proverb · Words worth keeping
Don’t climb the hill before you get to it.
Don’t climb the hill before you get to it.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Climbing a hill before reaching it pictures taking on a difficulty prematurely. The supplied reading warns against worrying as though a future problem were already present.
What the words are saying
The journey image separates an anticipated obstacle from the point at which it must be addressed. It can encourage proportionate attention to the current situation while leaving room for practical preparation. It does not prove the obstacle imaginary or require someone to dismiss a well-founded concern.
Everyday example
Someone makes a reasonable preparation for a possible difficulty and then returns attention to the task presently available.
When to use it
Use it to distinguish useful preparation from treating an uncertain problem as already happening.
What it does not mean
Future concerns may be valid, and the saying is not a ban on planning or seeking support.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 799; PDF page 113
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.