--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have a sort of waking nightmare: to get…" description: "\"I have a sort of waking nightmare: to get this thing just about completed, and the last day to discover one little part that doesn't quite fit with the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a26/bill-reid-43276_anxiety_i-have-a-sort-of-waking-nightmare-to-get_3000433.jpg" --- # I have a sort of waking nightmare: to get this thing just… ![“I have a sort of waking nightmare: to get this thing just about completed, and the last day to discover one little part that doesn't quite fit with the adjacent part.” quote by Bill Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a26/bill-reid-43276_anxiety_i-have-a-sort-of-waking-nightmare-to-get_3000433.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a26/bill-reid-43276_anxiety_i-have-a-sort-of-waking-nightmare-to-get_3000433.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a26/bill-reid-43276_anxiety_i-have-a-sort-of-waking-nightmare-to-get_3000433.jpg) > “I have a sort of waking nightmare: to get this thing just about completed, and the last day to discover one little part that doesn't quite fit with the adjacent part.” [Bill Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-reid/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker experiences a nightmare of nearly finishing a project, only to discover a small mismatch that disrupts the whole, highlighting the fragility of completion. **In simple terms:** Small errors can ruin a near‑finished project. Key Takeaway Check details before finalizing. Themes perfectionism project management detail orientation Mood anxious focused Type practical motivational When to use this quote - software development - construction - artistic creation Key Concepts risk management quality control Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure final checks? - When is “good enough”? A Different Perspective May cause over‑cautiousness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) [Last day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last-day/) [Nightmare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nightmare/) ## Related quotes > [He would give all of his clothes to his servant, admonishing him NOT to return them until he had completed his day's work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-would-give-all-of-his-clothes-to-his-servant-admonishing-him-not/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Harder than waking from a nightmare was trying to wake herself into one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-englander/harder-than-waking-from-a-nightmare-was-trying-to-wake-herself-into/) [Nathan Englander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-englander/) > [“There was no waking from this nightmare, no comforting whisper in the dark that he was safe really, that it was all in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/there-was-no-waking-from-this-nightmare-no-comforting-whisper-in-the/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [“Shaking himself free of pity, he set out to become her waking nightmare, knowing his cruelty may be the only thing capable of saving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-s-willis/shaking-himself-free-of-pity-he-set-out-to-become-her-waking/) [M.S. Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-s-willis/) > [“The dream was over and there was work to be done in the waking nightmare.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-b-ezzell/the-dream-was-over-and-there-was-work-to-be-done-in-the-waking/) [K.B. Ezzell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-b-ezzell/) > [“To go to sleep one night with your child nestled inside you and wake up the next with no evidence your child ever existed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassia-leo/to-go-to-sleep-one-night-with-your-child-nestled-inside-you-and-wake/) [Cassia Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassia-leo/) > [I'm not afraid of having bad dreams. It's waking up that's the nightmare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-afraid-of-having-bad-dreams-it-s-waking-up-that-s-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“On the other hand, the last week had pretty much been one waking nightmare after another; if this kept up, her dreams wouldn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-sagara-west/on-the-other-hand-the-last-week-had-pretty-much-been-one-waking/) [Michelle Sagara West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-sagara-west/) > [I heard how people sounded when their dreams were shattered, when their lives were turned into a waking nightmare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-scott/i-heard-how-people-sounded-when-their-dreams-were-shattered-when/) [Elizabeth Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-scott/) > [“Nothing like being in a dream, then waking up to a nightmare.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/nothing-like-being-in-a-dream-then-waking-up-to-a-nightmare/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) > [“When dreaming is better than reality we're living What's the sense of waking up in a nightmare?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-natad/when-dreaming-is-better-than-reality-we-re-living-what-s-the-sense-of/) Joshua Natad > [“I can’t help feeling as if this is my last chance,” Evan said. He was sitting opposite Dr. Lorne, a psychiatrist at the Havilland…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-field/i-can-t-help-feeling-as-if-this-is-my-last-chance-evan-said-he-was/) [Ryan Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-field/) > [“We ought to live each day as though it were our last day here below. But if I did, alas, I know it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piet-hein/we-ought-to-live-each-day-as-though-it-were-our-last-day-here-below/) [Piet Hein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piet-hein/) > [The Bible says there are things that we should look for that signal the last days and one of them of course is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-laurie/the-bible-says-there-are-things-that-we-should-look-for-that-signal/) [Greg Laurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-laurie/) > [Since, O sweet Lord Jesus, Thou art the present portion of Thy people, favour us this year with such a sense of Thy preciousness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/since-o-sweet-lord-jesus-thou-art-the-present-portion-of-thy-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Bill Reid > [It's hard to understand how you arrive at a design. It's far too complicated to get any overall picture of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-reid/it-s-hard-to-understand-how-you-arrive-at-a-design-it-s-far-too/) [Bill Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-reid/) > [It suits my own attitude toward the world and its people to believe that the Raven is this completely self-centered, uninvolved bringer of change,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-reid/it-suits-my-own-attitude-toward-the-world-and-its-people-to-believe/) [Bill Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-reid/) > [I