--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nobody will do their best work until they…" description: "\"“Nobody will do their best work until they have lots of white space on their calendars.”\" — Matthew Kelly" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f03/matthew-kelly-3453_calendars_nobody-will-do-their-best-work-until-the_686280.png" --- # Nobody will do their best work until they have lots of… ![“Nobody will do their best work until they have lots of white space on their calendars.” quote by Matthew Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f03/matthew-kelly-3453_calendars_nobody-will-do-their-best-work-until-the_686280.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f03/matthew-kelly-3453_calendars_nobody-will-do-their-best-work-until-the_686280.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f03/matthew-kelly-3453_calendars_nobody-will-do-their-best-work-until-the_686280.png) > ““Nobody will do their best work until they have lots of white space on their calendars.”” [Matthew Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Without ample free time, people cannot produce their best work. **In simple terms:** White space is essential for top performance. Key Takeaway Protect and schedule white space. Themes productivity creativity time management well‑being Mood reflective calm Type advisory thoughtful When to use this quote - project planning - creative brainstorming - personal scheduling Key Concepts flow theory cognitive load focus Questions to Reflect On - How much white space do you need? - What tasks suffer without it? A Different Perspective Too much structure can stifle spontaneity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Calendars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calendars/) [Lots White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lots-white-5421082/) [Space Calendars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space-calendars-5421081/) [White space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-space/) [Work Lots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-lots-676697/) ## Related quotes > [I try to get enough sleep and exercise, try not to make mountains out of molehills, and vent a lot. I have a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-loeb/i-try-to-get-enough-sleep-and-exercise-try-not-to-make-mountains-out/) [Lisa Loeb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-loeb/) > [I'm working with fragments a lot of the time and the connective tissue isn't there yet. I think of it the way comics work.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-chaon/i-m-working-with-fragments-a-lot-of-the-time-and-the-connective/) [Dan Chaon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-chaon/) > [In the printed page the only real things are the paper and the ink; the white spaces play the same part in aiding the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/in-the-printed-page-the-only-real-things-are-the-paper-and-the-ink/) [John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/) > [White space is to be regarded as an active element, not a passive background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-tschichold/white-space-is-to-be-regarded-as-an-active-element-not-a-passive/) [Jan Tschichold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-tschichold/) > [Witness Donald Trump's current presidential campaign. So first people need to find the white spaces, the unexploited or underexploited niches where there is less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-pfeffer/witness-donald-trump-s-current-presidential-campaign-so-first-people/) [Jeffrey Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-pfeffer/) > [“Scrawled in the album’s white space, in an angry deeply-pushed biro that indented even the next page, were some words paraphrased from Tennyson’s Locksley…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-drinkwater/scrawled-in-the-album-s-white-space-in-an-angry-deeply-pushed-biro/) [Karl Drinkwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-drinkwater/) > [Mausoleum air and anguished pauses: If this production were a poem, it would be mostly white space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-corliss/mausoleum-air-and-anguished-pauses-if-this-production-were-a-poem-it/) [Richard Corliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-corliss/) > [I don't think there is anything wrong with white space. I don't think it's a problem to have a blank wall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/i-don-t-think-there-is-anything-wrong-with-white-space-i-don-t-think/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) > [Singapore gives 10% "white space" time to all of its teachers to come up with their own innovations outside of the official curriculum. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-hargreaves/singapore-gives-10-white-space-time-to-all-of-its-teachers-to-come-up/) [Andy Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-hargreaves/) > [You can tell it's a poem because it's swimming in a little gel pack of white space. That shows it's a poem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/you-can-tell-it-s-a-poem-because-it-s-swimming-in-a-little-gel-pack/) [Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/) > [Memory doesn't come as a straight narrative. It comes in small moments with all this white space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-woodson/memory-doesn-t-come-as-a-straight-narrative-it-comes-in-small-moments/) [Jacqueline Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-woodson/) > [“By the time I got to high school, I had learned to be more cautious about revealing my dreams. I was reading—and therefore writing—adventure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-obreht/by-the-time-i-got-to-high-school-i-had-learned-to-be-more-cautious/) [Téa