---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sustaining the energy and focus involved…"
description: "\"Sustaining the energy and focus involved in doing a good job I think starts to - starts to gets tougher the longer you do it.\" — Barack Obama"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a5/barack-obama-17_energy_sustaining-the-energy-and-focus-involved_609152.jpg"
---

#  Sustaining the energy and focus involved in doing a good…

![“Sustaining the energy and focus involved in doing a good job I think starts to - starts to gets tougher the longer you do it.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a5/barack-obama-17_energy_sustaining-the-energy-and-focus-involved_609152.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a5/barack-obama-17_energy_sustaining-the-energy-and-focus-involved_609152.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a5/barack-obama-17_energy_sustaining-the-energy-and-focus-involved_609152.jpg)

> “Sustaining the energy and focus involved in doing a good job I think starts to - starts to gets tougher the longer you do it.”

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Sustaining energy and focus in quality work becomes increasingly difficult over time, requiring renewed motivation and strategies.

**In simple terms:** Maintaining focus gets harder over time.

Key Takeaway

Refresh motivation regularly.

Themes

work focus energy motivation longevity

Mood

determined optimistic

Type

motivational practical

When to use this quote

- long‑term projects
- career growth
- personal goals

Key Concepts

psychology productivity

Questions to Reflect On

- What strategies sustain long‑term focus?
- How to balance effort and rest?

A Different Perspective

Burnout can undermine effort.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Doing A Good Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-a-good-job/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [Sustaining the energy and focus involved in doing a good job I think starts to gets tougher the longer you do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/sustaining-the-energy-and-focus-involved-in-doing-a-good-job-i-think-2/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [The rougher it gets, the tougher I stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/the-rougher-it-gets-the-tougher-i-stand/)

[Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/)

> [“The harder it gets...the tougher you become. The tougher you become, the easier you're able to deal with your thoughts. And once you reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-cile-rischmann/the-harder-it-gets-the-tougher-you-become-the-tougher-you-become-the/)

Cécile Rischmann

> [Every year it gets tougher and tougher. Mentally and physically. That's why you need to train and prepare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-pujols/every-year-it-gets-tougher-and-tougher-mentally-and-physically-that-s/)

[Albert Pujols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-pujols/)

> [Life can be tough. But it only gets tougher when you're stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-can-be-tough-but-it-only-gets-tougher-when-you-re-stupid/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [ More broadly, Prime Minister Lee \[Hsien Loong\] and I will work to advance the US-Singapore partnership across the board. We're committed to sustaining the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/more-broadly-prime-minister-lee-hsien-loong-and-i-will-work-to/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Channel your energy. Focus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-lewis/channel-your-energy-focus/)

[Carl Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-lewis/)

> [Anything that's not positive, I don't have the energy to focus on it. Anything that's not going in the right direction, I don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dmx/anything-that-s-not-positive-i-don-t-have-the-energy-to-focus-on-it/)

[DMX](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dmx/)

> [There's only a certain amount of times in my life where I'm going to get to experience every single person directing their energy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/urijah-faber/there-s-only-a-certain-amount-of-times-in-my-life-where-i-m-going-to/)

[Urijah Faber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/urijah-faber/)

> [It's not how many hours you put in with a client or on a project. It's the quantity and quality of your energy -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-loehr/it-s-not-how-many-hours-you-put-in-with-a-client-or-on-a-project-it-s/)

[Jim Loehr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-loehr/)

> [I have put a lot of energy and focus into capturing the Cruiserweight Championship, but obviously I didn't get the job done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-aries/i-have-put-a-lot-of-energy-and-focus-into-capturing-the-cruiserweight/)

[Austin Aries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-aries/)

> [“Time, energy, and focus; these are the resources at your disposal each and every day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-dejesus/time-energy-and-focus-these-are-the-resources-at-your-disposal-each/)

[Noel DeJesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-dejesus/)

> [“Jealousy is a waste of energy...focus on what I have, not what I don't.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-grimes/jealousy-is-a-waste-of-energy-focus-on-what-i-have-not-what-i-don-t/)

[Nikki Grimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-grimes/)

