This is in my signature at Game Maker Community:
Do not think about where you want to be and how to get there; think about what you want to do and how to do it.
Unfortunately, most people at GMC either never read the sig or have no idea what it means. It kinda makes me out to be a bit of an asshole on those forums, although compared to some members like GameGeisha I do exhibit a bit more patience toward some wannabe programmers. I mean, sure the saying is a bit cryptic (and it's original, too -- copyright of TheouAegis), but it has its place in programming as well as life in general.
How the saying pertains to programming is a lot of wannabe programmers at GMC ask questions like, "Can GameMaker be used to make trading card games?", "How do I make moving platforms?", or, "Why can't my player move?". These are examples of
where you want to be and how to get there. If they would just stop and think about what kind of steps need to be taken to reach their goal, they'd be able to read the Help File and figure things out on their own. What do you need to happen with a moving platform? Who is controlling the player when the player is on a moving platform? What components of a trading card game do you want in your game and what functions in GM sound like they might work for those components? And the one all too often newbie programmers fail to comprehend: When you're checking for collisions, which collisions do you actually care about at the time of the check? These are all examples of
what you want to do and how to do it.But yeah, the saying can be used to apply to everyday life too. Like, don't stress over being rich, worry about doing what makes you happy now. Or don't worry about getting married, first find a girl that makes you happy. Or don't worry about having kids and raising a family, first find a woman who you'll still love and want to be with even when she's fat and cranky -- finding one that's already fat and cranky can hasten the application process.