Obreht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-obreht/) > [I really felt like there was a white space in the market in the jewelry industry. There was very, very overpriced things that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendra-scott/i-really-felt-like-there-was-a-white-space-in-the-market-in-the/) [Kendra Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendra-scott/) > [There must be an open space in the paintings - an entry space for the viewer, or even for me. Just white space where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-bisky/there-must-be-an-open-space-in-the-paintings-an-entry-space-for-the/) [Norbert Bisky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-bisky/) > [Plenty of white space and generous line spacing,and don't make the type size too miserly. Then you will be assured of a product fit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giambattista-bodoni/plenty-of-white-space-and-generous-line-spacing-and-don-t-make-the/) [Giambattista Bodoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giambattista-bodoni/) ## More by Matthew Kelly > [Thought determines action. Do not let your whole life be a reaction to the things that happen around you each day. Let your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/thought-determines-action-do-not-let-your-whole-life-be-a-reaction-to/) [Matthew Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/) > [“Hope is not merely a wish that something good might happen—it is the firm confidence and desire that the promises of God will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/hope-is-not-merely-a-wish-that-something-good-might-happen-it-is-the/) [Matthew Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/) > [It has been my experience that nothing changes a person's life more than the discovery of one solitary truth: There is a meaning and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/it-has-been-my-experience-that-nothing-changes-a-person-s-life-more/) [Matthew Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/) > [“Discipline is the faithful friend who will introduce you to your true self. Discipline is the worthy protector who will defend you from your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/discipline-is-the-faithful-friend-who-will-introduce-you-to-your-true/) [Matthew Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/) > [“The future of your organization and the potential of your employees are intertwined; their destines are linked." - Matthew Kelly, The Dream Manager”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/the-future-of-your-organization-and-the-potential-of-your-employees/) [Matthew Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/) > [A mother has a unique perspective. Nobody sees the life of the child the way the child’s mother does—not even the father. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/a-mother-has-a-unique-perspective-nobody-sees-the-life-of-the-child/) [Matthew Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/) > [The beauty of Catholicism is every human being's right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/the-beauty-of-catholicism-is-every-human-being-s-right/) [Matthew Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/) > [Superficiality is the curse of the modern world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/superficiality-is-the-curse-of-the-modern-world/) [Matthew Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/) > [We become the books we read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/we-become-the-books-we-read/) [Matthew Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/) > [“we are much more interested in developing self-expression than we are in developing selves that are worth expressing. Personal preference has triumphed over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/we-are-much-more-interested-in-developing-self-expression-than-we-are/) [Matthew Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/) > [The challenge life presents to each of us is to become truly ourselves--not the self we have imagined or fantasized about, not the self…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/the-challenge-life-presents-to-each-of-us-is-to-become-truly/) [Matthew Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/) > [We don't want to think about our weaknesses. We don't want to talk about them, and we certainly don't want anyone else to point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/we-don-t-want-to-think-about-our-weaknesses-we-don-t-want-to-talk/) [Matthew Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/) > [“Withholding love is a bit like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/withholding-love-is-a-bit-like-drinking-poison-and-expecting-the/) [Matthew Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/) > [If we will walk humbly with our God, He will lead us by the hand to exactly who and what we need, to those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/if-we-will-walk-humbly-with-our-god-he-will-lead-us-by-the-hand-to/) [Matthew Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/) > [On the one hand, we all want to be happy. On the other hand, we all know the things that make us happy. