---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only time you really want to do…"
description: "\"The only time you really want to do anything is when you know you can't...\" — Neeraj"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/neeraj-52060_really_the-only-time-you-really-want-to-do-anyt_580833.jpg"
---

#  The only time you really want to do anything is when you…

![“The only time you really want to do anything is when you know you can't...” quote by Neeraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/neeraj-52060_really_the-only-time-you-really-want-to-do-anyt_580833.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/neeraj-52060_really_the-only-time-you-really-want-to-do-anyt_580833.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/neeraj-52060_really_the-only-time-you-really-want-to-do-anyt_580833.jpg)

> “The only time you really want to do anything is when you know you can't...”

[Neeraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neeraj/)

## About This Quote

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

When you recognize a task is impossible, desire to attempt it spikes, revealing hidden motivation.

**In simple terms:** Impossible tasks spark desire.

Key Takeaway

Embrace challenges to discover true drive.

Themes

motivation challenge psychology

Mood

intrigued determined

Type

inspirational philosophical

When to use this quote

- goal setting
- creative problem solving
- personal growth

Key Concepts

self‑determination theory paradox of effort

Questions to Reflect On

- What impossible task could you pursue to reignite passion?
- How does scarcity influence motivation?

A Different Perspective

Desire may fade if the task becomes achievable, reducing the drive.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really/) [Really Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-want/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-really/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/)

## Related quotes

> [It takes time to be who you really want to be. It doesn't happen overnight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanel-iman/it-takes-time-to-be-who-you-really-want-to-be-it-doesn-t-happen/)

[Chanel Iman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanel-iman/)

> [Don't force someone to make time for you, if they really want to, they will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-force-someone-to-make-time-for-you-if-they-really-want-to-they/)

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

> [I want it to be able to hold up in 30 years' time. So, I'm really thinking about everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-want-it-to-be-able-to-hold-up-in-30-years-time-so-i-m-really/)

[Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/)

> [To be honest, I haven't seen a lot of the current crop of teen movies because there's only so much time and there's nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-armstrong/to-be-honest-i-haven-t-seen-a-lot-of-the-current-crop-of-teen-movies/)

[Curtis Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-armstrong/)

> [“That's good. Always take the time. You really never know when you're not going to have it anymore.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-woodson/that-s-good-always-take-the-time-you-really-never-know-when-you-re/)

[Jacqueline Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-woodson/)

> [“Never before in his life had he understood how subjective, how plastic, time really is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/never-before-in-his-life-had-he-understood-how-subjective-how-plastic/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [A big man has no time really to do anything but just sit and be big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/a-big-man-has-no-time-really-to-do-anything-but-just-sit-and-be-big/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [The only time I really go on the Internet is for recipes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-lively/the-only-time-i-really-go-on-the-internet-is-for-recipes/)

[Blake Lively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-lively/)

> [I think it's time for me to really enjoy my life again,It's been a while I suppose. :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/i-think-it-s-time-for-me-to-really-enjoy-my-life-again-it-s-been-a/)

[Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/)

> [Time really is one big continuous cloth, no? We habitually cut out pieces of time to fit us, so we tend to fool ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/time-really-is-one-big-continuous-cloth-no-we-habitually-cut-out/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [“It's difficult to tell how much time is really passing when you're hungry and bored.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liesl-shurtliff/it-s-difficult-to-tell-how-much-time-is-really-passing-when-you-re/)

[Liesl Shurtliff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liesl-shurtliff/)

> [Time isn't a commodity, something you pass around like cake. Time is the substance of life. When anyone asks you to give your time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoinette-bosco/time-isn-t-a-commodity-something-you-pass-around-like-cake-time-is/)

[Antoinette Bosco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoinette-bosco/)

> [“It's that in between time Nothing really growing And nothing really dying”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-l-ratliff/it-s-that-in-between-time-nothing-really-growing-and-nothing-really/)

[Richard L. Ratliff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-l-ratliff/)

> [Once illness strikes, you realize there's not a lot of time for you to do what you really need to do. And there's no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/once-illness-strikes-you-realize-there-s-not-a-lot-of-time-for-you-to/)

[Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/)

> [I'm a perfectionist. It's a big pain in the ass and it takes a lot of my time, but it really is going well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/i-m-a-perfectionist-it-s-a-big-pain-in-the-ass-and-it-takes-a-lot-of/)

[George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/)

## More by Neeraj

> [Accepting and trying to move on sounds easy, but doing it simply means DIE first and try to LIVE again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neeraj/accepting-and-trying-to-move-on-sounds-easy-but-doing-it-simply-means/)

[Neeraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neeraj/)

> [U like a my car](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neeraj/u-like-a-my-car/)

[Neeraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neeraj/)

> [I have a thousand reasons to give up on you. but I CAN'T! because one thing is true - I LOVE YOU](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neeraj/i-have-a-thousand-reasons-to-give-up-on-you-but-i-can-t-because-one/)

[Neeraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neeraj/)

> [Relationship Status : Battery died when I was about to say her 'I love you' , now she is taken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neeraj/relationship-status-battery-died-when-i-was-about-to-say-her-i-love/)

[Neeraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neeraj/)

> [If you don't go after what you want, you'll never get it. If you don't ask, d answer is always no. If you never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neeraj/if-you-don-t-go-after-what-you-want-you-ll-never-get-it-if-you-don-t/)

[Neeraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neeraj/)

> [I know I can't win, but I'm also not in d mood of quitting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neeraj/i-know-i-can-t-win-but-i-m-also-not-in-d-mood-of-quitting/)

[Neeraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neeraj/)

[Explore all 7 Neeraj quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neeraj/)

## More Really quotes

> [It's really fun and challenging to build things that have never been built before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mason/it-s-really-fun-and-challenging-to-build-things-that-have-never-been/)

[Hilary Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mason/)

> [When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I thought 'Lord' was super rad, but really masculine - ever since I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/when-i-was-trying-to-come-up-with-a-stage-name-i-thought-lord-was/)

[Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/)

> [My favorite galaxy of all is called the Sombrero, NGC 4594. It's an amazing galaxy that is really two galaxies in one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-faber/my-favorite-galaxy-of-all-is-called-the-sombrero-ngc-4594-it-s-an/)

[Sandra Faber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-faber/)

> [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/)

[Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/)

> [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/)

[Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/)

> [My only close-to-game-plan is to follow good writing. If the writing is in TV or if it's in theater or in film, that's it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-driver/my-only-close-to-game-plan-is-to-follow-good-writing-if-the-writing/)

[Adam Driver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-driver/)

> [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/)

[Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/)

> [That's one of my idols, I really look up to Pacquiao. This guy is everything I would want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-garcia/that-s-one-of-my-idols-i-really-look-up-to-pacquiao-this-guy-is/)

[Ryan Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-garcia/)

> [Well, I've been politically involved for a really long time. Growing up in the segregated South, it was a very painful experience for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cybill-shepherd/well-i-ve-been-politically-involved-for-a-really-long-time-growing-up/)

[Cybill Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cybill-shepherd/)

> [I used to be afraid of my temper, but it turns out I don't really have one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-bell/i-used-to-be-afraid-of-my-temper-but-it-turns-out-i-don-t-really-have/)

[Zoe Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-bell/)

> [I was in high school and I had an independent album out, and we kept sending that out, and I was doing shows. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hilton/i-was-in-high-school-and-i-had-an-independent-album-out-and-we-kept/)

[Tyler Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hilton/)

> [My mom had very low expectations for me, and she really had a point. I was a big problem at seventeen. If I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/my-mom-had-very-low-expectations-for-me-and-she-really-had-a-point-i/)

[Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/)

> [I really enjoy hosting, not necessarily because it provides more airtime, but because it allows me to be a part of more substantive discussions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-ponder/i-really-enjoy-hosting-not-necessarily-because-it-provides-more/)

[Samantha Ponder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-ponder/)

> [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/)

[Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/)

> [It's a really dark, emotionally wrenching world that we've created on 'The Walking Dead.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-holden/it-s-a-really-dark-emotionally-wrenching-world-that-we-ve-created-on/)

[Laurie Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-holden/)

[Browse all 20,711 Really quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The only time you really want to do anything is when you know you can't...",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Neeraj"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neeraj/the-only-time-you-really-want-to-do-anything-is-when-you-know-you-can/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Really"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neeraj/the-only-time-you-really-want-to-do-anything-is-when-you-know-you-can/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/neeraj-52060_really_the-only-time-you-really-want-to-do-anyt_580833.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/neeraj-52060_really_the-only-time-you-really-want-to-do-anyt_580833.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/neeraj-52060_really_the-only-time-you-really-want-to-do-anyt_580833.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The only time you really want to do anything is when you know you can't...” — Neeraj",
                "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": "Neeraj",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neeraj/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The only time you really want...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neeraj/the-only-time-you-really-want-to-do-anything-is-when-you-know-you-can/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neeraj/the-only-time-you-really-want-to-do-anything-is-when-you-know-you-can/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
