--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Just set one day's work in front of the…" description: "\"Just set one day's work in front of the last day's work. That's the way it comes out. And that's the only way it does.\" — John Steinbeck" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0a/john-steinbeck-71_doe_just-set-one-day-s-work-in-front-of-the_609975.jpg" --- # Just set one day's work in front of the last day's work… ![“Just set one day's work in front of the last day's work. That's the way it comes out. And that's the only way it does.” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0a/john-steinbeck-71_doe_just-set-one-day-s-work-in-front-of-the_609975.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0a/john-steinbeck-71_doe_just-set-one-day-s-work-in-front-of-the_609975.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0a/john-steinbeck-71_doe_just-set-one-day-s-work-in-front-of-the_609975.jpg) > “Just set one day's work in front of the last day's work. That's the way it comes out. And that's the only way it does.” [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He suggests tackling work one day at a time, building on previous progress. **In simple terms:** Do work step by step, building on yesterday. Key Takeaway Focus on today’s tasks. Themes productivity discipline progress Mood determined steady Type advice motivational When to use this quote - daily work - project management - writing Key Concepts incremental work daily planning habit formation Questions to Reflect On - What is your next step? - How does yesterday’s work inform today? A Different Perspective Neglecting long‑term vision can stall growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Last day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/last-day/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Work day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-day/) ## Related quotes > [“You can’t be happy at work every day. No matter how much you love your job, there are still going to be bad days.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-kjerulf/you-can-t-be-happy-at-work-every-day-no-matter-how-much-you-love-your/) [Alexander Kjerulf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-kjerulf/) > [It makes so much sense to just love what you do and go to work every day to get to get to work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millie-bobby-brown/it-makes-so-much-sense-to-just-love-what-you-do-and-go-to-work-every/) [Millie Bobby Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millie-bobby-brown/) > [Day's work is still to do, Whatever the day's doom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-fry/day-s-work-is-still-to-do-whatever-the-day-s-doom/) [Christopher Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-fry/) > [A day's work is a day's work, neither more nor less, and the man or woman who does it needs a day's sustenance, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/a-day-s-work-is-a-day-s-work-neither-more-nor-less-and-the-man-or/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“Give a day's work for a day's pay. Anything less is stealing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/give-a-day-s-work-for-a-day-s-pay-anything-less-is-stealing/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [I can't beg for work. One day or the other, you will get work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tripti-dimri/i-can-t-beg-for-work-one-day-or-the-other-you-will-get-work/) [Tripti Dimri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tripti-dimri/) > [Put in the work in every day, put in the work in training, and it will show on the field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-weah/put-in-the-work-in-every-day-put-in-the-work-in-training-and-it-will/) [Timothy Weah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-weah/) > [I think that everybody has hard work side, no matter what your job is, you have bad days, you have people you don't get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-upton/i-think-that-everybody-has-hard-work-side-no-matter-what-your-job-is/) [Kate Upton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-upton/) > [I am opposed to vacations and leisure. I try to make every day a work day. Even if there's nothing on my schedule, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-armisen/i-am-opposed-to-vacations-and-leisure-i-try-to-make-every-day-a-work/) [Fred Armisen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-armisen/) > [I realized I didn't need to go to work every day. I could work for the pleasure and the challenge, not for the mortgage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-gabrieli/i-realized-i-didn-t-need-to-go-to-work-every-day-i-could-work-for-the/) [Chris Gabrieli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-gabrieli/) > [A day without work is a day without food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baizhang-huaihai/a-day-without-work-is-a-day-without-food/) Baizhang Huaihai > [On the last day of our five-day work week, we did two performances and we had an audience. It was similar to theatre; we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-stapleton/on-the-last-day-of-our-five-day-work-week-we-did-two-performances-and/) [Jean Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-stapleton/) > [Just to set the mood, girl. I brought some Marvin Gaye and Chardonnay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/just-to-set-the-mood-girl-i-brought-some-marvin-gaye-and-chardonnay/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [Cause I just set them up, just set them up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/3oh-3/cause-i-just-set-them-up-just-set-them-up/) [3OH!3](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/3oh-3/) > [You just have to set a goal and go for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-w-k/you-just-have-to-set-a-goal-and-go-for-it/) [Andrew W.K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-w-k/) ## More by John Steinbeck > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. 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Takes a shoat to bring in pork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/prayer-never-brought-in-no-side-meat-takes-a-shoat-to-bring-in-pork/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“And now submarines are armed with mass murder, our silly, only way of deterring mass murder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/and-now-submarines-are-armed-with-mass-murder-our-silly-only-way-of/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“I’d think there are degrees of greatness,” Adam said. “I don’t think so,” said Samuel. “That would be like saying there is a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-d-think-there-are-degrees-of-greatness-adam-said-i-don-t-think-so/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“He was forever inventing a new way of doing an old thing and doing it better and quicker, but he never in his whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/he-was-forever-inventing-a-new-way-of-doing-an-old-thing-and-doing-it/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“You come back a changed man. 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The quick pain of truth can pass away, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/sometimes-a-lie-is-told-in-kindness-i-don-t-believe-it-ever-works/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [People like you to be something, preferably what they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/people-like-you-to-be-something-preferably-what-they-are/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“Suddenly he knew joy and sorrow felted into one fabric. Courage and fear were one thing too. He found that he had started to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/suddenly-he-knew-joy-and-sorrow-felted-into-one-fabric-courage-and/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I am writing this from what we Americans call Yurrp. In Yurrp writers are taken as seriously as Lana Turner's legs are in America…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-am-writing-this-from-what-we-americans-call-yurrp-in-yurrp-writers/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I write because I like to write. I find joy in the texture and tone and rhythm of words. It is a satisfaction like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-write-because-i-like-to-write-i-find-joy-in-the-texture-and-tone/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) [Explore all 1,589 John Steinbeck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## More Doe quotes > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. 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The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [He's a fool that marries; but he's a greater fool that does not marry a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/he-s-a-fool-that-marries-but-he-s-a-greater-fool-that-does-not-marry/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Nothing old is ever reborn but neither does it totally disappear. And that which has once been born, will always reappear in a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/nothing-old-is-ever-reborn-but-neither-does-it-totally-disappear-and/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. What the U.S. knows is that if you don't have a coalition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/one-of-the-things-the-united-states-does-well-is-building-coalitions/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. 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