--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You don't have enough time to be both…" description: "\"You don't have enough time to be both unhappy & mediocre. It's not just pointless; it's painful.\" — Seth Godin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d42/seth-godin-152_enough_you-don-t-have-enough-time-to-be-both-un_2124728.png" --- # You don't have enough time to be both unhappy & mediocre… ![“You don't have enough time to be both unhappy & mediocre. It's not just pointless; it's painful.” quote by Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d42/seth-godin-152_enough_you-don-t-have-enough-time-to-be-both-un_2124728.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d42/seth-godin-152_enough_you-don-t-have-enough-time-to-be-both-un_2124728.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d42/seth-godin-152_enough_you-don-t-have-enough-time-to-be-both-un_2124728.png) > “You don't have enough time to be both unhappy & mediocre. It's not just pointless; it's painful.” [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Unhappiness and mediocrity together cause pain, not just futility. **In simple terms:** Being unhappy and mediocre hurts. Key Takeaway Strive for fulfillment. Themes happiness mediocrity pain Mood motivational urgent Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - career - personal development - creative pursuits Key Concepts self‑actualization motivation Questions to Reflect On - What mediocrity are you tolerating? - How can you turn pain into growth? A Different Perspective Avoiding discomfort may lead to stagnation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Tribes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tribes/) [Unhappy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappy/) ## Related quotes > [“Life's too short" is repeated often enough to be a cliche, but this time it's true. You don't have enough time to be both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/life-s-too-short-is-repeated-often-enough-to-be-a-cliche-but-this/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [“I waver—in the dark—between the observation (but is it entirely accurate?) that I’m unhappy only by moments, by jerks and surges, sporadically, even if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-barthes/i-waver-in-the-dark-between-the-observation-but-is-it-entirely/) [Roland Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-barthes/) > [I don't have the luxury of time to be unhappy. I have too much to do. I have too much do accomplish. Who has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/i-don-t-have-the-luxury-of-time-to-be-unhappy-i-have-too-much-to-do-i/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [ Oh, that was a good time, when I was unhappy. \[Fr., Oh c'etait le bon temps, j'etais bien malheureuse.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-arnould/oh-that-was-a-good-time-when-i-was-unhappy-fr-oh-c-etait-le-bon-temps/) [Sophie Arnould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-arnould/) > [Timing is everything in wrestling and when I was with the WWE it just wasn't the right time. I was unhappy and I decided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-kim/timing-is-everything-in-wrestling-and-when-i-was-with-the-wwe-it-just/) [Gail Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-kim/) > [A lot of the time, I was unhappy as a kid, so I spent it, I guess, in a gray place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-krule/a-lot-of-the-time-i-was-unhappy-as-a-kid-so-i-spent-it-i-guess-in-a/) [King Krule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-krule/) > [We cant change so why waste time being unhappy about things that will always be exactly what they are meant to be...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-cant-change-so-why-waste-time-being-unhappy-about-things-that-will/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Keep yourself busy with something or the other because a busy person never has the time to be unhappy.!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tufail-mehraj/keep-yourself-busy-with-something-or-the-other-because-a-busy-person/) [Tufail Mehraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tufail-mehraj/) > [Keep busy at something: a busy person never has time to be unhappy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/keep-busy-at-something-a-busy-person-never-has-time-to-be-unhappy/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [Oh, that was a good time, when I was unhappy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-arnould/oh-that-was-a-good-time-when-i-was-unhappy/) [Sophie Arnould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-arnould/) > [I'm more of a warrior than you'll ever be. I believe in the class war. I believe in the battle of the sexes. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/i-m-more-of-a-warrior-than-you-ll-ever-be-i-believe-in-the-class-war/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [Organizations grow when they persuade a tiny cadre to be passionate, not when they touch millions with a mediocre message](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/organizations-grow-when-they-persuade-a-tiny-cadre-to-be-passionate/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [“It turns out that the people who like their jobs the most are also the ones who are doing the best work, making the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/it-turns-out-that-the-people-who-like-their-jobs-the-most-are-also/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The big win is when you refuse to settle for average or mediocre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-big-win-is-when-you-refuse-to-settle-for-average-or-mediocre/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [What tribes are, is a very simple concept that goes back 50 million years. It's about leading and connecting people and ideas. And it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/what-tribes-are-is-a-very-simple-concept-that-goes-back-50-million/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) ## More by Seth Godin > [“You weren't born to be a cog in the giant industrial machine. You were trained to become a cog. There's an alternative available to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/you-weren-t-born-to-be-a-cog-in-the-giant-industrial-machine-you-were/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Forgive yourself for not being