--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes it’s hard to know when you’ve…" description: "\"“Sometimes it’s hard to know when you’ve crossed the line from conscientious to compulsive. When you’re in the thick of an assignment, it’s easy to bel..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c9/michael-law-73578_time_sometimes-it-s-hard-to-know-when-you-ve_1193299.jpg" --- # Sometimes it’s hard to know when you’ve crossed the line… ![“Sometimes it’s hard to know when you’ve crossed the line from conscientious to compulsive. When you’re in the thick of an assignment, it’s easy to believe that you must spend so much time brainstorming, researching, writing, testing, revising or what-have-you. Often, it’s only after you’ve been…” quote by Michael Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c9/michael-law-73578_time_sometimes-it-s-hard-to-know-when-you-ve_1193299.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c9/michael-law-73578_time_sometimes-it-s-hard-to-know-when-you-ve_1193299.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c9/michael-law-73578_time_sometimes-it-s-hard-to-know-when-you-ve_1193299.jpg) > ““Sometimes it’s hard to know when you’ve crossed the line from conscientious to compulsive. When you’re in the thick of an assignment, it’s easy to believe that you must spend so much time brainstorming, researching, writing, testing, revising or what-have-you. Often, it’s only after you’ve been working for hours on end that you realize that half the work you’ve been doing wasn’t actually necessary and that you’ve just wasted a lot of time.”” [Michael Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-law/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote warns that excessive diligence can become counterproductive, leading to wasted effort on unnecessary tasks. **In simple terms:** Over‑working can become pointless. Key Takeaway Recognize diminishing returns and set limits. Themes productivity balance self‑awareness Mood reflective cautious Type advice warning When to use this quote - project work - research - creative writing - software development - academic study Key Concepts compulsiveness time management efficiency Questions to Reflect On - How do you know when enough is enough? - What signs indicate you’re over‑investing time? A Different Perspective It may be hard to identify the exact point where effort stops adding value. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brainstorming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brainstorming/) [Compulsive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compulsive/) [Compulsive Assignment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compulsive-assignment-3549401/) [Conscientious Compulsive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscientious-compulsive-3549402/) [Line Conscientious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/line-conscientious-3549403/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Held in the palms of thousands of disgruntled people over the centuries have been ideas worth millions - if they only had taken the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hayes/held-in-the-palms-of-thousands-of-disgruntled-people-over-the/) [Robert M. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hayes/) > [To ask the hard question is simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/to-ask-the-hard-question-is-simple/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [I do a lot of brainstorming with my editors. Sometimes it just comes out in the writing. I'll get an idea as I'm writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-shepard/i-do-a-lot-of-brainstorming-with-my-editors-sometimes-it-just-comes/) [Sara Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-shepard/) > [“Solitary walks are great for getting new ideas. It's like you're in a video game and you pick up idea coins on the way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-rachelle/solitary-walks-are-great-for-getting-new-ideas-it-s-like-you-re-in-a/) [Joyce Rachelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-rachelle/) > [We would like to believe that we are not in the business of surviving but in being good, and we do not like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-rowe/we-would-like-to-believe-that-we-are-not-in-the-business-of-surviving/) [Dorothy Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-rowe/) > [Don't confuse being stimulating with being blunt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-walters/don-t-confuse-being-stimulating-with-being-blunt/) [Barbara Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-walters/) > [In a regular class I don't focus on the form, but I think that focus is helpful for brainstorming and coming up with ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-jo-campbell/in-a-regular-class-i-don-t-focus-on-the-form-but-i-think-that-focus/) [Bonnie Jo Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-jo-campbell/) > [Psychologists usually offer three explanations for the failure of group brainstorming. The first is social loafing: in a group, some individuals tend to sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/psychologists-usually-offer-three-explanations-for-the-failure-of/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/if-at-first-the-idea-is-not-absurd-then-there-is-no-hope-for-it/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Two heads are definitely better than one and by sourcing ideas from each other, you have a better chance of coming up with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/two-heads-are-definitely-better-than-one-and-by-sourcing-ideas-from/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [“Writing isn't black magic. You just have to come up with an idea...