--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The single most important change you can…" description: "\"“The single most important change you can make in your working habits is to switch to creative work first, reactive work second. This means blocking of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5a/jocelyn-k-glei-4186_change_the-single-most-important-change-you-can_2350473.jpg" --- # The single most important change you can make in your… ![“The single most important change you can make in your working habits is to switch to creative work first, reactive work second. This means blocking off a large chunk of time every day for creative work on your own priorities, with the phone and e-mail off.” quote by Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5a/jocelyn-k-glei-4186_change_the-single-most-important-change-you-can_2350473.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5a/jocelyn-k-glei-4186_change_the-single-most-important-change-you-can_2350473.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5a/jocelyn-k-glei-4186_change_the-single-most-important-change-you-can_2350473.jpg) > ““The single most important change you can make in your working habits is to switch to creative work first, reactive work second. This means blocking off a large chunk of time every day for creative work on your own priorities, with the phone and e-mail off.”” [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prioritizing creative work before reactive tasks boosts productivity and personal fulfillment. **In simple terms:** Do creative work first, then reactive tasks. Key Takeaway Schedule dedicated creative time daily. Themes productivity creativity time management Mood motivational practical Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - writing - design - strategic planning Key Concepts deep work focus priority setting Questions to Reflect On - How can you protect creative blocks? - What boundaries help maintain focus? A Different Perspective Reactive tasks can interrupt creative flow if not managed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Creative work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-work/) [Every day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-day/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Habits Switch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits-switch-5720923/) [Make Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-working-841279/) [Work Priorities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-priorities-3687583/) [Work Reactive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-reactive-5720924/) [Working Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-habits-3629883/) ## Related quotes > [My number one thing to work on is not being reactive - but appropriateness doesn't come easily to me sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-love/my-number-one-thing-to-work-on-is-not-being-reactive-but/) [Courtney Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-love/) > [The bottom line is, when people are crystal clear about the most important priorities of the organization and team they work with and prioritized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/the-bottom-line-is-when-people-are-crystal-clear-about-the-most/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [“Although your daily ‘to do’ list may change, your overall work priorities shouldn’t. My priority list goes something like this: Existing client work New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-toon/although-your-daily-to-do-list-may-change-your-overall-work/) [Kate Toon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-toon/) > [“You might get up at noon and work at home in your dressing gown, in a pigsty of a living room. You might check…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mcguinness/you-might-get-up-at-noon-and-work-at-home-in-your-dressing-gown-in-a/) [Mark McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mcguinness/) > [My working habits are simple: long periods of thinking, short periods of writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/my-working-habits-are-simple-long-periods-of-thinking-short-periods/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [We must make working life more human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goran-persson/we-must-make-working-life-more-human/) [Goran Persson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goran-persson/) > [You can't reward people who don't want to work with more money than they would make while they were working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-leach/you-can-t-reward-people-who-don-t-want-to-work-with-more-money-than/) [Robin Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-leach/) > [Don't think that you can make up for it by working twice as hard tomorrow. If you have it within your power to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/don-t-think-that-you-can-make-up-for-it-by-working-twice-as-hard/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [Profits are what you make when not working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pare/profits-are-what-you-make-when-not-working/) [Michael Pare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pare/) > [“Certain times of day are especially conducive to focused creativity, thanks to circadian rhythms of arousal and mental alertness. Notice when you seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/certain-times-of-day-are-especially-conducive-to-focused-creativity/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“What we call creative work, Ought not to be called work at all because it isn't. I imagine that Thomas Edison never did a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-we-call-creative-work-ought-not-to-be-called-work-at-all-because/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ If \[people\] place such things as friendship and family ties above their own productive work, yes, then they are immoral. Friendship, family life and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/if-people-place-such-things-as-friendship-and-family-ties-above-their/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [As I've indicated, most books go out of print within one year. The same is true of music and film. Commercial culture is sharklike.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/as-i-ve-indicated-most-books-go-out-of-print-within-one-year-the-same/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [The impresario function is about intervening with the company's more administrative management structure. It is about trying to establish a sense of boundaries and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kao/the-impresario-function-is-about-intervening-with-the-company-s-more/) [John Kao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kao/) > [“… ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself Ricky Nelson (Referring to creative works, not other things)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ya-can-t-please-everyone-so-ya-got-to-please-yourself-ricky-nelson/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Jocelyn K. Glei > [“We are all works in progress. Each day presents an opportunity to learn more, do more, be more, and grow more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/we-are-all-works-in-progress-each-day-presents-an-opportunity-to/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“Truly great creative achievements require hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of work, and we have to make time every single day to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/truly-great-creative-achievements-require-hundreds-if-not-thousands/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“continuous partial attention,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/continuous-partial-attention/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“99U’s Manage Your Day-to-Day assembles insights around four key skill sets you must master to succeed: building a rock-solid daily routine, taming your tools…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/99u-s-manage-your-day-to-day-assembles-insights-around-four-key-skill/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“All of the most fulfilled people I know focus more on the quality of their connections than the quantity of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/all-of-the-most-fulfilled-people-i-know-focus-more-on-the-quality-of/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“people have a really bad habit of coming in and checking e-mail first thing in the morning. And for many people, the morning is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/people-have-a-really-bad-habit-of-coming-in-and-checking-e-mail-first/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“when folks want to talk creativity, what they’re really seeking is help with execution, ways to take action more effectively.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/when-folks-want-to-talk-creativity-what-they-re-really-seeking-is/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“THE MULTITASKING MYTH Studies show that the human mind can only truly multitask when it comes to highly automatic behaviors like walking. For activities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/the-multitasking-myth-studies-show-that-the-human-mind-can-only-truly/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“The next time you experience a creative block, resist the temptation to doubt yourself, or to put in more blind effort. Stop and ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/the-next-time-you-experience-a-creative-block-resist-the-temptation/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“What I do every day matters more than what I do once in a while.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/what-i-do-every-day-matters-more-than-what-i-do-once-in-a-while/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“The idea that the best way to communicate with people is 24/7 is not really an idea about maximizing productivity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/the-idea-that-the-best-way-to-communicate-with-people-is-24-7-is-not/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“Limit your daily to-do list. A 3” × 3” Post-it is perfect—if you can’t fit everything on a list that size, how will you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/limit-your-daily-to-do-list-a-3-3-post-it-is-perfect-if-you-can-t-fit/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“I never schedule meetings in the morning, if I can avoid it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/i-never-schedule-meetings-in-the-morning-if-i-can-avoid-it/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“Follow your passion” is bad advice. I reached this conclusion after spending a year researching a basic question: What makes people love what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/follow-your-passion-is-bad-advice-i-reached-this-conclusion-after/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) > [“For his book Willpower, psychologist Roy Baumeister analyzed findings from hundreds of experiments to determine why some people can retain focus for hours, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-k-glei/for-his-book-willpower-psychologist-roy-baumeister-analyzed-findings/) [Jocelyn K. Glei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) [Explore all 114 Jocelyn K. Glei quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-k-glei/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) [Phil Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hogan/) > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The single most important change you can make in your working habits is to switch to creative work first, reactive work second. 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