know where you're going

know where (one) is going

To have a clear knowledge of what one wants to be or achieve and the resolute determination to make it happen. Since she was a little girl, she knew where she was going—nothing was going to stop her from being a fighter pilot. I wish he would pick a degree program and stick with it. I'm just worried that he doesn't seem to know where he's going in life.
See also: going, know
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

know where you’re ˈgoing

know clearly what you want to achieve (in life, in your job, etc.): He knows exactly where he’s going. He wants to be an actor.
See also: going, know
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • appear to
  • a change of heart
  • a tough cookie
  • a tough customer/cookie
  • a mystery to (one)
  • a shoulder to cry on
  • a turn of phrase
  • able to do
  • able to do it
  • a piece of the action
References in periodicals archive
Gwent Police have issued the following advice to residents: If you're out at night, try to avoid dark or dimly lit areas and stick to main paths; when you're heading out somewhere, try to let someone know where you're going and how long you'll be out for; always make sure you have a charged mobile phone with you in case of an emergency; if you feel uneasy, ask a passer-by for help or head towards a nearby shop.
When you plan and prepare so you can have clarity about what's important--starting with being sure of your values--and you know where you're going, you can be brave enough to step out and make bold, yet calculated risks.
I "It's a great setup here and it's always nice to know where you're going to play next season and to get that done is brilliant."
To quote Lewis Carroll: "If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there." But the reverse is equally true: If you know where you're going, some roads are better than others--and you need to figure out which ones will be best.
it all works very logically so long as you know where you're going," she says.
Let them set curfews, let them know where you're going and who with.
I think it's important to know where you've been to know where you're going." (ANI)
Planning your night - know where you're going and how you will get home.
If you want to know where you're going, you must know where you've been.
They're "a time saver" whether or not you know where you're going, says Michael Caron, vice president of product and program development for the Avis Budget Group of Cendant.
It's not simply a matter of knowing your history so you'll know where you're going. Sometimes knowing doesn't help a bit.
There is a saying that goes, "If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there." With the numerous demands being placed on higher learning, it is often easy to forego making important decisions or scrutinizing the physical plant.
You need to know where you're going. You need vision.
In Chapter 14, when Jesus says he's departing, Thomas says, "We don't know where you're going. How can we know the way?" And Jesus says the famous words: "I am the way, the truth, and the light.
Alice's Cheshire cat said, "If you don't know where you're going, any road will do." The success or failure of awareness campaigns depends on the skill of the strategist to clearly understand the audience-who they are, what they think and how to influence their perceptions.