--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've learned over decades of building…" description: "\"I've learned over decades of building that a deadline is a potent tool for problem-solving.\" — Adam Savage" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/258/adam-savage-4716_building_i-ve-learned-over-decades-of-building-th_946848.jpg" --- # I've learned over decades of building that a deadline is a… ![“I've learned over decades of building that a deadline is a potent tool for problem-solving.” quote by Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/258/adam-savage-4716_building_i-ve-learned-over-decades-of-building-th_946848.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/258/adam-savage-4716_building_i-ve-learned-over-decades-of-building-th_946848.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/258/adam-savage-4716_building_i-ve-learned-over-decades-of-building-th_946848.jpg) > “I've learned over decades of building that a deadline is a potent tool for problem-solving.” [Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Deadlines act as powerful catalysts that drive problem solving. **In simple terms:** Deadlines boost problem solving Key Takeaway Use time pressure wisely. Themes productivity innovation time motivation deadline Mood motivational practical Type professional inspirational When to use this quote - product development - team coordination - creative workshops Key Concepts psychology project management Questions to Reflect On - How can you harness deadlines without burnout? - What alternatives to deadlines exist? A Different Perspective May cause stress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Building](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building/) [Building Deadline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building-deadline-1659584/) [Deadline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deadline/) [Deadline Potent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deadline-potent-1659582/) [Decades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decades/) [I've learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-ve-learned/) [Learned Decades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learned-decades-1659585/) [Potent Tool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/potent-tool-1659583/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Problem solving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem-solving/) [Tools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tools/) ## Related quotes > [“She glanced back at the young mother walking with her husband. The woman was chunky. Genetically inferior. But at that moment Alexa wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-suarez/she-glanced-back-at-the-young-mother-walking-with-her-husband-the/) [Daniel Suarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-suarez/) > [I learned in my four decades in Washington that one person can make a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-carpenter/i-learned-in-my-four-decades-in-washington-that-one-person-can-make-a/) [Liz Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-carpenter/) > [“I've learned over many decades that people are likeliest to declare their respect when their behavior suggests the opposite.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-sittenfeld/i-ve-learned-over-many-decades-that-people-are-likeliest-to-declare/) [Curtis Sittenfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-sittenfeld/) > [Deadlines refine the mind. They remove variables like exotic materials and processes that take too long. The closer the deadline, the more likely you'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/deadlines-refine-the-mind-they-remove-variables-like-exotic-materials/) [Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/) > [Publishing is, by its nature, about deadlines, and deadlines are toxic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-karon/publishing-is-by-its-nature-about-deadlines-and-deadlines-are-toxic/) [Jan Karon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-karon/) > [I think setting goals is critical; having deadlines for ourselves- how much by when? Too many people have these big dreams where they want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/i-think-setting-goals-is-critical-having-deadlines-for-ourselves-how/) [Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/) > [“There is one surefire way to produce bad writing: submit to the slavery of a deadline.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flavia-id/there-is-one-surefire-way-to-produce-bad-writing-submit-to-the/) [Flavia Idà](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flavia-id/) > [Nothing focuses attention like a real deadline. If you are in a field where life and death, or having a job or not having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry/nothing-focuses-attention-like-a-real-deadline-if-you-are-in-a-field/) [John Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry/) > [Nero wasn't worried at all when he heard the utterance of the Delphic Oracle: "Beware the age of seventy-three." Plenty of time to enjoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-p-cavafy/nero-wasn-t-worried-at-all-when-he-heard-the-utterance-of-the-delphic/) [C.P. Cavafy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-p-cavafy/) > [Everybody in the real world will agree - the moment a project is behind deadline, quality assurance tends to go out the window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cox/everybody-in-the-real-world-will-agree-the-moment-a-project-is-behind/) [Alan Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cox/) > [“Pakiramdam ko e andami kong naiisip na dehins magawa dahil alang deadline. Nasanay ata ko sa school tsaka sa trabaho na lahat may deadline.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manix-abrera/pakiramdam-ko-e-andami-kong-naiisip-na-dehins-magawa-dahil-alang/) [Manix Abrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manix-abrera/) > [I always think the most important thing for a writer is a deadline, and it's the same with a house. They say you shouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/i-always-think-the-most-important-thing-for-a-writer-is-a-deadline/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) > [All writers are forced to live within deadlines, and deadlines determine how good they can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/all-writers-are-forced-to-live-within-deadlines-and-deadlines/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Two things you need to know about taxes. They've extended the deadline to April 18, and when you write your check, just make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/two-things-you-need-to-know-about-taxes-they-ve-extended-the-deadline/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [Having small children and being an investigative reporter would seem like a difficult mix, but it worked well for me. I was often working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/having-small-children-and-being-an-investigative-reporter-would-seem/) [Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/) ## More by Adam Savage > [I believe that inside every tool is a hammer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/i-believe-that-inside-every-tool-is-a-hammer/) [Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/) > [If I had any dignity, that would have been humiliating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/if-i-had-any-dignity-that-would-have-been-humiliating/) [Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/) > [I'm always going to be making costumes. It's one of the ways I relax my brain. In addition to the pleasure of having the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/i-m-always-going-to-be-making-costumes-it-s-one-of-the-ways-i-relax/) [Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/) > [Am I missing an eyebrow?