--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Doing nothing is very tough to do because…" description: "\"Doing nothing is very tough to do because you never know when you're finished. The upside is that from the moment you wake up in the morning, you're on..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c44/leslie-nielsen-12769_doing-nothing_doing-nothing-is-very-tough-to-do-becaus_1504671.jpg" --- # Doing nothing is very tough to do because you never know… ![“Doing nothing is very tough to do because you never know when you're finished. The upside is that from the moment you wake up in the morning, you're on the job.” quote by Leslie Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c44/leslie-nielsen-12769_doing-nothing_doing-nothing-is-very-tough-to-do-becaus_1504671.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c44/leslie-nielsen-12769_doing-nothing_doing-nothing-is-very-tough-to-do-becaus_1504671.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c44/leslie-nielsen-12769_doing-nothing_doing-nothing-is-very-tough-to-do-becaus_1504671.jpg) > “Doing nothing is very tough to do because you never know when you're finished. The upside is that from the moment you wake up in the morning, you're on the job.” [Leslie Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-nielsen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights the paradox of constant work; even inactivity feels like labor. **In simple terms:** Work never truly ends. Key Takeaway Embrace balance. Themes work life paradox Mood lighthearted philosophical Type humorous reflective When to use this quote - daily routine - career burnout - mindfulness Key Concepts existential humor Questions to Reflect On - How do you define “finished”? - Can id find true downtime? A Different Perspective May ignore benefits of rest. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing/) [Doing nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-nothing/) [Doing Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-tough-5185308/) [Finished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finished/) [Finished Upside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finished-upside-5523624/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Know Finished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-finished-615300/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Morning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morning/) [Morning Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morning-job-610935/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tough/) [Wake up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wake-up/) ## Related quotes > [“Doing the tough things sets winners apart from losers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-richards/doing-the-tough-things-sets-winners-apart-from-losers/) [Stephen Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-richards/) > [When I wasn't doing well, I was too tough on myself but I truly tried to minimise it. So, I would always appreciate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-lara/when-i-wasn-t-doing-well-i-was-too-tough-on-myself-but-i-truly-tried/) [Brian Lara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-lara/) > [I get up in the morning, have a job to do, go there, come home, be with the family, that's it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amitabh-bachchan/i-get-up-in-the-morning-have-a-job-to-do-go-there-come-home-be-with/) [Amitabh Bachchan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amitabh-bachchan/) > [I am so blessed to be able to get up in the morning and go to a job I love, with fantastic people around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-leeves/i-am-so-blessed-to-be-able-to-get-up-in-the-morning-and-go-to-a-job-i/) [Jane Leeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-leeves/) > [People don't want to see me having a bad morning. They have job problems, financial problems, family pressures, kids to get off to school.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-lauer/people-don-t-want-to-see-me-having-a-bad-morning-they-have-job/) [Matt Lauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-lauer/) > [The trouble with unemployment is that the minute you wake up in the morning you're on the job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slappy-white/the-trouble-with-unemployment-is-that-the-minute-you-wake-up-in-the/) [Slappy White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slappy-white/) > [Since I was 20 years old, I've been a kind of corporation. I'd wake up in the morning and my job was to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-raitt/since-i-was-20-years-old-i-ve-been-a-kind-of-corporation-i-d-wake-up/) [Bonnie Raitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-raitt/) > [When you don't know what you're talking about, it's hard to know when you're finished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-smothers/when-you-don-t-know-what-you-re-talking-about-it-s-hard-to-know-when/) [Tommy Smothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-smothers/) > [In response to the question, 'How do you know when you're finished?' Pollock replied, 'How do you know when you're finished making love?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-pollock/in-response-to-the-question-how-do-you-know-when-you-re-finished/) [Jackson Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-pollock/) > [For me to give my advice to somebody who's thinking about going back to an ex or keeps on going back to their ex,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sevyn-streeter/for-me-to-give-my-advice-to-somebody-who-s-thinking-about-going-back/) [Sevyn Streeter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sevyn-streeter/) > [How do you know when you're finished making love?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-pollock/how-do-you-know-when-you-re-finished-making-love/) [Jackson Pollock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-pollock/) > [“The problem with doing nothing is that you never know when you're finished.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/the-problem-with-doing-nothing-is-that-you-never-know-when-you-re/) [Nelson DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/) > [Doing nothing is extremely hard as you never know when your finished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamika-leeigh/doing-nothing-is-extremely-hard-as-you-never-know-when-your-finished/) [Tamika-leeigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamika-leeigh/) > [Doing nothing is the hardest thing to do. You don't know when will you be finished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/doing-nothing-is-the-hardest-thing-to-do-you-don-t-know-when-will-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't know what to do,' she finished. 