--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Never do but one thing at a time, and…" description: "\"Never do but one thing at a time, and never put off till to-morrow what you can do today.\" — Lope de Vega" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/lope-de-vega-28569_can-do_never-do-but-one-thing-at-a-time-and-nev_897412.jpg" --- # Never do but one thing at a time, and never put off till… ![“Never do but one thing at a time, and never put off till to-morrow what you can do today.” quote by Lope de Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/lope-de-vega-28569_can-do_never-do-but-one-thing-at-a-time-and-nev_897412.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/lope-de-vega-28569_can-do_never-do-but-one-thing-at-a-time-and-nev_897412.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/lope-de-vega-28569_can-do_never-do-but-one-thing-at-a-time-and-nev_897412.jpg) > “Never do but one thing at a time, and never put off till to-morrow what you can do today.” [Lope de Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lope-de-vega/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates focusing on one task and avoiding procrastination for productivity. **In simple terms:** Do one thing at a time, don’t delay. Key Takeaway Prioritize single tasks now. Themes productivity focus time management Mood motivated determined Type advice motivational When to use this quote - work projects - studying - household chores - exercise routines Key Concepts single-tasking procrastination avoidance Questions to Reflect On - What task have you been postponing? - How does single‑tasking improve your focus? A Different Perspective Multitasking can sometimes boost creativity; not always a drawback. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [One thing at a time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-thing-at-a-time/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Tomorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tomorrow/) ## Related quotes > [“Never put off till to-morrow the fun you can have to-day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/never-put-off-till-to-morrow-the-fun-you-can-have-to-day/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [Work on one thing at a time until finished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/work-on-one-thing-at-a-time-until-finished/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [I try to do one thing at a time to utilise my time well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-paltrow/i-try-to-do-one-thing-at-a-time-to-utilise-my-time-well/) [Gwyneth Paltrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-paltrow/) > [YOU CAN ONLY DO ONE THING AT A TIME SO CONCENTRATE ON IT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hope/you-can-only-do-one-thing-at-a-time-so-concentrate-on-it/) [Bob Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hope/) > [There is a time for everything. There is a time when I sit down, I concentrate myself on the problem of my bills, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/there-is-a-time-for-everything-there-is-a-time-when-i-sit-down-i/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [The real achiever do one thing at a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/the-real-achiever-do-one-thing-at-a-time/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [Sometimes the best thing to do all the time is take a nap and do nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-the-best-thing-to-do-all-the-time-is-take-a-nap-and-do/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Time is the thing I am made of. Time is a river that sweeps me along, but I am the river; it is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/time-is-the-thing-i-am-made-of-time-is-a-river-that-sweeps-me-along/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [You become an actor because you don't want to do the same thing all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-smart/you-become-an-actor-because-you-don-t-want-to-do-the-same-thing-all/) [Jean Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-smart/) > [It's better to do one thing at a time and give your full concentration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-fernandes/it-s-better-to-do-one-thing-at-a-time-and-give-your-full-concentration/) [Erica Fernandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-fernandes/) > [There is this thing about time that you can't see at the time you're at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/there-is-this-thing-about-time-that-you-can-t-see-at-the-time-you-re/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [I'm like a man in that way. I can only do one thing at a time, haha.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-ruiz/i-m-like-a-man-in-that-way-i-can-only-do-one-thing-at-a-time-haha/) [Teresa Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-ruiz/) > [I think humanity can do more than one thing at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boyan-slat/i-think-humanity-can-do-more-than-one-thing-at-the-same-time/) [Boyan Slat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boyan-slat/) > [“The most precious thing I have to give is my time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silvia-hartmann/the-most-precious-thing-i-have-to-give-is-my-time/) [Silvia Hartmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silvia-hartmann/) > [“Just do the next right thing, one thing at a time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle-melton/just-do-the-next-right-thing-one-thing-at-a-time/) [Glennon Doyle Melton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle-melton/) ## More by Lope de Vega > [Dreaming of a tomorrow, which tomorrow, will be as distant then as 'tis today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lope-de-vega/dreaming-of-a-tomorrow-which-tomorrow-will-be-as-distant-then-as-tis/) [Lope de Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lope-de-vega/) > [There is no greater glory than love, nor any great punishment than jealously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lope-de-vega/there-is-no-greater-glory-than-love-nor-any-great-punishment-than/) [Lope De Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lope-de-vega/) > [“I am my own heir.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lope-de-vega/i-am-my-own-heir/) [Lope de Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lope-de-vega/) > [There is no greater glory than love, nor any greater punishment than jealousy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lope-de-vega/there-is-no-greater-glory-than-love-nor-any-greater-punishment-than/) [Lope de Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lope-de-vega/) > [The fire of love and the cold of time, deprive my sweet love of his peace of mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lope-de-vega/the-fire-of-love-and-the-cold-of-time-deprive-my-sweet-love-of-his/) [Lope de Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lope-de-vega/) > [“Be what it may, I will always esteem and adore the divine genius of this Gentleman, taking from him what I understand with humility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lope-de-vega/be-what-it-may-i-will-always-esteem-and-adore-the-divine-genius-of/) [Lope de Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lope-de-vega/) > [With a few flowers in my garden, half a dozen pictures and some books, I live without envy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lope-de-vega/with-a-few-flowers-in-my-garden-half-a-dozen-pictures-and-some-books/) [Lope de Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lope-de-vega/) > [Harmony is pure love, for love is complete agreement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lope-de-vega/harmony-is-pure-love-for-love-is-complete-agreement/) [Lope de Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lope-de-vega/) > [Harmony is pure love, for love is a concerto.