--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Did you ever consider how ridiculous it…" description: "\"“Did you ever consider how ridiculous it would be to try to cram on a farm—to forget to plant in the spring, play all summer and then cram in the fall ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/stephen-r-covey-1501_reap-what-you-sow_did-you-ever-consider-how-ridiculous-it_2173872.jpg" --- # Did you ever consider how ridiculous it would be to try to… ![“Did you ever consider how ridiculous it would be to try to cram on a farm—to forget to plant in the spring, play all summer and then cram in the fall to bring in the harvest? The farm is a natural system. The price must be paid and the process followed. You always reap what you sow; there is no…” quote by Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/stephen-r-covey-1501_reap-what-you-sow_did-you-ever-consider-how-ridiculous-it_2173872.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/stephen-r-covey-1501_reap-what-you-sow_did-you-ever-consider-how-ridiculous-it_2173872.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/stephen-r-covey-1501_reap-what-you-sow_did-you-ever-consider-how-ridiculous-it_2173872.jpg) > ““Did you ever consider how ridiculous it would be to try to cram on a farm—to forget to plant in the spring, play all summer and then cram in the fall to bring in the harvest? The farm is a natural system. The price must be paid and the process followed. You always reap what you sow; there is no shortcut.”” [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective work requires respecting natural cycles; shortcuts lead to poor outcomes. **In simple terms:** Follow natural rhythms; avoid shortcuts. Key Takeaway Plan work according to natural cycles. Themes productivity nature discipline Mood thoughtful motivational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - agriculture - project management - personal goals - education Key Concepts systems thinking long‑term planning Questions to Reflect On - What cycles in your life need respect? - How can you avoid shortcuts in your work? A Different Perspective Shortcuts may yield immediate gains but cause long‑term loss. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cram/) [Cram Farm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cram-farm-4666415/) [Farm Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/farm-natural-4666417/) [Flower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flower/) [Reap What You Sow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reap-what-you-sow/) [Summer Cram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/summer-cram-4666416/) [Try Cram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-cram-4666418/) ## Related quotes > [You can't really think about more than one movie at a time. You're thinking about it consciously, and the subconscious is working too, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-brickman/you-can-t-really-think-about-more-than-one-movie-at-a-time-you-re/) [Marshall Brickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-brickman/) > [I wouldn't swap the era I competed in for anything, not a day of it. I started out as an amateur, and people like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daley-thompson/i-wouldn-t-swap-the-era-i-competed-in-for-anything-not-a-day-of-it-i/) [Daley Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daley-thompson/) > [Cram nailed his colours to the mast and threw down the Great Pretender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-pickering/cram-nailed-his-colours-to-the-mast-and-threw-down-the-great-pretender/) [Ron Pickering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-pickering/) > [Writing plays supplied for me everything that painting didn't, which is the ability to tell stories in real time, in a real space, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beau-willimon/writing-plays-supplied-for-me-everything-that-painting-didn-t-which/) [Beau Willimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beau-willimon/) > [Many teachers are concerned about the amount of material they must cover in a course. One cynic suggested a formula: since, he said, students…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-halmos/many-teachers-are-concerned-about-the-amount-of-material-they-must/) [Paul Halmos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-halmos/) > [The second is there are some communities that we thought originally would take mobile homes that have decided they don't want them. And we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chertoff/the-second-is-there-are-some-communities-that-we-thought-originally/) [Michael Chertoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chertoff/) > [If you want to know what cram is, I can only say that I don’t know the recipe; but it is biscuitish, keeps good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-want-to-know-what-cram-is-i-can-only-say-that-i-don-t-know-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was the guy that would cram for everything, so I guess I was a bit of a slacker. I was a procrastinator. