What we love to do we find time to do.
—John Lancaster Spalding (1840–1916) American Catholic Clergyman, Educator, Essayist, Biographer
Live in day-tight compartments.
—Dale Carnegie (1888–1955) American Self-Help Author
Make it a point to do something every day that you don’t want to do. This is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
My formula for living is quite simple. I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night. In between, I occupy myself as best I can.
—Cary Grant (1904–86) British-American Film Actor
Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day. Rich people can’t buy more hours. Scientists can’t invent new minutes. And you can’t save time to spend it on another day. Even so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving. No matter how much time you’ve wasted in the past, you still have an entire tomorrow. Success depends upon using it wisely—by planning and setting priorities.
—Denis Waitley (b.1933) American Motivational Speaker, Author
All that time is lost which might be better employed.
—Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–78) Swiss-born French Philosopher
And that was victory. The freedom to sprawl loosely upon a city street, heat his coffee and eat a can of beans … with no enemy bullets forcing him to toss the can aside while diving behind another wall for momentary survival.
—David Douglas Duncan (1916–2018) American Photographer, Journalist
I have resolved that from this day on, I will do all the business I can honestly, have all the fun I can reasonably, do all the good I can willingly, and save my digestion by thinking pleasantly.
—Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–94) Scottish Novelist
An Italian philosopher said that “time was his estate” an estate indeed which will produce nothing without cultivation, but will always abundantly repay the labors of industry, and generally satisfy the most extensive desires, if no part of it be suffered to lie in waste by negligence, to be overrun with noxious plants, or laid out for show rather than for use.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
Our grand business undoubtedly is, not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Historian, Essayist
A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.
—Charles Darwin (1809–82) English Naturalist
Love, and do what you like.
—Augustine of Hippo (354–430) Roman-African Christian Philosopher
Time is the most precious gift in our possession, for it is the most irrevocable. This is what makes it so disturbing to look back upon the time which we have lost. Time lost is time when we have not lived a full human life, time unenriched by experience, creative endeavor, enjoyment, and suffering. Time lost is time not filled, time left empty.
—Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–45) German Lutheran Pastor, Theologian
Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Make use of time, let not advantage slip.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
We must use time as a tool, not as a couch.
—John F. Kennedy (1917–63) American Head of State, Journalist
To do the useful thing, to say the courageous thing, to contemplate the beautiful thing: that is enough for one man’s life.
—T. S. Eliot (1888–1965) American-born British Poet, Dramatist, Literary Critic
Human felicity is produced not as much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen as by little advantages that occur every day.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Each day can be one of triumph if you keep up your interests.
—George Matthew Adams (1878–1962) American Columnist, Journalist
To fill the hour, that is happiness; to fill the hour, and leave no crevice for a repentance or an approval.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Timely service, like timely gifts, is doubled in value.
—George MacDonald (1824–1905) Scottish Novelist, Lecturer, Poet
It is better to do the most trifling thing in the world than to regard half an hour as trifle.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
It is only possible to live happily-ever-after on a day-to-day basis.
—Margaret Wander Bonanno American Writer, Publisher
Act well at the moment, and you have performed a good action to all eternity.
—Johann Kaspar Lavater (1741–1801) Swiss Theologian, Poet
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
Realize life as an end in itself. Functioning is all there is.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841–1935) American Jurist, Author
He has not learned the first lesson of life who does not every day surmount a fear.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Time! suspend your flight. Propitious hours, suspend your course! Let us savour the swift delights of the most beautiful of our days.
—Alphonse de Lamartine (1790–1869) French Poet, Politician, Historian
If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased.
—Katharine Hepburn (1907–2003) American Actor, TV Personality
The clock upbraids me with the waste of time.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright