---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes I would go home from work and…"
description: "\"Sometimes I would go home from work and just stare at the wall for a couple of hours. But, I can't complain. Whatever knocks you out working is the kin..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/lily-rabe-17489_challenges_sometimes-i-would-go-home-from-work-and_1579194.jpg"
---

#  Sometimes I would go home from work and just stare at the…

![“Sometimes I would go home from work and just stare at the wall for a couple of hours. But, I can't complain. Whatever knocks you out working is the kind of work that I want to be doing because it's always those challenges that are the most exciting, and the things I hope to get to keep doing in my…” quote by Lily Rabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/lily-rabe-17489_challenges_sometimes-i-would-go-home-from-work-and_1579194.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/lily-rabe-17489_challenges_sometimes-i-would-go-home-from-work-and_1579194.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/lily-rabe-17489_challenges_sometimes-i-would-go-home-from-work-and_1579194.jpg)

> “Sometimes I would go home from work and just stare at the wall for a couple of hours. But, I can't complain. Whatever knocks you out working is the kind of work that I want to be doing because it's always those challenges that are the most exciting, and the things I hope to get to keep doing in my work.”

[Lily Rabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-rabe/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Finding fulfillment in work that challenges you, even if it means intense focus and occasional isolation, because passion drives perseverance.

**In simple terms:** Loving challenging work fuels motivation.

Key Takeaway

Pursue work that excites you.

Themes

purpose challenge passion career fulfillment

Mood

reflective motivational

Type

career psychological

When to use this quote

- choosing demanding projects
- embracing deep focus
- balancing intensity with rest

Key Concepts

psychology of flow intrinsic motivation work-life balance

Questions to Reflect On

- What boundaries protect you from burnout?
- How do you sustain excitement over time?

A Different Perspective

Intense focus can lead to burnout if not managed.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Couple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/couple/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Home From Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home-from-work/) [Staring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/staring/) [Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/)

## Related quotes

> [I've never seen my dad come home from work and not walk straight to my mom and ask her about her day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-young/i-ve-never-seen-my-dad-come-home-from-work-and-not-walk-straight-to/)

[Brett Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-young/)

> [As a housewife, I feel that if the kids are still alive when my husband gets home from work, then hey, I've done my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roseanne-barr/as-a-housewife-i-feel-that-if-the-kids-are-still-alive-when-my/)

[Roseanne Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roseanne-barr/)

> [“I figure when my husband comes home from work, if the kids are still alive, then I've done my job.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roseanne-barr/i-figure-when-my-husband-comes-home-from-work-if-the-kids-are-still/)

[Roseanne Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roseanne-barr/)

> [When I was little, I would open up lawnmowers and try to make them go faster. I wasn't strong enough to do some things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-martin/when-i-was-little-i-would-open-up-lawnmowers-and-try-to-make-them-go/)

[Guy Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-martin/)

> [You Don't Have to Go Home from Work Exhausted!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cooper/you-don-t-have-to-go-home-from-work-exhausted/)

[Alan Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cooper/)

> [All I was doing was trying to get home from work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosa-parks/all-i-was-doing-was-trying-to-get-home-from-work/)

[Rosa Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosa-parks/)

> [“As a housewife, I feel that if the kids are alive when my husband gets home from work, then hey, I've done my job”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roseanne-barr/as-a-housewife-i-feel-that-if-the-kids-are-alive-when-my-husband-gets/)

[Roseanne Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roseanne-barr/)

> [All I was trying to do was get home from work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosa-parks/all-i-was-trying-to-do-was-get-home-from-work/)

[Rosa Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosa-parks/)

> [I want to keep doing as much work as I can, and I want to keep the level high. I'm wondering if something is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-pekar/i-want-to-keep-doing-as-much-work-as-i-can-and-i-want-to-keep-the/)

[Harvey Pekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-pekar/)

> [“You have to dress for the job you want, not the job you have, and you have to start doing the work you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/you-have-to-dress-for-the-job-you-want-not-the-job-you-have-and-you/)

[Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/)

> [of all the unusual features of Stargirl, this struck me as the most remarkable. Bad things did not stick to her. Correction: her bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-spinelli/of-all-the-unusual-features-of-stargirl-this-struck-me-as-the-most/)

[Jerry Spinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-spinelli/)

> [Home is memory, home is your history, home is where you work. Some people want to abandon it and become truly local. But the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/home-is-memory-home-is-your-history-home-is-where-you-work-some/)

[Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/)

> [Many people think I am workaholic. Sometimes I feel guilty that I have missed out many moments as my daughter and son growing up,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rituparna-sengupta/many-people-think-i-am-workaholic-sometimes-i-feel-guilty-that-i-have/)

[Rituparna Sengupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rituparna-sengupta/)

> [I don't hide. I never have. I stay at home because I like to stay at home, and at home I work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oriana-fallaci/i-don-t-hide-i-never-have-i-stay-at-home-because-i-like-to-stay-at/)

[Oriana Fallaci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oriana-fallaci/)

> [Knowing at the end of the day you get to go home and you can work on your own project is super rewarding as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-keenan-bolger/knowing-at-the-end-of-the-day-you-get-to-go-home-and-you-can-work-on/)

[Andrew Keenan-Bolger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-keenan-bolger/)

## More by Lily Rabe

> [For me, work is so satisfying and it's giving me so much, it's nurturing me so much, that I think it sort of makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-rabe/for-me-work-is-so-satisfying-and-it-s-giving-me-so-much-it-s/)

[Lily Rabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-rabe/)

> [Theresa Rebeck's writing is so scarily funny. I just love how unapologetic she is with her writing: she doesn't try to make her characters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-rabe/theresa-rebeck-s-writing-is-so-scarily-funny-i-just-love-how/)

[Lily Rabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-rabe/)

> [For a long time I was cautious of working with my parents because I wanted to feel separate from them in the community. Now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-rabe/for-a-long-time-i-was-cautious-of-working-with-my-parents-because-i/)

[Lily Rabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-rabe/)

> [The truth is that's always when it's the most fun, when you're able to just be wherever you are, be whatever scene it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-rabe/the-truth-is-that-s-always-when-it-s-the-most-fun-when-you-re-able-to/)

[Lily Rabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-rabe/)

> [I was shooting Beyond Redemption, I started shooting American Horror Story, so I was going back and forth between Northern California and LA. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-rabe/i-was-shooting-beyond-redemption-i-started-shooting-american-horror/)

[Lily Rabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-rabe/)

> [It's very hard when you're doing a new play that you believe in, and you want to tell the story in the best way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-rabe/it-s-very-hard-when-you-re-doing-a-new-play-that-you-believe-in-and/)

[Lily Rabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-rabe/)

> [Listen, a cable series is a beautiful thing because there's such amazing writing happening on television, and it's a schedule that allows you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-rabe/listen-a-cable-series-is-a-beautiful-thing-because-there-s-such/)

[Lily Rabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-rabe/)

> [Before I ever start a job that I'm really excited about, I usually have some sleepless nights or weeks or months. But that anticipation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-rabe/before-i-ever-start-a-job-that-i-m-really-excited-about-i-usually/)

[Lily Rabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-rabe/)

> [I think every script I read has something that sends me into a state of panic but that usually makes me want to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-rabe/i-think-every-script-i-read-has-something-that-sends-me-into-a-state/)

[Lily Rabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-rabe/)

> [I will say that I've been lucky enough never to have to do a job I didn't want to do, or a play I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-rabe/i-will-say-that-i-ve-been-lucky-enough-never-to-have-to-do-a-job-i/)

[Lily Rabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-rabe/)

> [The only thing that matters is the theater!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-rabe/the-only-thing-that-matters-is-the-theater/)

[Lily Rabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-rabe/)

> [I am my parents' daughter, and I always want to be. But I first wanted to make sure that I was standing on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-rabe/i-am-my-parents-daughter-and-i-always-want-to-be-but-i-first-wanted/)

[Lily Rabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-rabe/)

> [The focus of our family life was homework and what was for dinner; getting to ballet rehearsal and getting my brother to soccer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-rabe/the-focus-of-our-family-life-was-homework-and-what-was-for-dinner/)

[Lily Rabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-rabe/)

> [I did have wonderful things to draw from, from my own experience and also just from friends and people I'd gone to school with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-rabe/i-did-have-wonderful-things-to-draw-from-from-my-own-experience-and/)

