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Work Quotes

Quotes on the meaning of work.

Several quotes here describe work as a solitary process, one that takes real effort to protect from distraction, while others connect a person's politics directly to the character of their work. Related reading includes Growth Quotes.

I gave up on the big screen. The Witching Hour was at Warner Bros. for 10 years and it just didn't work out.

Quotes by Anne Rice

I can't get very far away from Christianity, I can't get very far away from the angels and the saints. I work them in always, in some way.

Quotes by Anne Rice

I like rhyme because it is memorable, I like form because having to work to a pattern gives me original ideas.

Quotes by Anne Stevenson

I work very hard on all my poems, but most of the work consists of trying not to sound as if I had worked. I try to make them sound as natural as possible, but within a quite strict form,...

Quotes by Anne Stevenson

I think the must-have power qualities for a female or male power leader are really the ability to focus, to work hard, to be extremely goal oriented and to not let the noise and the nonsense interfere with your mission...

Quotes by Anne Sweeney

A good leader should focus on making sure everyone is being given the tools to do their job, not just expecting - poof! - that they're going to produce great work.

Quotes by Anne Sweeney

If you have a great day at work and you've been hit with all these great ideas and there's a lot of excitement on your team, your mind doesn't turn off. For years I've kept a pad of paper and...

Quotes by Anne Sweeney

I work hard, and managing an inventory-based business can be extremely stressful. The upside is that, as long as I get my job done, I can take time off pretty much any time I want.

Quotes by Anne Taintor

I would advise any beginning writer to write the first drafts as if no one else will ever read them - without a thought about publication - and only in the last draft to consider how the work will look...

Quotes by Anne Tyler

I was standing in the schoolyard waiting for a child when another mother came up to me. Have you found work yet? she asked. Or are you still just writing?

Quotes by Anne Tyler

None of my own experiences ever finds its way into my work. However, the stages of my life - motherhood, middle age, etc. - often influence my subject matter.

Quotes by Anne Tyler

When I attended the Berkeley Poetry Conference in 1965, I was very inspired. The collaboration of many poets from these alternative traditions - though there were not enough women - who were very much more influenced by, say, Asian forms...

Quotes by Anne Waldman

Work is sacred. It is not just a way to earn money or gain power, though it may result in both. Work is a vehicle for testing out our gifts and talents and using them to explore their meaning.

Quotes by Anne Wilson Schaef

Work is spiritual. It is a place where we have the opportunity for spiritual growth. Often, these opportunities come from the 'how' of the ways we do our work rather than the 'what' of the work itself.

Quotes by Anne Wilson Schaef

I think it's important to have flexibility to work wherever is best for you. I actually encourage people to work at the cafe - or from home or wherever works best for them.

Quotes by Anne Wojcicki

I think that for people who are trying to make a difference, you have to start the company being naive. You wouldn't do it if you understood all the work. I work a lot. I wish it was easier.

Quotes by Anne Wojcicki

I feel that gender balance in the work environment is actually the best recipe for success.

Quotes by Anne Wojcicki

Most medications don't work effectively for a lot people.

Quotes by Anne Wojcicki

If you are somebody who has a disease, you are not complaining when someone starts to do work for you. That is your hope.

Quotes by Anne Wojcicki

Once a week, I might stay late at work. It's sometimes very efficient to work until 7 P.M. - and then come home to kids who are clean and ready for bed. Those days are good.

Quotes by Anne Wojcicki

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of quotes are on the "Work" page?
These lean toward the thoughtful side of work — the idea that "intellectual work is essentially a lonely process," the belief that one's politics and "the character of his particular work are inseparable," and an image of people unwinding after work all over the world talking about life's bigger questions.
Is there a spiritual angle to any of these?
While these particular quotes are secular, if you're looking for a spiritual perspective on work, see Prayers for that theme.
Do these quotes connect work to personal identity?
Yes, one of the strongest lines here argues that your politics and "the character of his particular work are inseparable" — the idea that what you do reflects who you are. If that resonates, Growth quotes explore a similar idea of work shaping the person.
Is there anything here about effort or persistence?
These specific quotes focus more on the nature and meaning of work than on effort itself, but Effort quotes cover that ground directly.
What about setting goals through work?
For that angle, Goal quotes is the better fit — the "Work" page here is more about the character and process of working itself.

There's also a lighter side - people unwinding after work to talk through life's bigger questions over drinks. See Effort Quotes and Goal Quotes for more on getting things done.