--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She was thinking how it was the…" description: "\"“She was thinking how it was the unfinished business. This was why she could not sleep. She could not say the day was over. She had no sense that any d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8f/lydia-davis-3244_business_she-was-thinking-how-it-was-the-unfinish_2502254.png" --- # She was thinking how it was the unfinished business. This… ![“She was thinking how it was the unfinished business. This was why she could not sleep. She could not say the day was over. She had no sense that any day was ever over. Everything was still going on. The business not only not finished but maybe not done well enough.” quote by Lydia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8f/lydia-davis-3244_business_she-was-thinking-how-it-was-the-unfinish_2502254.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8f/lydia-davis-3244_business_she-was-thinking-how-it-was-the-unfinish_2502254.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8f/lydia-davis-3244_business_she-was-thinking-how-it-was-the-unfinish_2502254.png) > ““She was thinking how it was the unfinished business. This was why she could not sleep. She could not say the day was over. She had no sense that any day was ever over. Everything was still going on. The business not only not finished but maybe not done well enough.”” [Lydia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-davis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A lingering sense of incompletion haunts her, preventing rest and a sense of closure, suggesting that unfinished tasks dominate mental space. **In simple terms:** Unfinished work keeps her awake and unsettled. Key Takeaway Address incomplete tasks to find peace. Themes anxiety incompletion mental unrest Mood restless reflective Type literary psychological When to use this quote - personal reflection - work projects - creative writing - daily routines Key Concepts psychology closure perseverance Questions to Reflect On - What tasks feel unfinished in your life? - How can you create closure for ongoing concerns? A Different Perspective Even after finishing, lingering doubts may persist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Business Finished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business-finished-1073348/) [Finished Maybe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finished-maybe-1073347/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Thinking Unfinished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking-unfinished-1073346/) [Unfinished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfinished/) [Unfinished business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfinished-business/) ## Related quotes > [My final fight was called 'Unfinished Business' - and I finished it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-froch/my-final-fight-was-called-unfinished-business-and-i-finished-it/) [Carl Froch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-froch/) > [From '86 until the summer of last year, wherever I went, people would say, You would have made a great James Bond! Weren't you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brosnan/from-86-until-the-summer-of-last-year-wherever-i-went-people-would/) [Pierce Brosnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brosnan/) > [It felt after the Bonds, after my four outings as James Bond, there seemed to be unfinished business. And the way that the Bond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brosnan/it-felt-after-the-bonds-after-my-four-outings-as-james-bond-there/) [Pierce Brosnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brosnan/) > [“You are still alive, not because you are special, but because you and the world have unfinished business.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/you-are-still-alive-not-because-you-are-special-but-because-you-and/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [Unless you've won a championship, I think there's always unfinished business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-carlisle/unless-you-ve-won-a-championship-i-think-there-s-always-unfinished/) [Rick Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-carlisle/) > [I'm working on forgiving myself for some not-so-hot choices I've made in my life. I neglected two people I loved dearly. They are both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-myss/i-m-working-on-forgiving-myself-for-some-not-so-hot-choices-i-ve-made/) [Caroline Myss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-myss/) > [Whether I am meant to or not, I challenge assumptions about women. I do make some people uncomfortable, which I'm well aware of, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/whether-i-am-meant-to-or-not-i-challenge-assumptions-about-women-i-do/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [The one true freedom in life is to come to terms with death, and as early as possible, for death is an event that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/the-one-true-freedom-in-life-is-to-come-to-terms-with-death-and-as/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [My mother has often said that the issue of women is the unfinished business of the 21st century. That is certainly true. But so,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-clinton/my-mother-has-often-said-that-the-issue-of-women-is-the-unfinished/) [Chelsea Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-clinton/) > [The thing is not to leave unfinished business; make every day count.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-amos/the-thing-is-not-to-leave-unfinished-business-make-every-day-count/) [Wally Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-amos/) > [“Much of what I have done is left unfinished- not because I left it too soon, not because I was lazy, but because it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/much-of-what-i-have-done-is-left-unfinished-not-because-i-left-it-too/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [Life should be an unfinished business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-fletcher/life-should-be-an-unfinished-business/) [Colin Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-fletcher/) > [If you must begin then go all the way, because if you begin and quit, the unfinished business you have left behind begins to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/if-you-must-begin-then-go-all-the-way-because-if-you-begin-and-quit/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [He looked at my lips. I suddenly found myself wanting to lick his. 