--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: By the time I'm done with a project, it's…" description: "\"By the time I'm done with a project, it's taken so long that I usually don't even like it anymore. I only see the things I wish I'd done differently.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de6/sydney-pollack-2385_long_by-the-time-i-m-done-with-a-project-it-s_3228772.jpg" --- # By the time I'm done with a project, it's taken so long… ![“By the time I'm done with a project, it's taken so long that I usually don't even like it anymore. I only see the things I wish I'd done differently.” quote by Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de6/sydney-pollack-2385_long_by-the-time-i-m-done-with-a-project-it-s_3228772.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de6/sydney-pollack-2385_long_by-the-time-i-m-done-with-a-project-it-s_3228772.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de6/sydney-pollack-2385_long_by-the-time-i-m-done-with-a-project-it-s_3228772.jpg) > “By the time I'm done with a project, it's taken so long that I usually don't even like it anymore. I only see the things I wish I'd done differently.” [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Projects often become burdensome over time, leading to disengagement and regret. **In simple terms:** Long work can drain love for it. Key Takeaway Stay engaged, set milestones. Themes creative burnout regret time Mood thoughtful critical Type professional self‑help When to use this quote - long‑term projects - creative work - career development Key Concepts project management psychology Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take to maintain enthusiasm? - How can you balance critique with appreciation? A Different Perspective May ignore benefits of reflection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) ## Related quotes > [Every time you do a project, you learn something new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-timberlake/every-time-you-do-a-project-you-learn-something-new/) [Justin Timberlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-timberlake/) > [If I'm in a town for very long, usually I'll work out in the comedy club just to keep my chops or work out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-white/if-i-m-in-a-town-for-very-long-usually-i-ll-work-out-in-the-comedy/) [Ron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-white/) > [If you're patient and you wait long enough, something will usually happen and it'll usually be something you don't like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinky-friedman/if-you-re-patient-and-you-wait-long-enough-something-will-usually/) [Kinky Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinky-friedman/) > [One reason we lasted so long is that we usually played two people who were very much in love. As we were realistic actors,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-fontanne/one-reason-we-lasted-so-long-is-that-we-usually-played-two-people-who/) [Lynn Fontanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-fontanne/) > [I think every one of us, in life, have some sort of moment that has happened that we wish we could have done differently…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-perry/i-think-every-one-of-us-in-life-have-some-sort-of-moment-that-has/) [Tyler Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-perry/) > [We've all said and done things we... wish we'd done differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-white/we-ve-all-said-and-done-things-we-wish-we-d-done-differently/) [Paula White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-white/) > [I have a lot of things that I wish I had done differently given the opportunity to redo it but that would have changed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israel-houghton/i-have-a-lot-of-things-that-i-wish-i-had-done-differently-given-the/) [Israel Houghton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israel-houghton/) > [One of the most difficult things to deal with in life is regret. Sometimes something will happen, and you will respond in the wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/one-of-the-most-difficult-things-to-deal-with-in-life-is-regret-2/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [You can look back at anything and wish you'd done something differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edie-brickell/you-can-look-back-at-anything-and-wish-you-d-done-something/) [Edie Brickell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edie-brickell/) > [If there's one thing I wish I'd done differently it would be to have invested money in property.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-stansfield/if-there-s-one-thing-i-wish-i-d-done-differently-it-would-be-to-have/) [Lisa Stansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-stansfield/) > [When you do a normal film, you play the character for three months and you say goodbye to him. And then, when you watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-lautner/when-you-do-a-normal-film-you-play-the-character-for-three-months-and/) [Taylor Lautner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-lautner/) > [I would say that one of the things I wish I could do differently would be to be more outgoing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ratan-tata/i-would-say-that-one-of-the-things-i-wish-i-could-do-differently/) [Ratan Tata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ratan-tata/) > [There were tactical decisions that I wish I could have done differently: mission accomplished, not revealing my drunken driving charge prior to my run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/there-were-tactical-decisions-that-i-wish-i-could-have-done/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [There are moments in one's life where you look back and you say, 'Well, I wish I had done this differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-meyer/there-are-moments-in-one-s-life-where-you-look-back-and-you-say-well/) [Nicholas Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-meyer/) > [My journey has been a long one and has still got a long way to go. I think we are so used to defining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-corrin/my-journey-has-been-a-long-one-and-has-still-got-a-long-way-to-go-i/) [Emma Corrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-corrin/) ## More by Sydney Pollack > [I didn't grow up thinking of movies as film, or art, but as movies, something to do on a Saturday afternoon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-didn-t-grow-up-thinking-of-movies-as-film-or-art-but-as-movies/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [It's my job to motivate the audience to believe. I have to get them to suspend their judgment in favor of involvement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/it-s-my-job-to-motivate-the-audience-to-believe-i-have-to-get-them-to/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [The marketing of anything is full of exploitation and lies and hype.