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-ove-knausgard/writing-isn-t-black-magic-you-just-have-to-come-up-with-an-idea/) [Karl Ove Knausgård](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-ove-knausgard/) > [“Research tells us that brainstorming becomes more productive when it’s focused. As jazz great Charles Mingus famously said, “You can’t improvise on nothing, man;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/research-tells-us-that-brainstorming-becomes-more-productive-when-it/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [Generating diverse ideas requires being clear about the kind of input needed and creating multiple ways for diverse team members to share their ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-livermore/generating-diverse-ideas-requires-being-clear-about-the-kind-of-input/) [David Livermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-livermore/) > [“Osborn’s theory had great impact, and company leaders took up brainstorming with enthusiasm. To this day, it’s common for anyone who spends time in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/osborn-s-theory-had-great-impact-and-company-leaders-took-up/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [Natural resources have dropped out of the competitive equation. In fact, a lack of natural resources may even be an advantage. Because the industries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-thurow/natural-resources-have-dropped-out-of-the-competitive-equation-in/) [Lester Thurow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-thurow/) ## More by Michael Law > [“When insecurity prevents you from working productively, stop and take some time to reestablish trust in yourself. You can do this by reminding yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-law/when-insecurity-prevents-you-from-working-productively-stop-and-take/) [Michael Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-law/) > [“Face it: as much as you’d like to be, you’re not perfect. Mistakes will be made in both your freelance career and life. Instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-law/face-it-as-much-as-you-d-like-to-be-you-re-not-perfect-mistakes-will/) [Michael Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-law/) > [“At its root, perfectionism isn’t really about a deep love of being meticulous. It’s about fear. Fear of making a mistake. Fear of disappointing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-law/at-its-root-perfectionism-isn-t-really-about-a-deep-love-of-being/) [Michael Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-law/) [Explore all 4 Michael Law quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-law/) ## More Brainstorming quotes > [Held in the palms of thousands of disgruntled people over the centuries have been ideas worth millions - if they only had taken the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hayes/held-in-the-palms-of-thousands-of-disgruntled-people-over-the/) [Robert M. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hayes/) > [“Osborn’s theory had great impact, and company leaders took up brainstorming with enthusiasm. To this day, it’s common for anyone who spends time in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/osborn-s-theory-had-great-impact-and-company-leaders-took-up/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [Generating diverse ideas requires being clear about the kind of input needed and creating multiple ways for diverse team members to share their ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-livermore/generating-diverse-ideas-requires-being-clear-about-the-kind-of-input/) [David Livermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-livermore/) > [“Research tells us that brainstorming becomes more productive when it’s focused. As jazz great Charles Mingus famously said, “You can’t improvise on nothing, man;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/research-tells-us-that-brainstorming-becomes-more-productive-when-it/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [“Writing isn't black magic. You just have to come up with an idea...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-ove-knausgard/writing-isn-t-black-magic-you-just-have-to-come-up-with-an-idea/) [Karl Ove Knausgård](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-ove-knausgard/) > [Two heads are definitely better than one and by sourcing ideas from each other, you have a better chance of coming up with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/two-heads-are-definitely-better-than-one-and-by-sourcing-ideas-from/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/if-at-first-the-idea-is-not-absurd-then-there-is-no-hope-for-it/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Psychologists usually offer three explanations for the failure of group brainstorming. The first is social loafing: in a group, some individuals tend to sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-cain/psychologists-usually-offer-three-explanations-for-the-failure-of/) [Susan Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-cain/) > [In a regular class I don't focus on the form, but I think that focus is helpful for brainstorming and coming up with ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-jo-campbell/in-a-regular-class-i-don-t-focus-on-the-form-but-i-think-that-focus/) [Bonnie Jo Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-jo-campbell/) > [Don't confuse being stimulating with being blunt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-walters/don-t-confuse-being-stimulating-with-being-blunt/) [Barbara Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-walters/) > [We would like to believe that we are not in the business of surviving but in being good, and we do not like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-rowe/we-would-like-to-believe-that-we-are-not-in-the-business-of-surviving/) [Dorothy Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-rowe/) > [“Solitary walks are great for getting new ideas. It's like you're in a video game and you pick up idea coins on the way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-rachelle/solitary-walks-are-great-for-getting-new-ideas-it-s-like-you-re-in-a/) [Joyce Rachelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-rachelle/) > [I do a lot of brainstorming with my editors. Sometimes it just comes out in the writing. I'll get an idea as I'm writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-shepard/i-do-a-lot-of-brainstorming-with-my-editors-sometimes-it-just-comes/) [Sara Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-shepard/) > [To ask the hard question is simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/to-ask-the-hard-question-is-simple/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [Natural resources have dropped out of the competitive equation. In fact, a lack of natural resources may even be an advantage. Because the industries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-thurow/natural-resources-have-dropped-out-of-the-competitive-equation-in/) [Lester Thurow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-thurow/) [Browse all 85 Brainstorming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brainstorming/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Sometimes it’s hard to know when you’ve crossed the line from conscientious to compulsive. When you’re in the thick of an assignment, it’s easy to believe that you must spend so much time brainstorming, researching, writing, testing, revising or what-have-you. 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