--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Today we often use deadlines—real and…" description: "\"Today we often use deadlines—real and imaginary—to imprison ourselves.\" — Arianna Huffington" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db7/arianna-huffington-1005_deadline_today-we-often-use-deadlines-real-and-im_1057958.png" --- # Today we often use deadlines—real and imaginary—to… ![“Today we often use deadlines—real and imaginary—to imprison ourselves.” quote by Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db7/arianna-huffington-1005_deadline_today-we-often-use-deadlines-real-and-im_1057958.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db7/arianna-huffington-1005_deadline_today-we-often-use-deadlines-real-and-im_1057958.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db7/arianna-huffington-1005_deadline_today-we-often-use-deadlines-real-and-im_1057958.png) > “Today we often use deadlines—real and imaginary—to imprison ourselves.” [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Deadlines, both real and imagined, can become self‑imposed prisons limiting freedom and creativity. **In simple terms:** Deadlines can trap us. Key Takeaway Recognize and release unnecessary time pressures. Themes productivity freedom self‑discipline Mood reflective motivational Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - project planning - creative work - personal goals Key Concepts time management psychology motivation Questions to Reflect On - Do you set deadlines that serve you? - How can you turn a deadline into a catalyst? A Different Perspective Deadlines can also provide useful structure and motivation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Deadline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deadline/) [Deadlines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deadlines/) [Deadlines Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deadlines-real-2567573/) [Imaginary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imaginary/) [Imaginary Imprison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imaginary-imprison-2567574/) [Imprison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imprison/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Use Deadlines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use-deadlines-757212/) ## Related quotes > [“If we use deadlines and the efficiency paradigm for managing ambiguity, we often kill productivity rather than encourage it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-perman/if-we-use-deadlines-and-the-efficiency-paradigm-for-managing/) [Matt Perman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-perman/) > [To be perfectly honest the old habits, specifically deadlines, still very much inform what I do. I am brutally disciplined about getting manuscripts in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-winchester/to-be-perfectly-honest-the-old-habits-specifically-deadlines-still/) [Simon Winchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-winchester/) > [Deadlines just aren't real to me until I'm staring one in the face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/deadlines-just-aren-t-real-to-me-until-i-m-staring-one-in-the-face/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [Meeting external deadlines is much harder than meeting internal ones. On the other hand, internal deadlines sometimes don't feel real, and are therefore easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/meeting-external-deadlines-is-much-harder-than-meeting-internal-ones/) [James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/) > [To be honest with you, I'd rather not be working. When you work, there are all sorts of deadlines and pressures. I like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benicio-del-toro/to-be-honest-with-you-i-d-rather-not-be-working-when-you-work-there/) [Benicio Del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benicio-del-toro/) > [I no longer feel I'll be dead by thirty; now it's sixty. I suppose these deadlines we set for ourselves are really a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/i-no-longer-feel-i-ll-be-dead-by-thirty-now-it-s-sixty-i-suppose/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [The danger of having too close deadlines... It could lead you to just accept an avenue that's not quite good enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-weir/the-danger-of-having-too-close-deadlines-it-could-lead-you-to-just/) [Judith Weir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-weir/) > [I am one of those people who thrive on deadlines. Nothing brings on inspiration more readily than desperation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-am-one-of-those-people-who-thrive-on-deadlines-nothing-brings-on/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [You put deadlines on people you really don't want, because that's how you feel about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-leiter/you-put-deadlines-on-people-you-really-don-t-want-because-that-s-how/) [Al Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-leiter/) > [Deadlines concentrate the mind. But deadlines should not be dogmas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/deadlines-concentrate-the-mind-but-deadlines-should-not-be-dogmas/) [Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/) > [A harsh reality of newspaper editing is that the deadlines don't allow for the polish that you expect in books or even magazines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-walsh/a-harsh-reality-of-newspaper-editing-is-that-the-deadlines-don-t/) [Bill Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-walsh/) > [There are no unrealistic goals, only unrealistic deadlines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/there-are-no-unrealistic-goals-only-unrealistic-deadlines/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) ## More by Arianna Huffington > [Fearlessness is like a muscle. I know from my own life that the more I exercise it the more natural it becomes to not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/fearlessness-is-like-a-muscle-i-know-from-my-own-life-that-the-more-i/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [“To live the lives we truly want and deserve, and not just the lives we settle for, we need a Third Metric, a third…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/to-live-the-lives-we-truly-want-and-deserve-and-not-just-the-lives-we/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [The next generation will remake the world in a way that allows us to live in a more sustainable way, both personally