Undertaker Quote by Samuel Johnson
““The distance is commonly very great between actual performances and speculative possibility. It is natural to suppose, that as much as has been done to-day may be done to-morrow; but on the morrow some difficulty emerges or some external impediment obstructs. Indolence, interruption, business, and pleasure; all take their turns of retardation; and every long work is lengthened by a thousand causes that can, and ten thousand that cannot, be recounted. Perhaps no extensive and multifarious performance was ever effected within the term originally fixed in the undertaker's mind. He that runs against Time, has an antagonist not subject to casualties. From Samuel Johnson's Lives of the Poets series, published in 3 volumes between 1779 and 1781, on Alexander Pope””
About This Quote
Source Book: Lives of the Poets by Samuel Johnson, 1779-1781
Great projects often fall short of their ambitious timelines due to unforeseen obstacles and human delays.
In simple terms: Plans rarely match reality because of delays.
Key Takeaway
Expect delays and plan flexibly.
Themes
time management
project planning
human nature
Mood
realistic
reflective
Type
advisory
philosophical
When to use this quote
- business launches
- research projects
- creative writing
- construction timelines
Key Concepts
uncertainty
external constraints
procrastination
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you build buffers into your schedule?
- What habits help mitigate procrastination?
A Different Perspective
Even with careful planning, unpredictable factors can derail schedules.
![“He [dad] always had some kind of trouble with his leg. He’d have bandages wrapped around it all the time but he’d never go and see a doctor. He’d rather have dropped dead than go to a doctor. He was terrified of them, like a lot of people his age were. And he’d never take a day off work. If he…” quote by Ozzy Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d23/ozzy-osbourne-685_time_he-dad-always-had-some-kind-of-trouble-w_129046.jpg)
