--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The decision to carve out time and…" description: "\"“The decision to carve out time and attention to make your work is a breathtaking act of ego. You’re saying, “I don’t care what everyone else thinks I ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/jessica-abel-36253_time_the-decision-to-carve-out-time-and-atten_2966775.jpg" --- # The decision to carve out time and attention to make your… ![“The decision to carve out time and attention to make your work is a breathtaking act of ego. You’re saying, “I don’t care what everyone else thinks I should be doing with my time. I know this is what I need to do.” If” quote by Jessica Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/jessica-abel-36253_time_the-decision-to-carve-out-time-and-atten_2966775.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/jessica-abel-36253_time_the-decision-to-carve-out-time-and-atten_2966775.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d3/jessica-abel-36253_time_the-decision-to-carve-out-time-and-atten_2966775.jpg) > ““The decision to carve out time and attention to make your work is a breathtaking act of ego. You’re saying, “I don’t care what everyone else thinks I should be doing with my time. I know this is what I need to do.” If”” [Jessica Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-abel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing time for personal work is an ego‑driven act that asserts personal priority over external expectations. **In simple terms:** Prioritizing personal work is an ego act. Key Takeaway Guard your time for meaningful work. Themes ego self‑direction creativity focus Mood determined assertive Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - writing - art projects - career planning - self‑development Key Concepts psychology productivity self‑care Questions to Reflect On - What personal work feels most essential? - How can you honor ego while staying open? A Different Perspective Ego‑driven focus may ignore collaboration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [That's what takes people out of the fight half the time. They get hit and half the reaction is your ego is saying, 'I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-russell/that-s-what-takes-people-out-of-the-fight-half-the-time-they-get-hit/) [David O. Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-russell/) > [“Instead of being happy by satisfying our ego through saying that there is only life in our world in this universe, we should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/instead-of-being-happy-by-satisfying-our-ego-through-saying-that/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I make sure I carve out time to be with my daughter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgina-chapman/i-make-sure-i-carve-out-time-to-be-with-my-daughter/) [Georgina Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgina-chapman/) > [My hope is that I hit it big with something, and then I'll have enough of a cushion to carve out time to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-thomas/my-hope-is-that-i-hit-it-big-with-something-and-then-i-ll-have-enough/) [Rob Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-thomas/) > [It is important for me to carve out time in my schedule to spend quality time with my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belinda-johnson/it-is-important-for-me-to-carve-out-time-in-my-schedule-to-spend/) [Belinda Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/belinda-johnson/) > [I think every villain basically thinks that he or she is doing something to make his world, or the world in general, a better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/i-think-every-villain-basically-thinks-that-he-or-she-is-doing/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [If everyone thinks you're doing the right thing, then everyone would be doing it. Have a controversial strategy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mcnealy/if-everyone-thinks-you-re-doing-the-right-thing-then-everyone-would/) [Scott McNealy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mcnealy/) > [When he's around, I try to pick his brain and just try to listen to what he thinks about what I'm doing and what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-cass/when-he-s-around-i-try-to-pick-his-brain-and-just-try-to-listen-to/) Big Cass > [When you're on set, you're like, 'Everyone's judging me because I'm the director, and everyone thinks I'm doing this because I just love myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taika-waititi/when-you-re-on-set-you-re-like-everyone-s-judging-me-because-i-m-the/) [Taika Waititi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taika-waititi/) > [“Carve out the time. Notice I do not say find the time. That is an absurd and dangerous phrase. Time is never lying around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-louden/carve-out-the-time-notice-i-do-not-say-find-the-time-that-is-an/) Jennifer Louden > [Oh God. She probably thinks we were off doing—you know—romantic type, um, things—](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/oh-god-she-probably-thinks-we-were-off-doing-you-know-romantic-type/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [I feel like when things are really hectic it's important to carve out time for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-bronfman/i-feel-like-when-things-are-really-hectic-it-s-important-to-carve-out/) [Hannah Bronfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-bronfman/) > [We're living at a time when attention is the new currency. Those who insert themselves into as many channels as possible look set to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-cashmore/we-re-living-at-a-time-when-attention-is-the-new-currency-those-who/) [Pete Cashmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-cashmore/) > [When I do one thing for a long period of time, my attention is usually then drawn in the opposite direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryuichi-sakamoto/when-i-do-one-thing-for-a-long-period-of-time-my-attention-is-usually/) [Ryuichi Sakamoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryuichi-sakamoto/) > [Mindfulness has never been more important considering how the events of the world move in such an accelerated, frantic