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lope-de-vega/harmony-is-pure-love-for-love-is-a-concerto/) [Lope De Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lope-de-vega/) > [“Will is the pimp of appetite.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lope-de-vega/will-is-the-pimp-of-appetite/) [Lope de Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lope-de-vega/) > [Profits on the exchange are the treasures of goblins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lope-de-vega/profits-on-the-exchange-are-the-treasures-of-goblins/) [Lope de Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lope-de-vega/) > [But life is short: while one lives, everything is lacking; when one is dead, everything is superfluous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lope-de-vega/but-life-is-short-while-one-lives-everything-is-lacking-when-one-is/) [Lope de Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lope-de-vega/) > [Without love, the world itself would not survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lope-de-vega/without-love-the-world-itself-would-not-survive/) [Lope de Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lope-de-vega/) > [All right, then, I'll say it: Dante makes me sick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lope-de-vega/all-right-then-i-ll-say-it-dante-makes-me-sick/) [Lope de Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lope-de-vega/) > [Dreaming of a to-morrow, which to-morrow, will be as distant then as 'tis to-day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lope-de-vega/dreaming-of-a-to-morrow-which-to-morrow-will-be-as-distant-then-as/) [Lope De Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lope-de-vega/) [Explore all 16 Lope de Vega quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lope-de-vega/) ## More Can do quotes > [Changes before your eyes, things you can do and things you can't. My attitude is always let it keep rolling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-malick/changes-before-your-eyes-things-you-can-do-and-things-you-can-t-my/) [Terrence Malick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-malick/) > [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [If I had a million dollars, I just wouldn't just completely set back. I'd have to get out there and show my face to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muddy-waters/if-i-had-a-million-dollars-i-just-wouldn-t-just-completely-set-back-i/) [Muddy Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muddy-waters/) > [Anybody can be Prince Charming one day a year, with the dinner and the flowers and all that. But you know what impresses me?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-howard/anybody-can-be-prince-charming-one-day-a-year-with-the-dinner-and-the/) [Ryan Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-howard/) > [And if the mind thinks with a believing attitude one can do amazing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/and-if-the-mind-thinks-with-a-believing-attitude-one-can-do-amazing/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [The amount of things you can do with a kettlebell is unsurpassed by any other training equipment - dumbbells, resistance machines, free weights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laird-hamilton/the-amount-of-things-you-can-do-with-a-kettlebell-is-unsurpassed-by/) [Laird Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laird-hamilton/) > [It's nice when you've done enough movies that you can do your own anthology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/it-s-nice-when-you-ve-done-enough-movies-that-you-can-do-your-own/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [If people don't have their own vision, all they can do is 'sign-up' for someone else's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/if-people-don-t-have-their-own-vision-all-they-can-do-is-sign-up-for/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [The one thing that flies in the face of all human history and experience, is that the government can do a superior job than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/the-one-thing-that-flies-in-the-face-of-all-human-history-and/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [...what I can do is offer myself, wholehearted and present, to walk with the people I love through the fear and the mess. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/what-i-can-do-is-offer-myself-wholehearted-and-present-to-walk-with/) [Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/) > [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/) [Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/) > [The average ordinary citizen can do a lot of different things when it comes to the climate crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/the-average-ordinary-citizen-can-do-a-lot-of-different-things-when-it/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [A professional is a man who can do his job when he doesn't feel like it. An amateur is a man who can't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-agate/a-professional-is-a-man-who-can-do-his-job-when-he-doesn-t-feel-like/) [James Agate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-agate/) > [The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, as it pleases him, for he can do all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/the-lord-gives-and-the-lord-takes-away-as-it-pleases-him-for-he-can/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [I'm not an educated man. I only know what I'm told, and I'm not told that much; I have no frame of reference for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-m-not-an-educated-man-i-only-know-what-i-m-told-and-i-m-not-told/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) Browse all 5,673 Can do quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Never do but one thing at a time, and never put off till to-morrow what you can do today.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lope de Vega" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lope-de-vega/never-do-but-one-thing-at-a-time-and-never-put-off-till-to-morrow/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Can do" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lope-de-vega/never-do-but-one-thing-at-a-time-and-never-put-off-till-to-morrow/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/lope-de-vega-28569_can-do_never-do-but-one-thing-at-a-time-and-nev_897412.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/lope-de-vega-28569_can-do_never-do-but-one-thing-at-a-time-and-nev_897412.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/lope-de-vega-28569_can-do_never-do-but-one-thing-at-a-time-and-nev_897412.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Never do but one thing at a time, and never put off till to-morrow what you can do today.” — Lope de Vega", "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": "Lope de Vega", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lope-de-vega/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Never do but one thing at...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lope-de-vega/never-do-but-one-thing-at-a-time-and-never-put-off-till-to-morrow/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lope-de-vega/never-do-but-one-thing-at-a-time-and-never-put-off-till-to-morrow/#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 } } ] } ```