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/the-marketing-of-anything-is-full-of-exploitation-and-lies-and-hype/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [Burt Lancaster was largely responsible for me becoming a director.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/burt-lancaster-was-largely-responsible-for-me-becoming-a-director/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [People sense when you're pretending, when you're worried about your own ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/people-sense-when-you-re-pretending-when-you-re-worried-about-your/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [I personally have never made a movie in Hollywood, because I don't want to get up in my own bed and then go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-personally-have-never-made-a-movie-in-hollywood-because-i-don-t/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [Every film I've made has a kind of frustrated love story in the center of it. They were people who saw life from opposing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/every-film-i-ve-made-has-a-kind-of-frustrated-love-story-in-the/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [You mustn't regret decisions that you make. Because the decisions are made out of your gut in a way and you have to stick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/you-mustn-t-regret-decisions-that-you-make-because-the-decisions-are/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [When you're shooting a feature that costs $200,000 a day with a crew of 250, you don't want accidents; you want to know exactly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/when-you-re-shooting-a-feature-that-costs-200-000-a-day-with-a-crew/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [What makes architecture extraordinary is that you're looking at the building, but your peripheral vision is also seeing how it fits within a space.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/what-makes-architecture-extraordinary-is-that-you-re-looking-at-the/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [I don't get nervous talking about my films, but if I'm the subject, it's hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-don-t-get-nervous-talking-about-my-films-but-if-i-m-the-subject-it/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [You are not an active creator of the film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/you-are-not-an-active-creator-of-the-film/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [All films are political, whether they mean to be or not. Star Wars is political. As soon as you have conflict, which is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/all-films-are-political-whether-they-mean-to-be-or-not-star-wars-is/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [There will be people who are sensitive about seeing the American point of view presented as less than sympathetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/there-will-be-people-who-are-sensitive-about-seeing-the-american/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [I don't consider myself a teacher of moral and political positions. I don't want to be that. I can't help but have a point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-don-t-consider-myself-a-teacher-of-moral-and-political-positions-i/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) [Explore all 169 Sydney Pollack quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) ## More Long quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [I would borrow money all day long, if the cost of borrowing is less than the expected return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/i-would-borrow-money-all-day-long-if-the-cost-of-borrowing-is-less/) [Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/) > [Regardless of the criticisms I receive from the left, the right and the middle, I think it's important to maintain a prolific writing jab,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/regardless-of-the-criticisms-i-receive-from-the-left-the-right-and/) [Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/) > [Contradictory precepts that have guided me for as long as I can remember: 1: I will live forever. 2: I will die tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/contradictory-precepts-that-have-guided-me-for-as-long-as-i-can/) [Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [The real world out there isn't nearly as nice as some people prefer it to be, so don't swallow everything your high-born teachers tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-real-world-out-there-isn-t-nearly-as-nice-as-some-people-prefer/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [ \[The Dalai Lama\] told me some years ago, "I've made every concession to China, and I've been as open and tolerant as I could,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/the-dalai-lama-told-me-some-years-ago-i-ve-made-every-concession-to/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) Brian Reade > [Long before the 2016 presidential campaign, confidential sources had alerted me to longstanding misuses of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court system and the erosion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharyl-attkisson/long-before-the-2016-presidential-campaign-confidential-sources-had/) [Sharyl Attkisson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharyl-attkisson/) > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [I was born and raised in Orlando, where the economy and culture has been powerfully shaped by tourism, and so I've long been interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-was-born-and-raised-in-orlando-where-the-economy-and-culture-has/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) Browse all 39,551 Long quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "By the time I'm done with a project, it's taken so long that I usually don't even like it anymore. 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