--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Obsession is hard work and can only be…" description: "\"“Obsession is hard work and can only be performed at full speed for short periods of time.”\" — Raymond L. Atkins" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/raymond-l-atkins-41619_obsession_obsession-is-hard-work-and-can-only-be-p_2224218.jpg" --- # Obsession is hard work and can only be performed at full… ![“Obsession is hard work and can only be performed at full speed for short periods of time.” quote by Raymond L. Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/raymond-l-atkins-41619_obsession_obsession-is-hard-work-and-can-only-be-p_2224218.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/raymond-l-atkins-41619_obsession_obsession-is-hard-work-and-can-only-be-p_2224218.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/raymond-l-atkins-41619_obsession_obsession-is-hard-work-and-can-only-be-p_2224218.jpg) > ““Obsession is hard work and can only be performed at full speed for short periods of time.”” [Raymond L. Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-l-atkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intense focus yields results but can only be sustained briefly before burnout. **In simple terms:** Hard work works best in short bursts. Key Takeaway Use focused sprints, then rest. Themes productivity focus burnout Mood practical motivational Type advice instructional When to use this quote - project deadlines - creative work - study sessions Key Concepts time management performance psychology Questions to Reflect On - What tasks benefit from short, intense focus? - How do you schedule recovery periods? A Different Perspective Continuous intensity leads to diminishing returns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-work/) [Obsession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsession/) [Obsession Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsession-hard-4977681/) [Short Periods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-periods-857992/) [Speed Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speed-short-4977682/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [You know, there's such a very thin dividing line between inspiration and obsession that sometimes it's very hard to decide which side we're really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barnes-wallis/you-know-there-s-such-a-very-thin-dividing-line-between-inspiration/) [Barnes Wallis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barnes-wallis/) > [“short periods of time. The researchers wanted to understand how. So they measured subjects’ vital signs, installed video cameras inside their homes to watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/short-periods-of-time-the-researchers-wanted-to-understand-how-so/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [I think it's healthy for couples to be away from each other for short periods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-tyler/i-think-it-s-healthy-for-couples-to-be-away-from-each-other-for-short/) [Liv Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-tyler/) > [My mum's from Yorkshire and my parents aren't snotty or posh - they're very hard workers, both of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-phillips/my-mum-s-from-yorkshire-and-my-parents-aren-t-snotty-or-posh-they-re/) [Sally Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-phillips/) > [You have a little bit of talent, a certain amount of good fortune and a lot of hard work in pursuit of whatever truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sutherland/you-have-a-little-bit-of-talent-a-certain-amount-of-good-fortune-and/) [Donald Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sutherland/) > [Erase from your mind that your preparation must be perfect. Hard work + dedication = a shot at your dreams. Keep believing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kara-goucher/erase-from-your-mind-that-your-preparation-must-be-perfect-hard-work/) [Kara Goucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kara-goucher/) > [There are really only two ways to teach. You can inspire the student to voluntarily and enthusiastically choose to do the hard work necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-demille/there-are-really-only-two-ways-to-teach-you-can-inspire-the-student/) [Oliver DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-demille/) > [If China someday gains a more fair, just, and accountable system of government, it will be due to the hard work and efforts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/if-china-someday-gains-a-more-fair-just-and-accountable-system-of/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [If you don't meet luck halfway with really hard work, luck won't get you all the way there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asia-kate-dillon/if-you-don-t-meet-luck-halfway-with-really-hard-work-luck-won-t-get/) [Asia Kate Dillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asia-kate-dillon/) > [I know that I'm going to have to work hard, keep working hard, and not because of this victory think, "I'm back." I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-clijsters/i-know-that-i-m-going-to-have-to-work-hard-keep-working-hard-and-not/) [Kim Clijsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-clijsters/) > [I got the reputation of being hard to work with. It has been hard for me to get rid of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-morgan/i-got-the-reputation-of-being-hard-to-work-with-it-has-been-hard-for/) [Lorrie Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-morgan/) > [Hard work and a good education will take you further than any government program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-schock/hard-work-and-a-good-education-will-take-you-further-than-any/) [Aaron Schock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-schock/) > [We have started to make music at age seven. That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/) [Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/) > [High school, going into my junior year, I kind of had the idea I was going to be the starting running back. