--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No matter what the work you are doing, be…" description: "\"“No matter what the work you are doing, be always ready to drop it. And plan it, so as to be able to leave it.”\" — Leo Tolstoy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/leo-tolstoy-55_plan_no-matter-what-the-work-you-are-doing-be_734076.png" --- # No matter what the work you are doing, be always ready to… ![“No matter what the work you are doing, be always ready to drop it. And plan it, so as to be able to leave it.” quote by Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/leo-tolstoy-55_plan_no-matter-what-the-work-you-are-doing-be_734076.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/leo-tolstoy-55_plan_no-matter-what-the-work-you-are-doing-be_734076.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/leo-tolstoy-55_plan_no-matter-what-the-work-you-are-doing-be_734076.png) > ““No matter what the work you are doing, be always ready to drop it. And plan it, so as to be able to leave it.”” [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Be prepared to abandon current work when better opportunities arise, and plan for a smooth transition. **In simple terms:** Be ready to quit and have a plan. Key Takeaway Plan exits before committing fully. Themes adaptability career planning risk management Mood reflective pragmatic Type motivational strategic When to use this quote - job change - project handover - entrepreneurial pivots - career transitions Key Concepts strategic foresight opportunity cost Questions to Reflect On - What would you need to feel secure leaving a role? - How do you balance commitment with flexibility? A Different Perspective Leaving without a plan can cause instability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able Leave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able-leave-1490779/) [Doing Ready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-ready-1024583/) [Drop Plan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drop-plan-5743944/) [Plan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plan/) [Planning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planning/) [Readiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/readiness/) [Ready Drop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ready-drop-3779949/) ## Related quotes > [“All I have to do is look at you, and you’re ready to drop to your knees and do what I command, aren’t you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-sloan/all-i-have-to-do-is-look-at-you-and-you-re-ready-to-drop-to-your/) [Harper Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-sloan/) > [Bigger shows, songs on the radio, more people aware of what I'm doing... all that, I'm ready!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mod-sun/bigger-shows-songs-on-the-radio-more-people-aware-of-what-i-m-doing/) [Mod Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mod-sun/) > [Whether your job puts you in the public eye or not, being able to leave your work at work and come home to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-leong/whether-your-job-puts-you-in-the-public-eye-or-not-being-able-to/) [Melissa Leong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-leong/) > [There are not that many people who can say they have been on a show long enough to leave it. Usually, you don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rocky-carroll/there-are-not-that-many-people-who-can-say-they-have-been-on-a-show/) [Rocky Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rocky-carroll/) > [I want to be able to leave my phone at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-krzanich/i-want-to-be-able-to-leave-my-phone-at-home/) [Brian Krzanich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-krzanich/) > [I am not a huge fan of being around people all the time. I really like being able to leave people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-branum/i-am-not-a-huge-fan-of-being-around-people-all-the-time-i-really-like/) [Guy Branum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-branum/) > [I used to be very quick, I would be able to leave the room and be back before you noticed. 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They are always prepared.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/leaders-don-t-venture-without-vision-they-don-t-pray-without-plans/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [A readiness to resent injuries is a virtue only in those who are slow to injure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/a-readiness-to-resent-injuries-is-a-virtue-only-in-those-who-are-slow/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [It is true that the virtues which are less esteemed and practiced now--independence, self-reliance, and the willingness to bear risks, the readiness to back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/it-is-true-that-the-virtues-which-are-less-esteemed-and-practiced-now/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [Books are never out of humour; never envious or jealous, they answer all questions with readiness; ... they teach us how to live and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holbrook-jackson/books-are-never-out-of-humour-never-envious-or-jealous-they-answer/) [Holbrook Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holbrook-jackson/) > [“But let the wise be warned against too great readiness at explanation: it multiplies the sources of mistake, lengthening the sum for reckoners sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/but-let-the-wise-be-warned-against-too-great-readiness-at-explanation/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/courage-is-almost-a-contradiction-in-terms-it-means-a-strong-desire/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The worthiness of any cause is not measured by its clean record, but by its readiness to see the blots when they are pointed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldo-leopold/the-worthiness-of-any-cause-is-not-measured-by-its-clean-record-but/) [Aldo Leopold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldo-leopold/) > [How could a readiness for war in time of peace be safely prohibited, unless we could prohibit, in like manner, the preparations and establishments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/how-could-a-readiness-for-war-in-time-of-peace-be-safely-prohibited/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) ## More by Leo Tolstoy > [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/) > [The only significance of life consists in helping to establish the kingdom of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-only-significance-of-life-consists-in-helping-to-establish-the/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“I already love in you your beauty, but I am only beginning to love in you that which is eternal and ever precious –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-already-love-in-you-your-beauty-but-i-am-only-beginning-to-love-in/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Energy rests upon love; and come as it will, there's no forcing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/energy-rests-upon-love-and-come-as-it-will-there-s-no-forcing-it/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“If you only knew what those