have created the Raven in my own image over the years and insist that mine is the version of this personality that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-reid/i-have-created-the-raven-in-my-own-image-over-the-years-and-insist/) [Bill Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-reid/) > [But I didn't think about this beforehand. I just went ahead and did it, and that's the way it turned out. So I guess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-reid/but-i-didn-t-think-about-this-beforehand-i-just-went-ahead-and-did-it/) [Bill Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-reid/) > [Great art must be a living thing, or it is not art at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-reid/great-art-must-be-a-living-thing-or-it-is-not-art-at-all/) [Bill Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-reid/) > [I've never felt that I was doing something for my people, except what I could to bring the accomplishments of the old ones to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-reid/i-ve-never-felt-that-i-was-doing-something-for-my-people-except-what/) [Bill Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-reid/) > [I certainly and deliberately introduced a great deal of variety into the people in the clamshell, which I suppose grows out of growing up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-reid/i-certainly-and-deliberately-introduced-a-great-deal-of-variety-into/) [Bill Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-reid/) > [I consider myself one of the most fortunate of men, to have lived at a time when some of the old Haidas and their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-reid/i-consider-myself-one-of-the-most-fortunate-of-men-to-have-lived-at-a/) [Bill Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-reid/) [Explore all 9 Bill Reid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-reid/) ## More Anxiety quotes > [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/) Nagisa Tatsumi > [Bein Crazy is the least of my worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/bein-crazy-is-the-least-of-my-worries/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [“Fear of seeing a police car pull into the drive. Fear of falling asleep at night. Fear of not falling asleep. Fear of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/fear-of-seeing-a-police-car-pull-into-the-drive-fear-of-falling/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [I get nervous when I don't get nervous. If I'm nervous I know I'm going to have a good show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beyonce-knowles/i-get-nervous-when-i-don-t-get-nervous-if-i-m-nervous-i-know-i-m/) [Beyonce Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beyonce-knowles/) > [“Every invention comes through anxiousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakesh-wadhwani/every-invention-comes-through-anxiousness/) [Rakesh Wadhwani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakesh-wadhwani/) > [“Do Not Be Anxious 25 e “Therefore I tell you,  f do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-be-anxious-25-e-therefore-i-tell-you-f-do-not-be-anxious-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Nothing happens on its own, you have to make things happen. If you really want to come out of your stressful situation than you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subodh-gupta/nothing-happens-on-its-own-you-have-to-make-things-happen-if-you/) [Subodh Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subodh-gupta/) > [“I guess if we're talking about my anxiety, the even truthier truth is it started way before that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-winfrey/i-guess-if-we-re-talking-about-my-anxiety-the-even-truthier-truth-is/) [Kerry Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-winfrey/) > [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [“The suspense: the fearful, acute suspense: of standing idly by while the life of one we dearly love, is trembling in the balance; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-suspense-the-fearful-acute-suspense-of-standing-idly-by-while-the/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [The party in Alobar’s head, which agitation and anxiety were throwing, now was crashed by a notion: existence can be rearranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-party-in-alobar-s-head-which-agitation-and-anxiety-were-throwing/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [As you know, I have been very open about my struggle with social anxiety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-walker/as-you-know-i-have-been-very-open-about-my-struggle-with-social/) [Summer Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-walker/) > [Anxiety is not to be managed it is a sin that needs to be repented of](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-driscoll/anxiety-is-not-to-be-managed-it-is-a-sin-that-needs-to-be-repented-of/) [Mark Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-driscoll/) > [“I’ve always seen this in you, ever since you were a little girl — this hunger to love other people into their highest selves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-elisabeth/i-ve-always-seen-this-in-you-ever-since-you-were-a-little-girl-this/) [Jennifer Elisabeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-elisabeth/) [Browse all 4,944 Anxiety quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have a sort of waking nightmare: to get this thing just about completed, and the last day to discover one little part that doesn't quite fit with the adjacent part.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bill Reid" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-reid/i-have-a-sort-of-waking-nightmare-to-get-this-thing-just-about/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anxiety" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-reid/i-have-a-sort-of-waking-nightmare-to-get-this-thing-just-about/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a26/bill-reid-43276_anxiety_i-have-a-sort-of-waking-nightmare-to-get_3000433.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a26/bill-reid-43276_anxiety_i-have-a-sort-of-waking-nightmare-to-get_3000433.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a26/bill-reid-43276_anxiety_i-have-a-sort-of-waking-nightmare-to-get_3000433.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have a sort of waking nightmare: to get this thing just about completed, and the last day to discover one…” — Bill Reid", "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": "Bill Reid", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-reid/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I have a sort of waking...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-reid/i-have-a-sort-of-waking-nightmare-to-get-this-thing-just-about/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-reid/i-have-a-sort-of-waking-nightmare-to-get-this-thing-just-about/#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 } } ] } ```