> [Once I stop spending energy trying to prevent things I have no control over, I have a tremendous amount of energy to focus on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-treanor/once-i-stop-spending-energy-trying-to-prevent-things-i-have-no/)

[Michael Treanor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-treanor/)

> [First, we need good, stable relations with Russia. Second, we must make every effort to save energy and focus on using various sources to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/first-we-need-good-stable-relations-with-russia-second-we-must-make/)

[Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/)

## More by Barack Obama

> [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

[Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

## More Energy quotes

> [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/)

[Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/)

> [Performance matters because games are built on great performance, but form factor and energy efficiency matter incredibly because they want to build something that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jensen-huang/performance-matters-because-games-are-built-on-great-performance-but/)

[Jensen Huang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jensen-huang/)

> [Energy rests upon love; and come as it will, there's no forcing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/energy-rests-upon-love-and-come-as-it-will-there-s-no-forcing-it/)

[Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/)

> [Behind every word flows energy. If you use your words to gossip or babble about what you are going to do before you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-choquette/behind-every-word-flows-energy-if-you-use-your-words-to-gossip-or/)

[Sonia Choquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-choquette/)

> [If you ask another competitor, they may tell you they felt very competitive towards me. But I can tell you that my biggest competition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-kwan/if-you-ask-another-competitor-they-may-tell-you-they-felt-very/)

[Michelle Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-kwan/)

> [I'm a vegetarian - I think there's a strong possibility, had I not become a vegetarian, I would not be working now. I became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-barker/i-m-a-vegetarian-i-think-there-s-a-strong-possibility-had-i-not/)

[Bob Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-barker/)

> [An artist's creative energy is ephemeral as a flower. It blooms and soon dies. No artist is great forever. Personally, I think I reached…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-ki-duk/an-artist-s-creative-energy-is-ephemeral-as-a-flower-it-blooms-and/)

[Kim Ki-duk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-ki-duk/)

> [Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/enthusiasm-is-the-yeast-that-makes-your-hopes-shine-to-the-stars/)

[Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

> [I've never even been into those supplements or any of that. I don't even drink energy shakes. I'm not into that kind of stuff.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-pierce/i-ve-never-even-been-into-those-supplements-or-any-of-that-i-don-t/)

[Paul Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-pierce/)

> [Some would call me an environmentalist. I don't know why. I reuse the water that falls in my backyard in the winter. I reuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-begley-jr/some-would-call-me-an-environmentalist-i-don-t-know-why-i-reuse-the/)

[Ed Begley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-begley-jr/)

> [I have lived in countries that were coming out of conflict: Ireland, South Africa, the Czech republic. People there are overflowing with energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-have-lived-in-countries-that-were-coming-out-of-conflict-ireland/)

[Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/)

> [You know, by the time you reach my age, you've made plenty of mistakes if you've lived your life properly. So you learn. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/you-know-by-the-time-you-reach-my-age-you-ve-made-plenty-of-mistakes/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> ['The Choirboys' is very much a product of its mid-1970s time, especially in its two-dimensional portrayals of cop groupies Ora Lee and Carolina Moon,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-weinman/the-choirboys-is-very-much-a-product-of-its-mid-1970s-time-especially/)

[Sarah Weinman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-weinman/)

[Browse all 12,866 Energy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Sustaining the energy and focus involved in doing a good job I think starts to - starts to gets tougher the longer you do it.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Barack Obama"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/sustaining-the-energy-and-focus-involved-in-doing-a-good-job-i-think/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Energy"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/sustaining-the-energy-and-focus-involved-in-doing-a-good-job-i-think/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a5/barack-obama-17_energy_sustaining-the-energy-and-focus-involved_609152.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a5/barack-obama-17_energy_sustaining-the-energy-and-focus-involved_609152.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a5/barack-obama-17_energy_sustaining-the-energy-and-focus-involved_609152.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Sustaining the energy and focus involved in doing a good job I think starts to - starts to gets tougher the…” — Barack Obama",
                "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": "Barack Obama",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Sustaining the energy and focus involved...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/sustaining-the-energy-and-focus-involved-in-doing-a-good-job-i-think/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/sustaining-the-energy-and-focus-involved-in-doing-a-good-job-i-think/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