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saquon-barkley/high-school-going-into-my-junior-year-i-kind-of-had-the-idea-i-was/) [Saquon Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saquon-barkley/) > [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/) [Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/) ## More by Raymond L. Atkins > [“Gone with the Wind, a self-help manual that dealt with the subject of how best to cope with Yankees when they venture south.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-l-atkins/gone-with-the-wind-a-self-help-manual-that-dealt-with-the-subject-of/) [Raymond L. Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-l-atkins/) > [“Vehicular Darwinism based on survival of the quickest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-l-atkins/vehicular-darwinism-based-on-survival-of-the-quickest/) [Raymond L. Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-l-atkins/) > [“History was ignorant and had a mean streak, so it tended to repeat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-l-atkins/history-was-ignorant-and-had-a-mean-streak-so-it-tended-to-repeat/) [Raymond L. Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-l-atkins/) > [“The only thing I hate worse than a hero is a stupid hero.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-l-atkins/the-only-thing-i-hate-worse-than-a-hero-is-a-stupid-hero/) [Raymond L. Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-l-atkins/) > [“Permanence was a illusion, and nothin really mattered but now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-l-atkins/permanence-was-a-illusion-and-nothin-really-mattered-but-now/) [Raymond L. Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-l-atkins/) > [“I don’t believe in religion, but I do believe in God. There’s a big difference between the two.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-l-atkins/i-don-t-believe-in-religion-but-i-do-believe-in-god-there-s-a-big/) [Raymond L. Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-l-atkins/) > [“Too many constants were changing, belying the illusion of permanence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-l-atkins/too-many-constants-were-changing-belying-the-illusion-of-permanence/) [Raymond L. Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-l-atkins/) > [“Hubris is when God screws you over for being a smartass.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-l-atkins/hubris-is-when-god-screws-you-over-for-being-a-smartass/) [Raymond L. Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-l-atkins/) > [“The human mind was a devious organ, however, and it chiseled in stone that which would be best left unrecalled.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-l-atkins/the-human-mind-was-a-devious-organ-however-and-it-chiseled-in-stone/) [Raymond L. Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-l-atkins/) [Explore all 10 Raymond L. Atkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-l-atkins/) ## More Hard quotes > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [It is hard to admit to someone that you love him..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misherie/it-is-hard-to-admit-to-someone-that-you-love-him/) [Misherie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misherie/) > [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [There Was Many Time I Had Wanted To Give Up In Life On So Many Things…But Naw F\*\*\* That...I'm Not Going To Never Give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/out-spoken/there-was-many-time-i-had-wanted-to-give-up-in-life-on-so-many-things/) [Out Spoken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/out-spoken/) > [I think you can get, as a player, stuck in the mindset of trying too hard to prove yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinity-rodman/i-think-you-can-get-as-a-player-stuck-in-the-mindset-of-trying-too/) [Trinity Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinity-rodman/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [One of the worst things to come out of the Consumer Protection Board's misleading claims is the impression that government resources are to hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/one-of-the-worst-things-to-come-out-of-the-consumer-protection-board/) [Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/) > [In our society we have hard nerds and soft nerds. The hard nerds are the ones who used to have the slide rules at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/in-our-society-we-have-hard-nerds-and-soft-nerds-the-hard-nerds-are/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [I think the next 50 years are going to present the human race with challenges that so far exceed the limitations of geopolitical boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-think-the-next-50-years-are-going-to-present-the-human-race-with/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) > [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/) [Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/) > [High school, going into my junior year, I kind of had the idea I was going to be the starting running back. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saquon-barkley/high-school-going-into-my-junior-year-i-kind-of-had-the-idea-i-was/) [Saquon Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saquon-barkley/) > [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/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/) [Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/) [Browse all 29,826 Hard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Obsession is hard work and can only be performed at full speed for short periods of time.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Raymond L. 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