'I feel like I'm the one who has to keep everyone together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-shepard/i-don-t-know-what-to-do-she-finished-i-feel-like-i-m-the-one-who-has/) [Sara Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-shepard/) ## More by Leslie Nielsen > [The reason they call it 'golf' is that all the other 4 letter words were used up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-nielsen/the-reason-they-call-it-golf-is-that-all-the-other-4-letter-words/) [Leslie Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-nielsen/) > [I would love to see what's going to happen with science fiction with peoples' heads, because we still have people running around in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-nielsen/i-would-love-to-see-what-s-going-to-happen-with-science-fiction-with/) [Leslie Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-nielsen/) > [I had always functioned with dignity, wanting to appear intelligent, macho, never vulnerable or insecure. But now I realize that... a part of these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-nielsen/i-had-always-functioned-with-dignity-wanting-to-appear-intelligent/) [Leslie Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-nielsen/) > [It was a boy's name first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-nielsen/it-was-a-boy-s-name-first/) [Leslie Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-nielsen/) > [The violence or the vaudeville style of comedy is a technique all by itself. You get up there, and you are a comedian, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-nielsen/the-violence-or-the-vaudeville-style-of-comedy-is-a-technique-all-by/) [Leslie Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-nielsen/) > [Yes, it's true, I've been called the Laurence Olivier of spoofs. I guess that would make Laurence Olivier the Leslie Nielsen of Shakespeare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-nielsen/yes-it-s-true-i-ve-been-called-the-laurence-olivier-of-spoofs-i-guess/) [Leslie Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-nielsen/) > [I like my sex the way I play basketball, one on one with as little dribbling as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-nielsen/i-like-my-sex-the-way-i-play-basketball-one-on-one-with-as-little/) [Leslie Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-nielsen/) > [One thing a person won't do when he's laughing is try to beat you up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-nielsen/one-thing-a-person-won-t-do-when-he-s-laughing-is-try-to-beat-you-up/) [Leslie Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-nielsen/) > [There were 15 people in the village, including five of us. If my father arrested somebody in the winter, he'd have to wait until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-nielsen/there-were-15-people-in-the-village-including-five-of-us-if-my-father/) [Leslie Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-nielsen/) > [It's not really that I've been an advocate for hearing aids for a long time, it's just that I've been losing my hearing for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-nielsen/it-s-not-really-that-i-ve-been-an-advocate-for-hearing-aids-for-a/) [Leslie Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-nielsen/) > [When you see Charlie Chaplin, he stays funny. He doesn't become drama, and so what really seems to endure is comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-nielsen/when-you-see-charlie-chaplin-he-stays-funny-he-doesn-t-become-drama/) [Leslie Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-nielsen/) > [Like a blind man at an orgy, I was going to have to feel my way through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-nielsen/like-a-blind-man-at-an-orgy-i-was-going-to-have-to-feel-my-way-through/) [Leslie Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-nielsen/) > [Those who the gods seek to destroy first, learn how to play golf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-nielsen/those-who-the-gods-seek-to-destroy-first-learn-how-to-play-golf/) [Leslie Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-nielsen/) > [I really have to keep an eye on myself, because sometimes I think I might say something important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-nielsen/i-really-have-to-keep-an-eye-on-myself-because-sometimes-i-think-i/) [Leslie Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-nielsen/) > [You know it's very difficult to be an actor, and to have people depending on you to say the right line, at the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-nielsen/you-know-it-s-very-difficult-to-be-an-actor-and-to-have-people/) [Leslie Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-nielsen/) [Explore all 53 Leslie Nielsen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-nielsen/) ## More Doing quotes > [I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm damn well gonna do it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geri-halliwell/i-don-t-know-what-i-m-doing-but-i-m-damn-well-gonna-do-it/) [Geri Halliwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geri-halliwell/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [If you think you're doing everything right, then you have a tendency to stand pat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stockton/if-you-think-you-re-doing-everything-right-then-you-have-a-tendency/) [John Stockton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stockton/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [Doing the right things is more important than doing things right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ko-wen-je/doing-the-right-things-is-more-important-than-doing-things-right/) [Ko Wen-je](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ko-wen-je/) > [I was in high school and I had an independent album out, and we kept sending that out, and I was doing shows. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hilton/i-was-in-high-school-and-i-had-an-independent-album-out-and-we-kept/) [Tyler Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hilton/) > [If I'm not thinking about you then I am texting you , if I am not texting you then I am on the phone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-m-not-thinking-about-you-then-i-am-texting-you-if-i-am-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [.\*. why u hate me..Bitches be doing the most](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty/why-u-hate-me-bitches-be-doing-the-most/) [Kitty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty/) > [“dances with mine as if we’ve been doing this our whole”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corinne-michaels/dances-with-mine-as-if-we-ve-been-doing-this-our-whole/) [Corinne Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corinne-michaels/) > [“I take my actions because of my passion not because of compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-take-my-actions-because-of-my-passion-not-because-of-compulsion/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [When the dollar collapses, it's not doing it in a vacuum. If the dollar loses value, it's doing so relative to some other currency.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/when-the-dollar-collapses-it-s-not-doing-it-in-a-vacuum-if-the-dollar/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [When I made it, I still didn't wave the flag and say, Yeah go Asian people. I do want people to know that about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-hugo/when-i-made-it-i-still-didn-t-wave-the-flag-and-say-yeah-go-asian/) [Chad Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-hugo/) > [I really can't live without my In-N-Out burgers. Honestly, I can't. Even when I'm doing the whole no-carb thing occasionally, I make an exception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/i-really-can-t-live-without-my-in-n-out-burgers-honestly-i-can-t-even/) [Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/) > [You can't drain the swamp, as President Trump has touted doing, without getting rid of Mitch McConnell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-mcgrath/you-can-t-drain-the-swamp-as-president-trump-has-touted-doing-without/) [Amy McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-mcgrath/) [Browse all 10,133 Doing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Doing nothing is very tough to do because you never know when you're finished. 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