time. Our attention goes from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barnet-bain/mindfulness-has-never-been-more-important-considering-how-the-events/) Barnet Bain ## More by Jessica Abel > [I haven't really lost faith in my work - other than for quite short periods when the work is harder than usual - but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-abel/i-haven-t-really-lost-faith-in-my-work-other-than-for-quite-short/) [Jessica Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-abel/) > [I don't use recurring characters. I do get very interested my characters while I'm working with them, and I find the process of fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-abel/i-don-t-use-recurring-characters-i-do-get-very-interested-my/) [Jessica Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-abel/) > [Women’s voices, LGBT voices, and the voices of people of color are all needed in any art form if we want to explore the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-abel/women-s-voices-lgbt-voices-and-the-voices-of-people-of-color-are-all/) [Jessica Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-abel/) > [“I sit in front of the notebook and feel like it’s just too late for me. And that this book isn’t working, nothing’s working,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-abel/i-sit-in-front-of-the-notebook-and-feel-like-it-s-just-too-late-for/) [Jessica Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-abel/) > [When I was living in Mexico, I started reassessing my drawing style, and plunged into a period of doing exercises and research to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-abel/when-i-was-living-in-mexico-i-started-reassessing-my-drawing-style/) [Jessica Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-abel/) > [When you draw in a tight, controlled style, you open yourself up to - in my case, my own - criticism that things aren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-abel/when-you-draw-in-a-tight-controlled-style-you-open-yourself-up-to-in/) [Jessica Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-abel/) > [Why does the need to explain comics still exist? Because that prejudice still exists. It's fading, but it's still very strong. It's important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-abel/why-does-the-need-to-explain-comics-still-exist-because-that/) [Jessica Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-abel/) > [My drawing, like that of most cartoonists, is intended first of all to be functional: to create believable space, and communicate information. My strongest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-abel/my-drawing-like-that-of-most-cartoonists-is-intended-first-of-all-to/) [Jessica Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-abel/) > [I can certainly be surprised by turns a story takes, but usually not once I'm actually in the writing/drawing stage. In the plotting stage,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-abel/i-can-certainly-be-surprised-by-turns-a-story-takes-but-usually-not/) [Jessica Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-abel/) > [I don't think comics use iconic forms - or they don't have to. But that makes them even more "cool," if I understand the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-abel/i-don-t-think-comics-use-iconic-forms-or-they-don-t-have-to-but-that/) [Jessica Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-abel/) > [Cartooning is completely different from other media: it is closely related to film and prose, other narrative forms, but the skills needed to realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-abel/cartooning-is-completely-different-from-other-media-it-is-closely/) [Jessica Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-abel/) > [It's a mystery to me why comics have been so despised for so long. Obviously, it has to do with the history of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-abel/it-s-a-mystery-to-me-why-comics-have-been-so-despised-for-so-long/) [Jessica Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-abel/) [Explore all 13 Jessica Abel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-abel/) ## More Time quotes > ['Mad TV' is one of my most favorite shows of all time and is a huge part of my obsession with sketch comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/mad-tv-is-one-of-my-most-favorite-shows-of-all-time-and-is-a-huge/) [Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/) > [These joys were so trifling as to be as imperceptible as grains of gold among the sand, and in moments of depression she saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/these-joys-were-so-trifling-as-to-be-as-imperceptible-as-grains-of/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“William didn't look like he'd be difficult about anything - he was thin and sandy-haired and already wore eyeglasses like his father. Most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-c-wrede/william-didn-t-look-like-he-d-be-difficult-about-anything-he-was-thin/) [Patricia C. Wrede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-c-wrede/) > [Intel has a very complete process that I go through any time I want to sell that ensures I have no insider information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-krzanich/intel-has-a-very-complete-process-that-i-go-through-any-time-i-want/) [Brian Krzanich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-krzanich/) > [The man who can master his time can master nearly anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-man-who-can-master-his-time-can-master-nearly-anything/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [I feel like the future is unwritten. 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Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“Conception is the beginning of human life. From the time that an ovum is fertilized a new life begins that is neither that of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declaration-on-procured-abortion-congregation-for-the-doctrine-of-the-faith-1974/conception-is-the-beginning-of-human-life-from-the-time-that-an-ovum/) Declaration on Procured Abortion Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 1974 > [“You put together two things that have not been put together before. 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