and globally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/the-next-generation-will-remake-the-world-in-a-way-that-allows-us-to/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [The Huffington Post Investigative Fund's goal is to produce a broad range of investigative journalism created by both staff reporters and freelance writers, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/the-huffington-post-investigative-fund-s-goal-is-to-produce-a-broad/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [A lot of effort and money are - rightly - expended keeping the president physically safe. But it's up to the president to maintain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/a-lot-of-effort-and-money-are-rightly-expended-keeping-the-president/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [“pictures of pictures, or of other”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/pictures-of-pictures-or-of-other/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [There is nothing that can bring you closer to fearlessness about everything else in the world than being a parent - because everyday fears…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/there-is-nothing-that-can-bring-you-closer-to-fearlessness-about/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [The journey toward self-discovery is life's greatest adventure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/the-journey-toward-self-discovery-is-life-s-greatest-adventure/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [What won't work - what can't work - is to act like the last years never happened, and that the survival of the \[mass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/what-won-t-work-what-can-t-work-is-to-act-like-the-last-years-never/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [More young people are volunteering than ever before. More people are including service to others on their busy lives' to do list. The promise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/more-young-people-are-volunteering-than-ever-before-more-people-are/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [It would be futile to attempt to fit women into a masculine pattern of attitudes, skills and abilities and disastrous to force them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/it-would-be-futile-to-attempt-to-fit-women-into-a-masculine-pattern/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [Being fearless doesn't mean living a life devoid of fear, but living a life in which our fears don't hold us back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/being-fearless-doesn-t-mean-living-a-life-devoid-of-fear-but-living-a/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [I usually start with a big question, such as whether people today are happier than in the past, or why men have dominated women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/i-usually-start-with-a-big-question-such-as-whether-people-today-are/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [All around the country, individuals are choosing to redefine their lives and the pursuit of happiness in ways much closer to the original notion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/all-around-the-country-individuals-are-choosing-to-redefine-their/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [I always try to practice what I preach. I meditate for fifteen minutes every day and do yoga several times a week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/i-always-try-to-practice-what-i-preach-i-meditate-for-fifteen-minutes/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) [Explore all 310 Arianna Huffington quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) ## More Deadline quotes > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [There are no unrealistic goals, only unrealistic deadlines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/there-are-no-unrealistic-goals-only-unrealistic-deadlines/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [Without deadlines and restrictions I just tend to become preoccupied with other things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/without-deadlines-and-restrictions-i-just-tend-to-become-preoccupied/) [Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/) > [Most lawsuits against the EPA historically have come either because of the agency's lack of regard for a statute or because the EPA failed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-pruitt/most-lawsuits-against-the-epa-historically-have-come-either-because/) [Scott Pruitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-pruitt/) > [“The deadline is at midnight in America; dawn, 5 A.M., in England, and 8:00 A.M., early morning, in Iraq. The Americans tie yellow ribbons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betool-khedairi/the-deadline-is-at-midnight-in-america-dawn-5-a-m-in-england-and-8-00/) [Betool Khedairi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betool-khedairi/) [Browse all 405 Deadline quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deadline/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Today we often use deadlines—real and imaginary—to imprison ourselves.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Arianna Huffington" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/today-we-often-use-deadlines-real-and-imaginary-to-imprison-ourselves/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Deadline" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/today-we-often-use-deadlines-real-and-imaginary-to-imprison-ourselves/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db7/arianna-huffington-1005_deadline_today-we-often-use-deadlines-real-and-im_1057958.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db7/arianna-huffington-1005_deadline_today-we-often-use-deadlines-real-and-im_1057958.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db7/arianna-huffington-1005_deadline_today-we-often-use-deadlines-real-and-im_1057958.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Today we often use deadlines—real and imaginary—to imprison ourselves.” — Arianna Huffington", "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": "Arianna Huffington", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Today we often use deadlines—real and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/today-we-often-use-deadlines-real-and-imaginary-to-imprison-ourselves/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/today-we-often-use-deadlines-real-and-imaginary-to-imprison-ourselves/#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 } } ] } ```