--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Organizing time is exactly like…" description: "\"Organizing time is exactly like organizing space. Just as a closet is a limited amount of space into which you must fit a certain number of objects, a ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cd/julie-morgenstern-44640_abstraction_organizing-time-is-exactly-like-organizi_1324129.jpg" --- # Organizing time is exactly like organizing space. Just as… ![“Organizing time is exactly like organizing space. Just as a closet is a limited amount of space into which you must fit a certain number of objects, a schedule is a limited space into which you must fit a certain number of tasks. Each day and each week is simply a container, a storage unit with a…” quote by Julie Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cd/julie-morgenstern-44640_abstraction_organizing-time-is-exactly-like-organizi_1324129.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cd/julie-morgenstern-44640_abstraction_organizing-time-is-exactly-like-organizi_1324129.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cd/julie-morgenstern-44640_abstraction_organizing-time-is-exactly-like-organizi_1324129.jpg) > “Organizing time is exactly like organizing space. Just as a closet is a limited amount of space into which you must fit a certain number of objects, a schedule is a limited space into which you must fit a certain number of tasks. Each day and each week is simply a container, a storage unit with a definite capacity. The trick is to treat time not as an abstraction but as something solid that you can hold on to and move around.” [Julie Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-morgenstern/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Treat time as a tangible container, allocating tasks like objects in limited space. **In simple terms:** Time is a container for tasks. Key Takeaway Allocate tasks as if arranging items in a closet. Themes productivity organization planning Mood practical structured Type advice motivational When to use this quote - daily scheduling - project planning - event coordination Key Concepts time allocation space metaphor efficiency Questions to Reflect On - How can you flexibly adjust your schedule? - What tasks deserve priority space? A Different Perspective Treat may be unpredictable, making rigid allocation hard. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abstraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstraction/) [Amount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amount/) [Capacity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capacity/) [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Closet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/closet/) [Closets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/closets/) [Containers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/containers/) [Definite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definite/) [Each day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/each-day/) [Fit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fit/) [Like Organizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-organizing-2455740/) [Moving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving/) [Numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbers/) [Objects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objects/) [Organized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organized/) [Organizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organizing/) [Organizing Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organizing-space-4420957/) [Organizing Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organizing-time-4420956/) [Schedules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/schedules/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Storage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storage/) [Storage Unit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storage-unit-213199/) [Tasks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tasks/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Treats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treats/) [Tricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tricks/) [Units](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/units/) [Week](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/week/) ## Related quotes > [What I like about organizing things that way is that each story gets nearly full reign over its own space, but all of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-kesey/what-i-like-about-organizing-things-that-way-is-that-each-story-gets/) [Roy Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-kesey/) > [I like organizing things. I like organizing my closets, so that I know where everything is. And and I used to color code it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-like-organizing-things-i-like-organizing-my-closets-so-that-i-know/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [I was a real serious kid, real intense, and there were a lot of things that I was doing by myself I took seriously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-w-k/i-was-a-real-serious-kid-real-intense-and-there-were-a-lot-of-things/) [Andrew W.K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-w-k/) > [“I stood with my hands on the horses' necks, feeling the electricity of their thinking, the blood moving throughout their veins, and the history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bethanne-elion/i-stood-with-my-hands-on-the-horses-necks-feeling-the-electricity-of/) [Bethanne Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bethanne-elion/) > [I have a storage unit, as I moved out of a bigger house into a smaller house in L.A. I put all my stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-coolidge/i-have-a-storage-unit-as-i-moved-out-of-a-bigger-house-into-a-smaller/) [Jennifer Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-coolidge/) > [“Warning: This data storage unit, or "book," has been designed to reprogram the human brain, allowing it to replicate the lost art that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-a-lancaster/warning-this-data-storage-unit-or-book-has-been-designed-to-reprogram/) [Mike A. Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-a-lancaster/) > [A man's tailored jacket is like a compartmentalized storage unit with sleeves. Women eye those pockets with envy while searching for a ticket stub…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-binkley/a-man-s-tailored-jacket-is-like-a-compartmentalized-storage-unit-with/) [Christina Binkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-binkley/) > [“It’s not enough to be the best. You also have to be seen by the most. A masterpiece painting hanging in the storage unit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/it-s-not-enough-to-be-the-best-you-also-have-to-be-seen-by-the-most-a/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Successful organizing forces you to look at the big picture, not one small section of the frame, so that the system you design will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-morgenstern/successful-organizing-forces-you-to-look-at-the-big-picture-not-one/) [Julie Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-morgenstern/) > [I love cunning containers as much as anyone, but I've found that if I get rid of everything I don't need, I often don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/i-love-cunning-containers-as-much-as-anyone-but-i-ve-found-that-if-i/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [Having the equivalent of 150,000 Hiroshima-sized bombs at the ready does nothing to protect us from terrorists planning to sneak in a bomb through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-cohen/having-the-equivalent-of-150-000-hiroshima-sized-bombs-at-the-ready/) [Ben Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-cohen/) > [There is something about a home aquarium which sets my teeth on edge the moment