The sluggard craves and gets nothing,
but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.
—Proverbs 13:4
John Erskine’s music teacher counseled him to grab a few minutes of practice whenever he could, rather than waiting for big blocks of time. It became his lifetime habit—he allegedly wrote The Private Life of Helen of Troy, his best-known work, while commuting between home and work on streetcars.
Do you spend more time getting ready to work than you do actually working? Clearing the desk, daydreaming, writing lists, making phone calls? Sharpening the pencils so to speak, but never getting around to writing the paper?
Use your in-between moments productively and you will end up miles ahead of those who don’t.
Don’t spend so much time oiling the gun
that you never get around to pulling the trigger.