Top 90 Jocelyn K. Glei Quotes (2025 Update)
Page 2 of 2

51. “It’s hard to be your own coach, but not impossible. The key thing is to set up structures that provide you with objective feedback – and to not be so blind that you can’t take that feedback and use it.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

52. “Unlike computers, however, human beings aren’t meant to operate continuously, at high speeds, for long periods of time. Rather, we’re designed to move rhythmically between spending and renewing our energy.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

53. “It takes a concerted effort to be mindful with social media – to be proactive instead of reactive. When we’re mindful, we’re aware of why we’re logging on, and we’re able to fully disconnect when we’ve followed through with our intention. We’re able to engage authentically and meaningfully, but we’re not dependent on that connection in a way that limits our effectiveness and our sense of presence.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

54. “The enemy of creation is not uncertainty, it’s inertia.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

55. “I never schedule meetings in the morning, if I can avoid it.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

56. “If you want a new challenge at work or more responsibility, it’s on you to pitch your boss or your client on what needs to be done, why it’s a good idea, why you’re the best person to do it, and why everyone will benefit. Lead the way with your own creativity and initiative, and back it up with enthusiasm and a strong business case.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

57. “Artist, architect, and activist Maya Lin’s purpose shows up not only in what she makes but also in what she chooses not to make. She spends her time focused solely on the projects and causes that allow her to grow and contribute. She says “no” to the rest. Restraint and discipline come to those who are clear about their purpose in life.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

58. “We all want to feel like we’re part of something larger than ourselves, and we all want to believe that what we do matters.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

59. “A great option for the night owls among us is to use the late-night hours for solitude and distraction-free space. If you work best at night, you can find solitude by scheduling a block of time to work alone after dark.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

60. “Both the top two groups slept an average of 8.5 hours out of every 24 – including a twenty- to thirty-minute nap in the midafternoon. The least skilled group still slept 7.8 hours a night. The average American, by contrast, sleeps an average of 6 to 6.5 hours a night. Sleep not only serves a restorative purpose but also allows the brain to more effectively consolidate and retain daytime learning. The top violinists recognized this intuitively, and slept accordingly.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

61. “Stage One is simply being able to sit down and work, if only for a single hour. Don’t laugh. Ninety-nine out of a hundred can’t do it. This stage is entry-level. It’s kindergarten.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

62. “Most people are uncomfortable with the idea of solitude because it means facing yourself without distractions.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

63. “Leigh Michaels, prolific author of more than eighty romance novels, once said that “waiting for inspiration to write is like standing at the airport waiting for a train.” Conditions to produce one’s craft are rarely ideal, and waiting for everything to be perfect is almost always an exercise in procrastination.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

64. “Dedicate different times of day to different activities: creative work, meetings, correspondence, administrative work, and so on.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

65. “You can surrender your day-to-day and the potential of your work to the burdens that surround you. Or, you can audit the way you work and own the responsibility of fixing it.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

66. “Basic economics tells us that if you want something rare and valuable, you need to offer something rare and valuable in return – and in the working world, what you have to offer are your skills.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

67. “You’ll also learn to watch your thoughts and not be controlled by them. As you do, you’ll have learned a key skill for focus: how to notice the urge to switch tasks and not act on that urge, but just return your attention to the task at hand.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

68. “Day by day, we build our lives, and day by day, we can take steps toward making real the magnificent creations of our imaginations.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

69. “In your career, good entrepreneurial risks include taking on side projects on nights and weekends, embarking on international travel, asking your boss for extra work, and applying for jobs that you don’t think you’re fully qualified for.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

70. “Research shows that we actually get a small rush of endorphins – the same brain chemicals we enjoy after completing intense exercise – when we receive a new message.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

71. “Studies show that the human mind can only truly multitask when it comes to highly automatic behaviors like walking.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

72. “To build a career, the right question is not “What job am I passionate about doing?” but instead “What way of working and living will nurture my passion?”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

73. “But these days the demons are more insidious; they’re the everyday annoyances, the little things that suck away our potential to do big things.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

74. “The gym and the park are no longer places for personal development or reflection, but just another place to “check in.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

75. “Finally, note that strong partnerships are often based on contrasting rather than coinciding strengths, so you’ll want to avoid the comfortable trap of seeking someone too similar to yourself. In Plato’s Republic, guards were taught by poets. Views contrary to your own are always helpful, as sometimes you will see truth in them and effect change, and, if not, you will be stress-testing and ultimately strengthening your own convictions.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

76. “I define Resistance as that self-created and self-perpetuated, invisible, impersonal, indefatigable force whose sole aim is to prevent us from doing our work, from becoming our best selves, and from rising to the next level of competence, integrity, and generosity. That.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

77. “One of my most helpful Secrets is, “What I do every day matters more than what I do once in a while.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

78. “We’re asked to apply our intellectual capital to solve hard problems – a creative goal that requires uninterrupted focus. At the same time, we’re asked to be constantly available by e-mail and messenger and in meetings – an administrative goal that creates constant distraction. We’re being asked, in other words, to simultaneously resist and embrace distraction to advance in our careers – a troubling paradox.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

79. “Post your complex, long-term goals by your workstation to keep them top of mind when prioritizing your tasks.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

80. “Research from the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute in Portugal suggests a possible explanation: sustained stress causes us to fall back on familiar routines. The part of our brain associated with decision-making and goal-directed behaviors shrinks and the brain regions associated with habit formation grow when we’re under chronic stress.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

81. “Being able to see the world in a fresh way is the essence of being an entrepreneur. You have an idea about the way the world ought to be. You have a theory about why and how you are going to connect the dots.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

82. “This calming of the mind helps us to figure out what really matters and to hear own creative voice, which can be drowned out by the cacophony of our daily tasks and online interactions.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

83. “Why are we driven to use our tools so compulsively?”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

84. “When possible, do your work with pen and paper to avoid even the possibility of online distraction.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

85. “I believe Unnecessary Creation is essential for anyone who works with his or her mind.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

86. “There’s this saying, “The moment you move to protecting the status quo instead of disrupting the status quo, you put yourself at risk.” That’s the challenge for businesses, and that’s the challenge for individuals: understanding the point at which you are protecting what you know and defending what you know, instead of looking at what else you can learn and how you can grow.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

87. “This pattern is common in people who love what they do. Their satisfaction doesn’t come from the details of their work but instead from a set of important lifestyle traits they’ve gained in their career.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

88. “No matter how much we think we’re in control, our brains have their own agenda.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

89. “For his book Willpower, psychologist Roy Baumeister analyzed findings from hundreds of experiments to determine why some people can retain focus for hours, while others can’t.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

90. “Always be asking “What’s next?” If you’re not asking questions, you’re not going to find answers.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

91. “If you’re like me, you have far too many things you want to do, read, see, test, and experience. Your inbox is a treasure trove of possibilities. To a creative mind, that’s very enticing. It’s easy for an optimist to keep fifty, a hundred, or even a thousand e-mails hovering in their inbox in the hopes that, someday soon, they’ll get a chance to give each opportunity the precious time that it deserves. But guess what? That’s never gonna happen.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei

92. “A professional plays hurt. A professional takes neither success nor failure personally. In.”

— Jocelyn K. Glei