'Yes,' he replied, his eyes going molten. My breath caught in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-macalister/he-looked-at-my-lips-i-suddenly-found-myself-wanting-to-lick-his-yes/) [Katie MacAlister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-macalister/) > [If we examine ourselves carefully we shall see most of us have an enormous amount of unfinished business...We have to be free so that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/if-we-examine-ourselves-carefully-we-shall-see-most-of-us-have-an/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) ## More by Lydia Davis > [Heart weeps. Head tries to help heart. Head tells heart how it is, again: You will lose the ones you love. They will all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-davis/heart-weeps-head-tries-to-help-heart-head-tells-heart-how-it-is-again/) [Lydia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-davis/) > [“But on that particular day I did not even begin to feel interested in this chore, and was suddenly more deeply bored than I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-davis/but-on-that-particular-day-i-did-not-even-begin-to-feel-interested-in/) [Lydia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-davis/) > [If a translation doesn't have obvious writing problems, it may seem quite all right at first glance. We readers, after all, quickly adapt to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-davis/if-a-translation-doesn-t-have-obvious-writing-problems-it-may-seem/) [Lydia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-davis/) > [I always interrupt work with other work, either in a small way or big way, so that's normal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-davis/i-always-interrupt-work-with-other-work-either-in-a-small-way-or-big/) [Lydia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-davis/) > [ I worked more intensively hour after hour when I was starting out \[writing\]. More laboriously. I'd say quantity is important as well as quality,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-davis/i-worked-more-intensively-hour-after-hour-when-i-was-starting-out/) [Lydia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-davis/) > [I don't feel I have to struggle against allegory. I let the readers do the interpreting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-davis/i-don-t-feel-i-have-to-struggle-against-allegory-i-let-the-readers-do/) [Lydia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-davis/) > [“because she couldn’t write the name of what she was: a wa wam owm owamn womn”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-davis/because-she-couldn-t-write-the-name-of-what-she-was-a-wa-wam-owm/) [Lydia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-davis/) > [“Everything was sharper, clearer, and closer, as though, before, I had been seeing only little bits at a time, not all of it, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-davis/everything-was-sharper-clearer-and-closer-as-though-before-i-had-been/) [Lydia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-davis/) > [“He did not know exactly when to thank his hostess after attending a dinner or a weekend party. In his uncertainty, he would thank…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-davis/he-did-not-know-exactly-when-to-thank-his-hostess-after-attending-a/) [Lydia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-davis/) > [“There was no confusion of our bodies. I knew which arm was his and which mine, and which leg, and which shoulder. I did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-davis/there-was-no-confusion-of-our-bodies-i-knew-which-arm-was-his-and/) [Lydia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-davis/) > [“So it’s not really $100 a shot because it goes on all day, from the start when you wake up and feel her body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-davis/so-it-s-not-really-100-a-shot-because-it-goes-on-all-day-from-the/) [Lydia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-davis/) > [“The people of the town, though, remained strangers: I could not realize that I must be seeing some of them over and over again,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-davis/the-people-of-the-town-though-remained-strangers-i-could-not-realize/) [Lydia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-davis/) > [“He does not trust her: she will claim to be in a bad mood when she is not, and then require him to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-davis/he-does-not-trust-her-she-will-claim-to-be-in-a-bad-mood-when-she-is/) [Lydia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-davis/) > [I would recommend, definitely, developing a 'day job' that you like - don't expect to make money writing!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-davis/i-would-recommend-definitely-developing-a-day-job-that-you-like-don-t/) [Lydia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-davis/) > [the translator, a lonely sort of acrobat, becomes confused in a labyrinth of paradox, or climbs a pyramid of dependent clauses and has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-davis/the-translator-a-lonely-sort-of-acrobat-becomes-confused-in-a/) [Lydia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-davis/) [Explore all 135 Lydia Davis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-davis/) ## More Business quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/) [Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/) > [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/) [Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [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/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [I'm not into business at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/i-m-not-into-business-at-all/) [Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Browse all 39,016 Business quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“She was thinking how it was the unfinished business. This was why she could not sleep. She could not say the day was over. She had no sense that any day was ever over. Everything was still going on. The business not only not finished but maybe not done well enough.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lydia Davis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-davis/she-was-thinking-how-it-was-the-unfinished-business-this-was-why-she/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Business" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-davis/she-was-thinking-how-it-was-the-unfinished-business-this-was-why-she/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8f/lydia-davis-3244_business_she-was-thinking-how-it-was-the-unfinish_2502254.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8f/lydia-davis-3244_business_she-was-thinking-how-it-was-the-unfinish_2502254.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8f/lydia-davis-3244_business_she-was-thinking-how-it-was-the-unfinish_2502254.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“She was thinking how it was the unfinished business. This was why she could not sleep. She could not say the…” — Lydia Davis", "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": "Lydia Davis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-davis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“She was thinking how it was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-davis/she-was-thinking-how-it-was-the-unfinished-business-this-was-why-she/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-davis/she-was-thinking-how-it-was-the-unfinished-business-this-was-why-she/#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 } } ] } ```