dream.

God, Dreams