--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She had nothing to do all day ... but did…" description: "\"She had nothing to do all day ... but did it with the greatest possible speed.\" — Cees Nooteboom" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfe/cees-nooteboom-17398_greatest_she-had-nothing-to-do-all-day-but-did-it_2711819.jpg" --- # She had nothing to do all day ... but did it with the… ![“She had nothing to do all day ... but did it with the greatest possible speed.” quote by Cees Nooteboom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfe/cees-nooteboom-17398_greatest_she-had-nothing-to-do-all-day-but-did-it_2711819.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfe/cees-nooteboom-17398_greatest_she-had-nothing-to-do-all-day-but-did-it_2711819.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfe/cees-nooteboom-17398_greatest_she-had-nothing-to-do-all-day-but-did-it_2711819.jpg) > “She had nothing to do all day ... but did it with the greatest possible speed.” [Cees Nooteboom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cees-nooteboom/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Idle time can be filled with rapid, purposeful activity, turning boredom into productivity. **In simple terms:** Idle time can become fast, purposeful work. Key Takeaway Turn boredom into productive action. Themes productivity time efficiency Mood energetic focused Type motivational practical When to use this quote - workplace - personal projects - time management Key Concepts focus goal orientation Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure quality when working fast? - What tasks benefit from rapid execution? A Different Perspective Speed may reduce quality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Did Greatest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did-greatest-2814631/) [Greatest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest/) [Greatest Possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest-possible-963370/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Possible Speed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possible-speed-2814630/) [Speed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speed/) ## Related quotes > [In time, we shall be in a position to bestow on South Africa the greatest possible gift - a more human face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/in-time-we-shall-be-in-a-position-to-bestow-on-south-africa-the/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) > [That is perhaps what we seek throughout life, that and nothing more, the greatest possible sorrow so as to become fully ourselves before dying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-ferdinand-celine/that-is-perhaps-what-we-seek-throughout-life-that-and-nothing-more/) [Louis-Ferdinand Celine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-ferdinand-celine/) > [Music to me is mankind's greatest possible achievement because look at all the good it does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/music-to-me-is-mankind-s-greatest-possible-achievement-because-look/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [What I'm attempting in each picture is nothing other than this...to bring together in a living and viable way, the most different and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard/what-i-m-attempting-in-each-picture-is-nothing-other-than-this-to/) [Gerhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard/) > [If a man wants to be of the greatest possible value to his fellow-creature s let him begin the long, solitary task of perfecting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/if-a-man-wants-to-be-of-the-greatest-possible-value-to-his-fellow/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [“It seemed to me then that to have published a book - any kind of book - would be the greatest possible happiness I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-isherwood/it-seemed-to-me-then-that-to-have-published-a-book-any-kind-of-book/) [Christopher Isherwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-isherwood/) > [I think my strength is going to be my greatest attribute and speed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johny-hendricks/i-think-my-strength-is-going-to-be-my-greatest-attribute-and-speed/) [Johny Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johny-hendricks/) > [Imagination is the greatest nation in the world!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/imagination-is-the-greatest-nation-in-the-world/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [I don't mind people want to think Muhammad is the greatest fighter around. Everybody wants to make him great because of his mouth, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-frazier/i-don-t-mind-people-want-to-think-muhammad-is-the-greatest-fighter/) [Joe Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-frazier/) > [The way the world underestimates me will be my greatest weapon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calista-flockhart/the-way-the-world-underestimates-me-will-be-my-greatest-weapon/) [Calista Flockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calista-flockhart/) > [The hard-working Mexican tries to get up here looking for opportunities because America's one of the greatest countries in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-ruiz-jr/the-hard-working-mexican-tries-to-get-up-here-looking-for/) [Andy Ruiz Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-ruiz-jr/) > [Shawn Michaels, to me and to so many people, is just the greatest in-ring performer of all time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-cole/shawn-michaels-to-me-and-to-so-many-people-is-just-the-greatest-in/) [Adam Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-cole/) > [The