Tom Rath Quotes

The basic thing is that I want to do the best work possible, and I can only do that if I'm relaxed and have a lot of energy. And that can only come from taking time off.

Over-working gets less done. We all have experienced this. We can push ourselves to exhaustion, but things get done with less attention, and our bodies eventually break down.

People who organize their time in a way that allows them to focus are not only going to get more done, but they'll be less tired and less neurochemically depleted after doing it.

If you aren't taking regular breaks every couple of hours, your brain won't benefit from that extra cup of coffee.

A lot of people don't feel like doing very much. Or one project is really all they can do at one time. I can have five or six things going at the same time. It doesn't bother me or tire me, but sometimes it does rattle me.

I write at high speed because boredom is bad for my health.

The bane of Americans is overwork-and the ruin of any work is a divided interest. Concentrate-concentrate. One thing at a time.

If people would reflect that one can only do one thing at a time and therefore there is never more than one thing to do at a time, there would be less fatigue in the world.

A day of worry is more exhausting than a week of work. Worry upsets our whole system; work keeps it in health and order.

A calm environment is for after I finish work.

People often get very entangled in their work and life, so de-stressing is very important to keep generating fresh ideas and provide satisfaction with one's activities.

If I have one thing on in a week, I find it very difficult to get back to work that week. I need a lot of dreaming time.

When you are overworked and exhausted, there is a sense of kind of delirium and that's why I think architects do all-nighters and they kind of do those deadlines. For four days I remember doing four nights in one row with no sleep. I mean nobody, unless you are crazy, would do that, but you are totally focused on the project.

I think it's important to have as much as a normal life and take the time to get perspective because it only helps your work in the long run.

When I was young and ocean-racing competitively, and working the rest of the time, I was going 24 hours. I was on the verge of collapsing. But you've got to slow down a bit.

People often say that stress is a motivator. What we're referring to when we say this is really better described as stimulation and engagement.

I'm more focused and have a greater sense of challenge, because I constantly feel the weight of time.

The worst manifestations of exhaustion were successfully cured by a long period of rest but it was immediately apparent to me that I had lost once and for all my former capacity for carrying out experimental work until physically tired.

I have to take time occasionally to get away from the pressures of this business. If I don't, I think I would get stale, and that would show in my music.

I like to be alone so I can write. But focus can hurt you. I don't want to be some stress casualty in early middle age.

My first press tour for 'Vikings' was pretty overwhelming. Between all the hotels, TV shows and talking a lot, I would get done and have to sit in silence for a while. It was exhausting, and you really have to focus.

If I'm really under pressure to get work done, I can adapt to most situations, but I prefer to be at home, in a comfortable chair, with as few distractions as possible.

If you are working 24/7, you're not going to have any interesting ideas.

I'm not disciplined at all. I barely function. But I get a lot done. I take days off all the time, but when I work, I work very fast and very efficiently. But I'm always having days when I'm feeling a little anxious, and I take a day off. I work in a funny way.

I really hate relaxing. I've done three movies in a row, worked for two years straight, and to me, idle time is the devil's workshop. I like to focus on something.