Time Management Quotes To Change Your Life

Though we may all live within the same 24-hour time cycle, some people seem to be able to juggle far more responsibilities than others. While it’s not necessarily good practice to compare yourself to others, it may be worth noting if you feel unequipped to effectively manage your time. Regardless of how many responsibilities you manage, poor time management can lead to heightened stress, lowered self-esteem, and other consequences. In fact, research suggests that too little or too much leisure time can even affect how satisfied you feel in life.

Time management quotes

If you’d like to take charge of your time and all it allows you to do, it may help to seek out some guidance and inspiration from others. Below, you’ll find a batch of quotes about time management, productivity, and finding balance in life that may help you get started. For more individualized guidance, consider scheduling a session with a therapist online or in person.

Quotes on why time management matters

"Time is the school in which we learn, time is the fire in which we burn." -Delmore Schwartz

"Ordinary people think merely of spending time. Great people think of using it." -Unknown

"You're writing the story of your life one moment at a time." -Doc Childre and Howard Martin

"Lost time is never found again." -Proverb

"All that really belongs to us is time; even he who has nothing else has that." -Baltasar Gracian

"Time is money." -Benjamin Franklin

"The great dividing line between success and failure can be expressed in five words: 'I did not have time.'" -Franklin Field

“We must use time as a tool, not as a crutch.” -John F. Kennedy

"Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you." -Carl Sandburg

The importance of time management

Effective time management is crucial for both personal and professional success. This is evident from numerous quotes emphasizing the value of using time wisely. These insights highlight time as a learning tool and an irreplaceable element, urging us to make the most of every moment.

Quotes on the importance of planning and managing time

"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." -Benjamin Franklin

"A goal without a plan is just a wish." -Antoine de Saint-Exupery

"For tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today." -African Proverb

"Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now." -Alan Lakein

"He who every morning plans the transactions of that day and follow that plan carries a thread that will guide him through the labyrinth of the most busy life." -Victor Hugo

"Where no plan is laid, where the disposal of time is surrendered merely to the chance of incidence, chaos will soon reign." -Victor Hugo

"Quit thinking time is 'out there.' Take ownership of time - acknowledge that you are where it comes from - and it will stop owning you. Claim time as yours and it will release its claim on you." -Gay Hendricks

"If you want to make good use of your time, you've got to know what's most important and then give it all you've got." -Lee Iacocca

The role of planning in success

Planning is the key to effective time management. Without clear planning, one can easily be carried away by unimportant activities or waste time on tasks that do not contribute positively towards set goals. Quotes from Victor Hugo illustrate the chaos that results from a lack of planning, thereby emphasizing the importance of starting the day with a clear agenda.

Quotes about procrastination

"Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle." -Abraham Lincoln

"Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday." -Napoleon Hill

“I have spent my days stringing and unstringing my instrument, while the song I came to sing remains unsung.” -Rabindranath Tagore

"A year from now you may wish you had started today." -Karen Lamb

"Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task." -William James

"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today." -Abraham Lincoln

"Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week." -Spanish Proverb

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” -Anne Frank

"You may delay, but time will not." -Benjamin Franklin

"Procrastination is the foundation of all disasters." -Pandora Poikilos

Overcoming procrastination

Procrastination can be a significant barrier to effective time management. Quotes from Abraham Lincoln and Benjamin Franklin remind us that delaying tasks only compounds future pressures. Taking action now, rather than waiting for the right moment, may prove to be the wiser choice both in terms of productivity and stress.

General time management quotes

"Until we can manage time, we can manage nothing else." -Peter Drucker

"Look upon time management as a vehicle that can take you from wherever you are today, to wherever you want to be in the future." -Brian Tracy

"There is no such thing as time management; there is only self-management." -Rory Vaden

"Time = Life; therefore, waste your time and waste of your life, or master your time and master your life." -Alan Lakein

"Time management is really a misnomer - the challenge is not to manage time, but to manage ourselves. The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities." -Stephen Covey

"Time management requires self-discipline, self-mastery and self-control more than anything else." -Brian Tracy

The essence of time management

Time management is more a matter of discipline and setting priorities than simply managing hours. Quotes from Stephen Covey, among others, emphasize that if we control our actions and set clear priorities, we will be in a position to master our time and, ultimately, our life.

