A man who is very busy seldom changes his opinions.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
If you want work well done, select a busy man; the other kind has no time.
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher
No thoroughly occupied man was ever yet very miserable.
—Letitia Elizabeth Landon (1802–38) English Poet, Novelist
We may be very busy, we may be very efficient, but we will also be truly effective only when we begin with the end in mind.
—Stephen Covey (1932–2012) American Self-help Author
Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.
—John Lennon (1940–80) British Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Activist
Focus on being productive instead of busy.
—Tim Ferriss (b.1977) American Self-help Author
He who every morning plans the transactions of the day and follows out that plan carries a thread that will guide him through the labyrinth of the most busy life. The orderly arrangement of his time is a like a ray of life which darts itself through all his occupations. But where no plan is laid, where the disposal of time is surrendered merely to the chance of incident, chaos will soon reign.
—Victor Hugo (1802–85) French Novelist
Extreme busyness, whether at school or college, kirk or market, is a symptom of deficient vitality; and a faculty for idleness implies a catholic appetite and a strong sense of personal identity.
—Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–94) Scottish Novelist
The busier we are, the more acutely we feel that we live.
—Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) Prussian German Philosopher, Logician
The busy bee has no time for sorrow.
—William Blake (1757–1827) English Poet, Painter, Printmaker
Get busy living, or get busy dying.
—Stephen King (b.1947) American Novelist, Short-Story Writer, Screenwriter, Columnist, Film Director
There is nothing the busy man is less busied with than living; there is nothing harder to learn.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
None are so busy as the fool and the knave.
—John Dryden (1631–1700) English Poet, Literary Critic, Playwright
He who is not busy being born is busy dying.
—Bob Dylan (b.1941) American Singer-songwriter
The busy man is troubled with but one devil; the idle man by a thousand.
—Spanish Proverb
Many are idly busy. Domitian was busy, but then it was in catching flies.
—Jeremy Taylor
Steady as a clock, busy as a bee, and cheerful as a cricket.
—Martha Washington (1731–1802) American First Lady
If you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat, if your house is on fire, then you got a problem. Everything else is inconvenience.
—Robert Fulghum (b.1937) American Unitarian Universalist Author, Essayist, Clergyman
Every man is worth just as much as the things he busies himself with.
—Marcus Aurelius (121–180) Emperor of Rome, Stoic Philosopher
A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools.
—Spanish Proverb
Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.
—Dale Carnegie (1888–1955) American Self-Help Author
You cannot hear the voice of oneness when you are busy talking.
—Marlo Morgan (1937–98) American Novelist, Author
The poor and the busy have no leisure for sentimental sorrow.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Beware the barrenness of a busy life.
—Socrates (469BCE–399BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher
Occupation is the necessary basis of all enjoyment.
—Leigh Hunt (1784–1859) British Poet, Essayist, Journalist
The busy have no time for tears.
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (1788–1824) English Romantic Poet
The busy man has few idle visitors; to the boiling pot the flies come not.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
The happiest people are those who are too busy to notice whether they are or not.
—William Feather (1889–1981) American Publisher, Author
He who is too busy doing good finds no time to be good.
—Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941) Bengali Poet, Polymath
Life seems but a quick succession of busy nothings.
—Jane Austen (1775–1817) English Novelist
Slow down and remember this: Most things make no difference. Being busy is a form of mental laziness—lazy thinking and indiscriminate action.
—Tim Ferriss (b.1977) American Self-help Author
If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. The more things you do, the more you can do.
—Lucille Ball (1911–89) American Actor, Comedian, Model
It is an undoubted truth, that the less one has to do the less time one finds to do it in. One yawns, one procrastinates, one can do it when one will, and, therefore, one seldom does it all; whereas those who have a great deal of business, must (to use a vulgar expression) buckle to it; and then they always find time enough to do it in.
—Earl of Chesterfield (1694–1773) English Statesman, Man of Letters
There is room enough in human life to crowd almost every art and science in it. If we pass “no day without a line”—visit no place without the company of a book—we may with ease fill libraries, or empty them of their contents. The more we do, the more busy we are, the more leisure we have.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing.
—Laozi (fl.6th Century BCE) Chinese Philosopher, Sage
The busiest men have the most leisure.
—English Proverb