[Lily Rabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-rabe/)

> [I can't actually think of a job where I was relaxed the whole time. I don't think I would want to do that job.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-rabe/i-can-t-actually-think-of-a-job-where-i-was-relaxed-the-whole-time-i/)

[Lily Rabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-rabe/)

[Explore all 37 Lily Rabe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-rabe/)

## More Challenges quotes

> [I know for my wife and I, we always loved the idea of being young parents. It is an incredibly inspiring and challenging job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hanson/i-know-for-my-wife-and-i-we-always-loved-the-idea-of-being-young/)

[Taylor Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hanson/)

> [Our biggest challenge is to eliminate the popular perception that economists don't have anything useful to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zandi/our-biggest-challenge-is-to-eliminate-the-popular-perception-that/)

[Mark Zandi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zandi/)

> [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [I think the next 50 years are going to present the human race with challenges that so far exceed the limitations of geopolitical boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-think-the-next-50-years-are-going-to-present-the-human-race-with/)

[Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/)

> [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/)

[Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/)

> [I want to be perceived as a guy who played his best in all facets, not just scoring. A guy who loved challenges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/i-want-to-be-perceived-as-a-guy-who-played-his-best-in-all-facets-not/)

[Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/)

> [People in great groups have blinders on. Their work is all they see. They value failures as learning opportunities. They are optimistic, not realistic,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/people-in-great-groups-have-blinders-on-their-work-is-all-they-see/)

[Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/)

> [If, as I anticipate, a wide array of personal, portable information/communication devices becomes increasingly important and widespread for information-intensive users, it will be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/if-as-i-anticipate-a-wide-array-of-personal-portable-information/)

[Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/)

> [“Two powerful, little words I've learned to use when facing challenges, fears, and doubts— so what? ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/two-powerful-little-words-i-ve-learned-to-use-when-facing-challenges/)

[Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/)

> [It's a challenge to work a character's arc into a format in which you only have a very limited amount of time to grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginnifer-goodwin/it-s-a-challenge-to-work-a-character-s-arc-into-a-format-in-which-you/)

[Ginnifer Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginnifer-goodwin/)

> [I personally think if something's not a challenge, there's no point doing it, because you're not gonna learn much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-personally-think-if-something-s-not-a-challenge-there-s-no-point/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Men want a challenge, but they want a challenge they can win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-gaskell/men-want-a-challenge-but-they-want-a-challenge-they-can-win/)

Whitney Gaskell

> [Growing up with a parent in the army, I saw firsthand the challenges our service members face when transitioning to new jobs after time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharice-davids/growing-up-with-a-parent-in-the-army-i-saw-firsthand-the-challenges/)

[Sharice Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharice-davids/)

> [Nobody challenges me. I challenge myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakuntala-devi/nobody-challenges-me-i-challenge-myself/)

[Shakuntala Devi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakuntala-devi/)

> [Challenging is good, like good conversation, yes? Who wants to have dinner with the same old easy listening music sounding friends all the time?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/challenging-is-good-like-good-conversation-yes-who-wants-to-have/)

[Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/)

[Browse all 8,851 Challenges quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Sometimes I would go home from work and just stare at the wall for a couple of hours. But, I can't complain. Whatever knocks you out working is the kind of work that I want to be doing because it's always those challenges that are the most exciting, and the things I hope to get to keep doing in my work.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Lily Rabe"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-rabe/sometimes-i-would-go-home-from-work-and-just-stare-at-the-wall-for-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Challenges"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-rabe/sometimes-i-would-go-home-from-work-and-just-stare-at-the-wall-for-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/lily-rabe-17489_challenges_sometimes-i-would-go-home-from-work-and_1579194.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/lily-rabe-17489_challenges_sometimes-i-would-go-home-from-work-and_1579194.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/lily-rabe-17489_challenges_sometimes-i-would-go-home-from-work-and_1579194.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Sometimes I would go home from work and just stare at the wall for a couple of hours. But, I can't complain…” — Lily Rabe",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Lily Rabe",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-rabe/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Sometimes I would go home from...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-rabe/sometimes-i-would-go-home-from-work-and-just-stare-at-the-wall-for-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-rabe/sometimes-i-would-go-home-from-work-and-just-stare-at-the-wall-for-a/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