society women are, and women in general! My father is right. Selfish, vain, stupid, trivial in everything—that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/if-you-only-knew-what-those-society-women-are-and-women-in-general-my/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [To evoke in oneself a feeling one has once experienced, and having evoked it in oneself, then by means of movements, lines, colors, sounds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-evoke-in-oneself-a-feeling-one-has-once-experienced-and-having/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [To speak of it would be giving importance to that which has none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-speak-of-it-would-be-giving-importance-to-that-which-has-none/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Once we're thrown off our habitual paths, we think all is lost, but it's only here that the new and the good begins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/once-we-re-thrown-off-our-habitual-paths-we-think-all-is-lost-but-it/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“He knew she was there by the rapture and the terror that seized on his heart. She was standing talking to a lady at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/he-knew-she-was-there-by-the-rapture-and-the-terror-that-seized-on/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Rest, nature, books, music...such is my idea of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/rest-nature-books-music-such-is-my-idea-of-happiness/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“He was not to blame for being born with an irrepressible charachter and a mind some how constrained.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/he-was-not-to-blame-for-being-born-with-an-irrepressible-charachter/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [I ask one thing only: I ask for the right to hope, to suffer as I do. But if even that cannot be, command…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/i-ask-one-thing-only-i-ask-for-the-right-to-hope-to-suffer-as-i-do/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [The idea shared by many that life is a vale of tears is just as false as the idea shared by the great majority,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-idea-shared-by-many-that-life-is-a-vale-of-tears-is-just-as-false/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [To say that a work of art is good, but incomprehensible to the majority of men, is the same as saying of some kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-say-that-a-work-of-art-is-good-but-incomprehensible-to-the/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [True life is lived when tiny changes occur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/true-life-is-lived-when-tiny-changes-occur/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) [Explore all 1,754 Leo Tolstoy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) ## More Plan quotes > [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/) [Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/) > [Sometimes your plan doesn't work.out because God has better ones..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-your-plan-doesn-t-work-out-because-god-has-better-ones/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When we shipped 'Borderlands 2,' we didn't ship it with a plan of how the level cap was going to increase. We didn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pitchford/when-we-shipped-borderlands-2-we-didn-t-ship-it-with-a-plan-of-how/) [Randy Pitchford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pitchford/) > [it's never been a plan to have this or that. It's just where I am in my life, at that time, and where my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cam-gigandet/it-s-never-been-a-plan-to-have-this-or-that-it-s-just-where-i-am-in/) [Cam Gigandet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cam-gigandet/) > [“But I also know we can’t plan on anyone else rescuing us. We have to do it ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/but-i-also-know-we-can-t-plan-on-anyone-else-rescuing-us-we-have-to/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [Like many other scientists who hold the Catholic faith, I see the Creator's plan and purpose fulfilled in our universe. I see a planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/like-many-other-scientists-who-hold-the-catholic-faith-i-see-the/) [Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/) > [I plan on actually governing in a nonpartisan fashion because I think that 90% of the problems we face are nonpartisan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-james/i-plan-on-actually-governing-in-a-nonpartisan-fashion-because-i-think/) [John E. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-james/) > [I almost never have a plan for myself... I'm not ambitious in that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-plimpton/i-almost-never-have-a-plan-for-myself-i-m-not-ambitious-in-that-way/) [Martha Plimpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-plimpton/) > [“Have a plan and change it often.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mikulovsky/have-a-plan-and-change-it-often/) [David Mikulovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mikulovsky/) > [I don't think anyone wants to do the same thing over and over again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bachmann/i-don-t-think-anyone-wants-to-do-the-same-thing-over-and-over-again/) [Eric Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bachmann/) > [Koresh believed that God had a plan that would go contrary to any human planning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thibodeau/koresh-believed-that-god-had-a-plan-that-would-go-contrary-to-any/) [David Thibodeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thibodeau/) > [Let your mind be its own and enjoy what you can not all things in life are in need of a plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-timbre/let-your-mind-be-its-own-and-enjoy-what-you-can-not-all-things-in/) [Jamie Timbre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-timbre/) > [Many of us believe that we need health care reform. That being said - Americans felt like they weren't being listened to. There were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/many-of-us-believe-that-we-need-health-care-reform-that-being-said/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It is one thing being disciplined to plan and it is another thing being a disciple of great work. Be your own disciplinarian.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/it-is-one-thing-being-disciplined-to-plan-and-it-is-another-thing/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [God has a plan for all of us, but He expects us to do our share of the work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minnie-pearl/god-has-a-plan-for-all-of-us-but-he-expects-us-to-do-our-share-of-the/) [Minnie Pearl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minnie-pearl/) [Browse all 2,847 Plan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plan/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“No matter what the work you are doing, be always ready to drop it. 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