I see it. Why anyone would want to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-perelman/there-is-something-about-a-home-aquarium-which-sets-my-teeth-on-edge/) [S. J. Perelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-perelman/) > [Nowadays I find chocolate and/or chocolate-based snacks to be great motivators. Everyone loves chocolate. If someone has a lot of work to do, put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scott/nowadays-i-find-chocolate-and-or-chocolate-based-snacks-to-be-great/) [Michael Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scott/) > [I often steal sandwiches, eat them, and put the container's back., with a signed autograph of my self in its place. It's my way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-yorke/i-often-steal-sandwiches-eat-them-and-put-the-container-s-back-with-a/) [Thom Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-yorke/) > [Whatever else a photograph may be about, it is inevitably about photography, the container and vehicle of all its meanings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-szarkowski/whatever-else-a-photograph-may-be-about-it-is-inevitably-about/) [John Szarkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-szarkowski/) ## More by Julie Morgenstern > [“We all have different skill sets, interests, concentration cycles, and energy levels. The key is to find out how long it really takes YOU…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-morgenstern/we-all-have-different-skill-sets-interests-concentration-cycles-and/) [Julie Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-morgenstern/) > [“If you're afraid to let someone else see your weakness, take heart: Nobody's perfect. 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No matter how tired you are, resist the temptation to let that empty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-morgenstern/clean-and-restock-your-car-at-the-end-of-each-trip-no-matter-how/) [Julie Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-morgenstern/) > [“Successful organizing forces you to look at the big picture, not one small section of the frame, so that the system you design will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-morgenstern/successful-organizing-forces-you-to-look-at-the-big-picture-not-one/) [Julie Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-morgenstern/) > [“If you don't know where you are going, how will you know when you get there?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-morgenstern/if-you-don-t-know-where-you-are-going-how-will-you-know-when-you-get/) [Julie Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-morgenstern/) > [We all get attached to frayed towels, mismatched sheets and shapeless pillows, associating them with years of comfort, but they have ceased to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-morgenstern/we-all-get-attached-to-frayed-towels-mismatched-sheets-and-shapeless/) [Julie Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-morgenstern/) > [“Good time management is not about buying a great calendar or planner. It is not about learning tricks to move faster, or about doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-morgenstern/good-time-management-is-not-about-buying-a-great-calendar-or-planner/) [Julie Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-morgenstern/) > [Each time we go through a major life change (getting married or divorced, moving, having a family, switching careers, starting a new business, going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-morgenstern/each-time-we-go-through-a-major-life-change-getting-married-or/) [Julie Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-morgenstern/) [Explore all 9 Julie Morgenstern quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-morgenstern/) ## More Abstraction quotes > [Everything in dancing is style, allusion, the essence of many thoughts and feelings. The abstraction of many moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-ailey/everything-in-dancing-is-style-allusion-the-essence-of-many-thoughts/) [Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/) > [The premises from which we begin are not arbitrary ones, not dogmas, but real premises from which abstraction can only be made in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/the-premises-from-which-we-begin-are-not-arbitrary-ones-not-dogmas/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [Two elements are needed to form a truth - a fact and an abstraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/remy-de-gourmont/two-elements-are-needed-to-form-a-truth-a-fact-and-an-abstraction/) [Remy de Gourmont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/remy-de-gourmont/) > [But we must not underestimate the potency of the mathematical process of abstraction. A surprising variety of things happen to have both magnitude and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banesh-hoffmann/but-we-must-not-underestimate-the-potency-of-the-mathematical-process/) [Banesh Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banesh-hoffmann/) > [Sometimes I start in a very realistic fashion, and as I go on from one painting to another of the same kind, it becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/sometimes-i-start-in-a-very-realistic-fashion-and-as-i-go-on-from-one/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [I like residing in abstraction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/i-like-residing-in-abstraction/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [Cancer begins and ends with people. In the midst of scientific abstraction, it is sometimes possible to forget this one basic fact. Doctors treat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/june-goodfield/cancer-begins-and-ends-with-people-in-the-midst-of-scientific/) [June Goodfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/june-goodfield/) > [Yes, there was an element of abstraction and unreality in misfortune. But when an abstraction starts to kill you, you have to get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/yes-there-was-an-element-of-abstraction-and-unreality-in-misfortune/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Computer Science is a science of abstraction -creating the right model for a problem and devising the appropriate mechanizable techniques to solve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-aho/computer-science-is-a-science-of-abstraction-creating-the-right-model/) [Alfred Aho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-aho/) > [In 'Self Comes to Mind' I pay a lot of attention to simple creatures without brains or minds, because those 'cartooned abstractions of who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-damasio/in-self-comes-to-mind-i-pay-a-lot-of-attention-to-simple-creatures/) [Antonio Damasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-damasio/) > [Don't get stuck on the level of words. A word is no more than a means to an end. It's an abstraction. Not unlike…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/don-t-get-stuck-on-the-level-of-words-a-word-is-no-more-than-a-means/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Holidays are in no sense an alternative to the congestion and bustle of the cities and work. Quite the contrary. People look to escape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baudrillard/holidays-are-in-no-sense-an-alternative-to-the-congestion-and-bustle/) [Jean Baudrillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baudrillard/) > [The pragmatist turns away from abstraction and insufficiency, from verbal solutions, from bad a priori reasons, from fixed principles, closed systems, and pretended absolutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-pragmatist-turns-away-from-abstraction-and-insufficiency-from/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [ I'd say that \[Louis\] Brandeis practiced a kind of a "living originalism," to use the title of Jack Balkin's great book. 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