last goal I ever scored in professional football was at Goodison Park - a glancing header for Aston Villa in a 1-0 win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sutton/the-last-goal-i-ever-scored-in-professional-football-was-at-goodison/) [Chris Sutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sutton/) > [My greatest memories as a kid were playing sports with my dad and watching sports with my dad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-teixeira/my-greatest-memories-as-a-kid-were-playing-sports-with-my-dad-and/) [Mark Teixeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-teixeira/) > [“The world is witnessing one of the greatest frauds the Florida government has ever engaged in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-world-is-witnessing-one-of-the-greatest-frauds-the-florida/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) ## More by Cees Nooteboom > [Man has been thrown into the world. It had always made him think of Icarus and those other great tumblers, Ixion, Phaeton, Tantalus -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cees-nooteboom/man-has-been-thrown-into-the-world-it-had-always-made-him-think-of/) [Cees Nooteboom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cees-nooteboom/) > [“We are our secrets, and, if all goes well, we will take them with us to where no-one can touch them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cees-nooteboom/we-are-our-secrets-and-if-all-goes-well-we-will-take-them-with-us-to/) [Cees Nooteboom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cees-nooteboom/) > [“Kummer hat etwas in den Linien deines Gesichts zu suchen, nicht in deiner Erinnerung.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cees-nooteboom/kummer-hat-etwas-in-den-linien-deines-gesichts-zu-suchen-nicht-in/) [Cees Nooteboom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cees-nooteboom/) > [I have never cared much for people. Most of them are cowards, conformists, muddleheads, moneygrubbers, and they infect each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cees-nooteboom/i-have-never-cared-much-for-people-most-of-them-are-cowards/) [Cees Nooteboom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cees-nooteboom/) > [As far as he could see, the world was moving, in an orderly capitalist fashion, toward a logical, perhaps provisional, perhaps permanent, end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cees-nooteboom/as-far-as-he-could-see-the-world-was-moving-in-an-orderly-capitalist/) [Cees Nooteboom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cees-nooteboom/) > [The world is a never-ending cross-reference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cees-nooteboom/the-world-is-a-never-ending-cross-reference/) [Cees Nooteboom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cees-nooteboom/) > [“...a poem is only finished when the last reader has read it or listened to it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cees-nooteboom/a-poem-is-only-finished-when-the-last-reader-has-read-it-or-listened/) [Cees Nooteboom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cees-nooteboom/) > [“All right, she thought I was a funny little geezer, but my charred Phaethon had impressed her, I was very obviously available, and she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cees-nooteboom/all-right-she-thought-i-was-a-funny-little-geezer-but-my-charred/) [Cees Nooteboom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cees-nooteboom/) > [Through men ... you learn how the world is. Through women you learn what it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cees-nooteboom/through-men-you-learn-how-the-world-is-through-women-you-learn-what/) [Cees Nooteboom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cees-nooteboom/) > [“Conversations consist for the most part of things one does not say.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cees-nooteboom/conversations-consist-for-the-most-part-of-things-one-does-not-say/) [Cees Nooteboom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cees-nooteboom/) > [So-called real life has only once interfered with me, and it had been a far cry from what the words, lines, books had prepared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cees-nooteboom/so-called-real-life-has-only-once-interfered-with-me-and-it-had-been/) [Cees Nooteboom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cees-nooteboom/) > [I am a hindrance to the world, and the world is a hindrance to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cees-nooteboom/i-am-a-hindrance-to-the-world-and-the-world-is-a-hindrance-to-me/) [Cees Nooteboom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cees-nooteboom/) > [Man is a sad mammal that combs its hair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cees-nooteboom/man-is-a-sad-mammal-that-combs-its-hair/) [Cees Nooteboom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cees-nooteboom/) > [Language is something you inherit, it's never just you doing the talking, which helps when you're pretending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cees-nooteboom/language-is-something-you-inherit-it-s-never-just-you-doing-the/) [Cees Nooteboom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cees-nooteboom/) > [“Omnivore, omnifume, omniboit, omnivoit. Ne znaš odabrati, to je uvijek nedostatak izvrsnosti. Zato si ti svaštar. To je netko kome je sve lijepo. Život…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cees-nooteboom/omnivore-omnifume-omniboit-omnivoit-ne-zna-odabrati-to-je-uvijek/) [Cees Nooteboom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cees-nooteboom/) [Explore all 24 Cees Nooteboom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cees-nooteboom/) ## More Greatest quotes > [Imagination is the greatest nation in the world!