the richest, the thinnest, the tallest, the one with the best hair. Forgive yourself for not being the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/forgive-yourself-for-not-being-the-richest-the-thinnest-the-tallest/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The easier it is to quantify, the less it's worth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-easier-it-is-to-quantify-the-less-it-s-worth/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Developing expertise or assets that are not easily copied is essential; otherwise you're just a middleman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/developing-expertise-or-assets-that-are-not-easily-copied-is/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Leadership is a choice. It's the choice not to do nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/leadership-is-a-choice-it-s-the-choice-not-to-do-nothing/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The next thing you do today will be the most important thing on your agenda, because, after all, you're doing it next. Well, perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-next-thing-you-do-today-will-be-the-most-important-thing-on-your/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [I look at Starbucks, Howard Schultz has made many brilliant decisions, and one of the things that they did was they invented the third…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/i-look-at-starbucks-howard-schultz-has-made-many-brilliant-decisions/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Be relentlessly generous, without focusing on when it will come back to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/be-relentlessly-generous-without-focusing-on-when-it-will-come-back/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The public square is more public than ever, but minds are rarely changed in 140 character bursts and by selfies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-public-square-is-more-public-than-ever-but-minds-are-rarely/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Making an average pitch to average people, or having an average gala for average people isn't going to scale anymore. You've got to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/making-an-average-pitch-to-average-people-or-having-an-average-gala/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Our job is to make change. Our job is to connect to people, to interact with them in a way that leaves them better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/our-job-is-to-make-change-our-job-is-to-connect-to-people-to-interact/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [“Life is actually far better than it is in the movies. And it takes longer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/life-is-actually-far-better-than-it-is-in-the-movies-and-it-takes/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [I don't think there's a shortage of remarkable ideas. I think your business has plenty of great opportunities to do great things. Nope, what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-shortage-of-remarkable-ideas-i-think-your/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [The mirror we hold up to the person next to us is one of the most important pictures she will ever see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/the-mirror-we-hold-up-to-the-person-next-to-us-is-one-of-the-most/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [If you're a marketer who doesn't know how to invent, design, influence, adapt, and ultimately discard products, then you're no longer a marketer. You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/if-you-re-a-marketer-who-doesn-t-know-how-to-invent-design-influence/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) [Explore all 1,110 Seth Godin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) ## More Enough quotes > [I guess at it's very core love is connection that just makes so much sense you wonder how you used to live before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-stone/i-guess-at-it-s-very-core-love-is-connection-that-just-makes-so-much/) [Benjamin Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-stone/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) Adam Ant > [I've been lucky enough to, for the most part, surround myself with a lot of people who are more talented than me and who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-franco/i-ve-been-lucky-enough-to-for-the-most-part-surround-myself-with-a/) [Dave Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-franco/) > [I love because there is not enough room in my heart to hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rena-kornreich-gelissen/i-love-because-there-is-not-enough-room-in-my-heart-to-hate/) Rena Kornreich Gelissen > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/) [Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/) > [The vast majority of organizations today have more than enough intelligence, experience and knowledge to be successful. What they lack is organizational health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/the-vast-majority-of-organizations-today-have-more-than-enough/) [Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I've been to Manchester enough to know it's a real place. It's not Factory Records and the Smiths bicycling around. I get it. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-murphy/i-ve-been-to-manchester-enough-to-know-it-s-a-real-place-it-s-not/) [James Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-murphy/) > [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/) [Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/) > [Sam dropped me off. When she was too far away to see me, I started to cry again. Because she was my friend again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/sam-dropped-me-off-when-she-was-too-far-away-to-see-me-i-started-to/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [New York is large, glamorous, easy-going, kindly and incurious, but above all it is a crucible - because it is large enough to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/new-york-is-large-glamorous-easy-going-kindly-and-incurious-but-above/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) Browse all 23,898 Enough quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You don't have enough time to be both unhappy & mediocre. 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