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-liddell/i-was-the-guy-that-would-cram-for-everything-so-i-guess-i-was-a-bit/) [Chuck Liddell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-liddell/) > [I've seen a lot of shows, but I can't possibly cram in everything that I'd like to, and it's exhausting trying to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathew-baynton/i-ve-seen-a-lot-of-shows-but-i-can-t-possibly-cram-in-everything-that/) [Mathew Baynton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathew-baynton/) > [Steve Ovett, Sebastian Coe, Steve Cram - the vanguard of our cream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-pickering/steve-ovett-sebastian-coe-steve-cram-the-vanguard-of-our-cream/) [Ron Pickering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-pickering/) > [I remember, in 1999, the first time I met Steve Cram, I didn't know who he was. It was only later, on YouTube, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-farah/i-remember-in-1999-the-first-time-i-met-steve-cram-i-didn-t-know-who/) [Mo Farah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-farah/) > [In school, many of us procrastinate and then successfully cram for tests. We get the grades and degrees we need to get the jobs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/in-school-many-of-us-procrastinate-and-then-successfully-cram-for/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [I work on quiet call nights in the hospital, on airplanes and on my sailboat when I have a bit of time - I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-patterson/i-work-on-quiet-call-nights-in-the-hospital-on-airplanes-and-on-my/) [Kevin Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-patterson/) > [“As others might prepare for an exam whose subject matter is unknown to them, so I must study, cram, for every conversation with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/as-others-might-prepare-for-an-exam-whose-subject-matter-is-unknown/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Cram it up your cram hole, LaFleur! -White Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dodgeball/cram-it-up-your-cram-hole-lafleur-white-goodman/) [Dodgeball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dodgeball/) ## More by Stephen R. Covey > [“For those filled with regret, perhaps the most needful exercise of proactivity is to realize that past mistakes are also out there in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/for-those-filled-with-regret-perhaps-the-most-needful-exercise-of/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [“What lies behind us is nothing compared to what lies within us and ahead of us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/what-lies-behind-us-is-nothing-compared-to-what-lies-within-us-and/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [“Love is something you do: the sacrifices you make, the giving of self, like a mother bringing a newborn into the world. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/love-is-something-you-do-the-sacrifices-you-make-the-giving-of-self/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [“Principles are guidelines for human conduct that are proven to have enduring, permanent value. They’re fundamental.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/principles-are-guidelines-for-human-conduct-that-are-proven-to-have/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [“So I recommend reading literature, such as the inspiring biography of Anwar Sadat, In Search of Identity, and seeing movies like Chariots of Fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/so-i-recommend-reading-literature-such-as-the-inspiring-biography-of/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [“My experience has been that there are times to teach and times not to teach. When relationships are strained and the air charged with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/my-experience-has-been-that-there-are-times-to-teach-and-times-not-to/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [“Just as faith without works is dead, so also works without faith.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/just-as-faith-without-works-is-dead-so-also-works-without-faith/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [“FRIEND/ENEMY CENTEREDNESS. Young people are particularly, though certainly not exclusively, susceptible to becoming friend-centered. Acceptance and belonging to a peer group can become almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/friend-enemy-centeredness-young-people-are-particularly-though/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [“As a principle-centered person, you see things differently. And because you see things differently, you think differently, you act differently. Because you have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/as-a-principle-centered-person-you-see-things-differently-and-because/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [“We are free to choose our actions, based on our knowledge of correct principles, but we are not free to choose the consequences of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/we-are-free-to-choose-our-actions-based-on-our-knowledge-of-correct/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [“For every thousand hacking at the leaves of evil, there is one striking at the root.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/for-every-thousand-hacking-at-the-leaves-of-evil-there-is-one/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [“Breaking deeply imbedded habitual tendencies such as procrastination, impatience, criticalness, or selfishness that violate basic principles of human effectiveness involves more than a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/breaking-deeply-imbedded-habitual-tendencies-such-as-procrastination/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [“man you might like to take her out. If you were”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/man-you-might-like-to-take-her-out-if-you-were/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [“Start with the end in mind. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/start-with-the-end-in-mind/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [“the very problem created the opportunity to build a deep relationship that empowered us to work together as a strong complementary team.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/the-very-problem-created-the-opportunity-to-build-a-deep-relationship/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) [Explore all 230 Stephen R. Covey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) ## More Cram quotes > [You can't really think about more than one movie at a time. You're thinking about it consciously, and the subconscious is working too, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-brickman/you-can-t-really-think-about-more-than-one-movie-at-a-time-you-re/) [Marshall Brickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-brickman/) > [“As others might prepare for an exam whose subject matter is unknown to them, so I must study, cram, for every conversation with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/as-others-might-prepare-for-an-exam-whose-subject-matter-is-unknown/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [I work on quiet call nights in the hospital, on airplanes and on my sailboat when I have a bit of time - I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-patterson/i-work-on-quiet-call-nights-in-the-hospital-on-airplanes-and-on-my/) [Kevin Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-patterson/) > [In school, many of us procrastinate and then successfully cram for tests. We get the grades and degrees we need to get the jobs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/in-school-many-of-us-procrastinate-and-then-successfully-cram-for/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [I remember, in 1999, the first time I met Steve Cram, I didn't know who he was. It was only later, on YouTube, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-farah/i-remember-in-1999-the-first-time-i-met-steve-cram-i-didn-t-know-who/) [Mo Farah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-farah/) > [Steve Ovett, Sebastian Coe, Steve Cram - the vanguard of our cream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-pickering/steve-ovett-sebastian-coe-steve-cram-the-vanguard-of-our-cream/) [Ron Pickering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-pickering/) > [I've seen a lot of shows, but I can't possibly cram in everything that I'd like to, and it's exhausting trying to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathew-baynton/i-ve-seen-a-lot-of-shows-but-i-can-t-possibly-cram-in-everything-that/) [Mathew Baynton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathew-baynton/) > [I was the guy that would cram for everything, so I guess I was a bit of a slacker. I was a procrastinator. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-liddell/i-was-the-guy-that-would-cram-for-everything-so-i-guess-i-was-a-bit/) [Chuck Liddell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-liddell/) > [If you want to know what cram is, I can only say that I don’t know the recipe; but it is biscuitish, keeps good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-want-to-know-what-cram-is-i-can-only-say-that-i-don-t-know-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The second is there are some communities that we thought originally would take mobile homes that have decided they don't want them. And we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chertoff/the-second-is-there-are-some-communities-that-we-thought-originally/) [Michael Chertoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chertoff/) > [Many teachers are concerned about the amount of material they must cover in a course. One cynic suggested a formula: since, he said, students…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-halmos/many-teachers-are-concerned-about-the-amount-of-material-they-must/) [Paul Halmos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-halmos/) > [Writing plays supplied for me everything that painting didn't, which is the ability to tell stories in real time, in a real space, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beau-willimon/writing-plays-supplied-for-me-everything-that-painting-didn-t-which/) [Beau Willimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beau-willimon/) > [Cram nailed his colours to the mast and threw down the Great Pretender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-pickering/cram-nailed-his-colours-to-the-mast-and-threw-down-the-great-pretender/) [Ron Pickering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-pickering/) > [I wouldn't swap the era I competed in for anything, not a day of it. I started out as an amateur, and people like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daley-thompson/i-wouldn-t-swap-the-era-i-competed-in-for-anything-not-a-day-of-it-i/) [Daley Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daley-thompson/) > [Cram it up your cram hole, LaFleur! -White Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dodgeball/cram-it-up-your-cram-hole-lafleur-white-goodman/) [Dodgeball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dodgeball/) [Browse all 17 Cram quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cram/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Did you ever consider how ridiculous it would be to try to cram on a farm—to forget to plant in the spring, play all summer and then cram in the fall to bring in the harvest? The farm is a natural system. The price must be paid and the process followed. You always reap what you sow; there is no shortcut.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen R. 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