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/am-i-missing-an-eyebrow/) [Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/) > [I am incrementally a pessimist, but I see the international debate that Edward Snowden has engendered, and I think this is exactly where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/i-am-incrementally-a-pessimist-but-i-see-the-international-debate/) [Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/) > [There are women who are wishing that they were that piece of tape right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/there-are-women-who-are-wishing-that-they-were-that-piece-of-tape/) [Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/) > [We're allowed to explore the world at large on these things; the urban-legend aspect of it is just kind of an excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/we-re-allowed-to-explore-the-world-at-large-on-these-things-the-urban/) [Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/) > [That was cool and that sucked all at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/that-was-cool-and-that-sucked-all-at-the-same-time/) [Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/) > [That's our job - to strap rockets onto everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/that-s-our-job-to-strap-rockets-onto-everything/) [Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/) > [We don't necessarily stand by our faults every time, but we will always stand by our methodologies and ethos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/we-don-t-necessarily-stand-by-our-faults-every-time-but-we-will/) [Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/) > [We didn't set out to be educators or even scientists, and we don't purport that what we do is real science but we're demonstrating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/we-didn-t-set-out-to-be-educators-or-even-scientists-and-we-don-t/) [Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/) > [The coolest toys don't have to be bought; they can be built. In fact, sometimes the only way they'll ever exist is if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/the-coolest-toys-don-t-have-to-be-bought-they-can-be-built-in-fact/) [Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/) > [Mostly I make lists for projects. This can be daunting. Breaking something big into its constituent parts will help you organize your thoughts, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/mostly-i-make-lists-for-projects-this-can-be-daunting-breaking/) [Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/) > [In theory, cars are fairly simple. If they don't start, it's either the fuel system or the electrical system. Teach yourself about the path…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/in-theory-cars-are-fairly-simple-if-they-don-t-start-it-s-either-the/) [Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/) > [I just had one of those 'what the hell are we doing' moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/i-just-had-one-of-those-what-the-hell-are-we-doing-moments/) [Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/) [Explore all 107 Adam Savage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/) ## More Building quotes > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. What the U.S. knows is that if you don't have a coalition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/one-of-the-things-the-united-states-does-well-is-building-coalitions/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [Surely, if Mother Nature had been consulted, she would never have consented to building a city in New Orleans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-zuckerman/surely-if-mother-nature-had-been-consulted-she-would-never-have/) [Mortimer Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-zuckerman/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [Absolutely, you can improve and become better at toughness. It's a talent, but it can be acquired, too. I think of it like building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/absolutely-you-can-improve-and-become-better-at-toughness-it-s-a/) [Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I'd like to play Ian Paisley, actually. I'd need building up, though he's very frail now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-neeson/i-d-like-to-play-ian-paisley-actually-i-d-need-building-up-though-he/) [Liam Neeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-neeson/) > [Death is but an aspect of life, and the destruction of one material form is but a prelude to building up of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/death-is-but-an-aspect-of-life-and-the-destruction-of-one-material/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some architects have a preconceived notion of what a building should be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-w-fentress/some-architects-have-a-preconceived-notion-of-what-a-building-should/) [Curtis W. Fentress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-w-fentress/) > [As for the forces, electromagnetism and gravity we experience in everyday life. But the weak and strong forces are beyond our ordinary experience. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-witten/as-for-the-forces-electromagnetism-and-gravity-we-experience-in/) [Edward Witten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-witten/) > [I'm 30. I'm about to hit my prime now. I need to act and keep building.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dillian-whyte/i-m-30-i-m-about-to-hit-my-prime-now-i-need-to-act-and-keep-building/) [Dillian Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dillian-whyte/) > [The essential functions of the mind consist in understanding and in inventing, in other words, in building up structures by structuring reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/the-essential-functions-of-the-mind-consist-in-understanding-and-in/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [Practically every time I speak up at a school conference, a political event, or my apartment building association's annual meeting, I'm met with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/practically-every-time-i-speak-up-at-a-school-conference-a-political/) [Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/) [Browse all 5,974 Building quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've learned over decades of building that a deadline is a potent tool for problem-solving.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Adam Savage" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/i-ve-learned-over-decades-of-building-that-a-deadline-is-a-potent/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Building" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/i-ve-learned-over-decades-of-building-that-a-deadline-is-a-potent/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/258/adam-savage-4716_building_i-ve-learned-over-decades-of-building-th_946848.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/258/adam-savage-4716_building_i-ve-learned-over-decades-of-building-th_946848.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/258/adam-savage-4716_building_i-ve-learned-over-decades-of-building-th_946848.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've learned over decades of building that a deadline is a potent tool for problem-solving.” — Adam Savage", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Adam Savage", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've learned over decades of building...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/i-ve-learned-over-decades-of-building-that-a-deadline-is-a-potent/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/i-ve-learned-over-decades-of-building-that-a-deadline-is-a-potent/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```