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/on-the-one-hand-we-all-want-to-be-happy-on-the-other-hand-we-all-know/) [Matthew Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/) [Explore all 130 Matthew Kelly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/) ## More Calendars quotes > [To divide one's life by years is of course to tumble into a trap set by our own arithmetic. The calendar consents to carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/to-divide-one-s-life-by-years-is-of-course-to-tumble-into-a-trap-set/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [The battle for our hearts is fought on the pages of our calendar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/the-battle-for-our-hearts-is-fought-on-the-pages-of-our-calendar/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [The ways in which acquired savants show up are usually the same ways that congenital, or non-acquired, savant syndrome shows up. They tend to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/the-ways-in-which-acquired-savants-show-up-are-usually-the-same-ways/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [There are only two days on my calendar... today and the day of judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/there-are-only-two-days-on-my-calendar-today-and-the-day-of-judgment/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [It is not without trepidation that I have appropriated the codes of the Sublime and the Picturesque in my work. After all, serious photographers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pfahl/it-is-not-without-trepidation-that-i-have-appropriated-the-codes-of/) [John Pfahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pfahl/) > [I have now been an officer in this Church for a very long time. I am an old man who cannot deny the calendar.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/i-have-now-been-an-officer-in-this-church-for-a-very-long-time-i-am/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [More software projects have gone awry for lack of calendar time than for all other causes combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-brooks/more-software-projects-have-gone-awry-for-lack-of-calendar-time-than/) [Fred Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-brooks/) > [I've never been one of those who wanted to fill my calendar up 90 percent of the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-gottfried/i-ve-never-been-one-of-those-who-wanted-to-fill-my-calendar-up-90/) [Gilbert Gottfried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-gottfried/) > [There is a small segment of people with autism that have savant skills, where they can memorize entire maps of whole entire city. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/there-is-a-small-segment-of-people-with-autism-that-have-savant/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [Time, by moments, steals away, First the hour, and then the day; Small the daily loss appears, Yet it soon amounts to years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-newton/time-by-moments-steals-away-first-the-hour-and-then-the-day-small-the/) [John Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-newton/) > [Chronological time is what we measure by clocks and calendars; it is always linear, orderly, quantifiable, and mechanical. Kairotic time is organic, rhythmic, bodily,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-keen/chronological-time-is-what-we-measure-by-clocks-and-calendars-it-is/) [Sam Keen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-keen/) > [The calendar? A mere convention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irina-ratushinskaya/the-calendar-a-mere-convention/) [Irina Ratushinskaya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irina-ratushinskaya/) > [Next time!' In what calendar are kept the records of those next times which never come?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hunt-jackson/next-time-in-what-calendar-are-kept-the-records-of-those-next-times/) [Helen Hunt Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt-jackson/) > [I saw a close friend of mine the other day. . . . He said, "Stephen, why haven't you called me?" I said, "I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-saw-a-close-friend-of-mine-the-other-day-he-said-stephen-why-haven/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [“A story conducted by the time of a clock and calendars alone would be a story not of human beings but of mechanical toys.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lascelles/a-story-conducted-by-the-time-of-a-clock-and-calendars-alone-would-be/) [Mary Lascelles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lascelles/) [Browse all 258 Calendars quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calendars/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Nobody will do their best work until they have lots of white space on their calendars.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matthew Kelly" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/nobody-will-do-their-best-work-until-they-have-lots-of-white-space-on/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Calendars" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/nobody-will-do-their-best-work-until-they-have-lots-of-white-space-on/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f03/matthew-kelly-3453_calendars_nobody-will-do-their-best-work-until-the_686280.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f03/matthew-kelly-3453_calendars_nobody-will-do-their-best-work-until-the_686280.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f03/matthew-kelly-3453_calendars_nobody-will-do-their-best-work-until-the_686280.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Nobody will do their best work until they have lots of white space on their calendars.” — Matthew Kelly", "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": "Matthew Kelly", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Nobody will do their best work...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/nobody-will-do-their-best-work-until-they-have-lots-of-white-space-on/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/nobody-will-do-their-best-work-until-they-have-lots-of-white-space-on/#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 } } ] } ```