Quotes about wasting time

"Don't mistake movement for achievement. It's easy to get faked out by being busy. The question is: 'Busy doing what?' " -Jim Rohn

"Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days." -Zig Ziglar

"Don't be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of. One man gets only a week's value out of a year while another man gets a full year's value out of a week." -Charles Richards

"Don't interpret anything too much. This is time waster number 1." -Dee Dee Artner

"If you wait for the right time to come it will never come. Begin where you are and with what you have!" -Dada J.P. Vaswani

"The reason for wasting so much time can be directly traced to lack of concentration and inattention, besides unnecessary diversions and distractions." -Unknown

"A man who dares to waste one hour of life has not discovered the value of life." -Charles Darwin

"To do two things at once is to do neither." -Publilius Syrus

"In truth, people can generally make time for what they choose to do; it is not really the time but the will that is lacking." -Sir John Lubbock

"If you love life, don't waste time, for time is what life is made up of." -Bruce Lee

Identifying and avoiding time wasters

Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears. People fall into the activity trap: activity is mistakenly considered productivity. Jim Rohn's quote highlights whether our busy schedules include any meaningful activities or are just full of movements. Zig Ziglar and Charles Richards emphasize that direction and the effective use of time are key to making the most of the days we have.

Quotes on the importance of setting priorities

"What comes first, the compass or the clock? Before one can truly manage time (the clock), it is important to know where you are going, what your priorities and goals are, in which direction you are headed (the compass). Where you are headed is more important than how fast you are going. Rather than always focusing on what's urgent, learn to focus on what is really important." -Unknown

"No one is 'too busy' in this world. It's all about priorities." -Unknown

"To change your life, you need to change your priorities." -Unknown

"The key is not in spending time, but in investing it." -Stephen R. Covey

"Your priorities aren't what you say they are. They are revealed by how you live." -Unknown

"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." -Unknown

"Set goals and stay focused on your priorities." -David Reynolds

"Good things happen when you get your priorities straight." -Scott Caan

"Lack of time is actually lack of priorities." -Timothy Ferris

"Sometimes it's the smallest decisions that can change your life forever." -Keri Russell

"When everything is a priority, nothing is a priority." -Simon Fulleringer

"The most important part of every business is to know what ought to be done." -Lucius Columella

"Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least." -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"The mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital ones." -Brandon Sanderson

"Life is short. Focus on what really matters most; you should change your priorities over time." -Roy T. Bennett

Establishing clear priorities to make managing time easier

Clarifying priorities is key to effective time management. Quotes from Stephen R. Covey illustrate that by focusing on what really matters, one can achieve greater efficiency and satisfaction. If clear priorities are not set, less important activities can easily take control, ultimately leading to reduced efficiency and dissatisfaction.

Outside motivation may only get you so far

The impact of mental health on time management

Sometimes, having a hard time managing time can stem from something that’s partially beyond your control. For instance, many mental health disorders can lead to a distorted sense of time, which may make it difficult to understand how long things will take or how to best organize your priorities. While time management quotes may motivate you to make progress for a little while, there may come a point where additional help and advice seem to be necessary. 

Benefits of online therapy

Resources like online therapy can make it simple to receive the support and guidance of a mental health professional. A licensed therapist may help you develop time-management skills, understand the challenges you’re facing, and work to create long-term change. Plus, using online therapy generally means you won’t have to leave your home to join a session, which may come as a relief if you often feel overwhelmed by being on time, fitting appointments into your schedule, or commuting. 

Effectiveness of online therapy

You may rest assured that the quality of your experience doesn’t have to be impacted by online therapy’s digital format. While more research may be needed regarding the efficacy of online therapy specifically for time management skills, evidence generally supports the idea that online and in-person therapy tend to be similarly effective in treating a wide variety of mental health concerns.