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/imagination-is-the-greatest-nation-in-the-world/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [My greatest memories as a kid were playing sports with my dad and watching sports with my dad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-teixeira/my-greatest-memories-as-a-kid-were-playing-sports-with-my-dad-and/) [Mark Teixeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-teixeira/) > [The last goal I ever scored in professional football was at Goodison Park - a glancing header for Aston Villa in a 1-0 win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sutton/the-last-goal-i-ever-scored-in-professional-football-was-at-goodison/) [Chris Sutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sutton/) > [Shawn Michaels, to me and to so many people, is just the greatest in-ring performer of all time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-cole/shawn-michaels-to-me-and-to-so-many-people-is-just-the-greatest-in/) [Adam Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-cole/) > [The hard-working Mexican tries to get up here looking for opportunities because America's one of the greatest countries in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-ruiz-jr/the-hard-working-mexican-tries-to-get-up-here-looking-for/) [Andy Ruiz Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-ruiz-jr/) > [The way the world underestimates me will be my greatest weapon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calista-flockhart/the-way-the-world-underestimates-me-will-be-my-greatest-weapon/) [Calista Flockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calista-flockhart/) > [I don't mind people want to think Muhammad is the greatest fighter around. Everybody wants to make him great because of his mouth, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-frazier/i-don-t-mind-people-want-to-think-muhammad-is-the-greatest-fighter/) [Joe Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-frazier/) > [“The world is witnessing one of the greatest frauds the Florida government has ever engaged in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-world-is-witnessing-one-of-the-greatest-frauds-the-florida/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [People used to say my son looked like a Mexican Biggie. And when he was first born, memories of Biggie... you know, we didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-evans/people-used-to-say-my-son-looked-like-a-mexican-biggie-and-when-he/) [Faith Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-evans/) > [My greatest work comes in the community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-barry/my-greatest-work-comes-in-the-community/) [Marion Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-barry/) > [“The greatest faith is the willingness to ask in the first place, all evidence to the contrary. Faith not just in God, but in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cronin/the-greatest-faith-is-the-willingness-to-ask-in-the-first-place-all/) [Justin Cronin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cronin/) > [The greatest of all crimes are the wars that are carried on by governments, to plunder, enslave, and destroy mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/the-greatest-of-all-crimes-are-the-wars-that-are-carried-on-by/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [One of the greatest of all sources of misery is comparing yourself to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhat/one-of-the-greatest-of-all-sources-of-misery-is-comparing-yourself-to/) [Zhat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhat/) > [The greatest failure is the failure to try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-arthur-ward/the-greatest-failure-is-the-failure-to-try/) [William Arthur Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-arthur-ward/) > [To die in battle would be my greatest joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramzan-kadyrov/to-die-in-battle-would-be-my-greatest-joy/) [Ramzan Kadyrov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramzan-kadyrov/) [Browse all 2,783 Greatest quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "She had nothing to do all day ... but did it with the greatest possible speed.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cees Nooteboom" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cees-nooteboom/she-had-nothing-to-do-all-day-but-did-it-with-the-greatest-possible/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Greatest" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cees-nooteboom/she-had-nothing-to-do-all-day-but-did-it-with-the-greatest-possible/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfe/cees-nooteboom-17398_greatest_she-had-nothing-to-do-all-day-but-did-it_2711819.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfe/cees-nooteboom-17398_greatest_she-had-nothing-to-do-all-day-but-did-it_2711819.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfe/cees-nooteboom-17398_greatest_she-had-nothing-to-do-all-day-but-did-it_2711819.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“She had nothing to do all day ... but did it with the greatest possible speed.” — Cees Nooteboom", "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": "Cees Nooteboom", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cees-nooteboom/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "She had nothing to do all...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cees-nooteboom/she-had-nothing-to-do-all-day-but-did-it-with-the-greatest-possible/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cees-nooteboom/she-had-nothing-to-do-all-day-but-did-it-with-the-greatest-possible/#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 } } ] } ```