A goal without a deadline is only a wish.
A goal without a deadline is only a wish.
Meaning in plain English
A goal without a deadline called only a wish contrasts a planned undertaking with an indefinite aspiration. The saying values a concrete arrangement for action.
Example
Someone gives a deferred task a workable review date and identifies the support it requires.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Only is too broad to define every legitimate goal. A useful interpretation considers what timing would help without inventing urgency or assuming a date supplies capacity and resources. Some ongoing aims have no single completion point, and a deadline may need revision when conditions change.
When to use it
Use it to discuss practical timing with different kinds of aims respected.
Keep in mind
No universal deadline requirement or guaranteed completion from scheduling is established.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Country attributed by the collection
China · source-attributed; earliest origin unverified
- Source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference
Supplied reference B; unit 263; PDF page 30; collection label: China
Reuse and collection notes ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · supplied collection
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Contributor-confirmed reuse permission
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
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