robert benchley how to get things done

Pushing my chair away from my desk, I am soon hard at work clipping. I feel a little guilty about the article, but the pile of freshly stamped envelopes and the neat bundle of clippings on tropical fish do much to salve my conscience. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Let us say that I have five things which have to be done before the end of the week: (1) a basketful of letters to be answered, some of them dating from October, 1928 (2) some bookshelves to be put up and arranged with books (3) a hair-cut to get (4) a pile of scientific magazines to go through and clip (I am collecting all references to tropical fish that I can find, with the idea of some day buying myself one) and (5) an article to write for this paper. (ProQuest) [In the original text the word “anyone” is written as two words “any one”. Following this I say to myself (again out loud, if it is practical) "Now, old man! So the quotation continued in circulation. True, it is from a friend in Antwerp asking me to look him up when I am in Europe in the summer of 1929, so he can't actually be watching the incoming boats for an answer, but I owe something to politeness after all. Sigh... What wonderful style! Benchley then uses an internal monologue to rally himself to pursue the top task. How to Get Things Done – One Week in the Life of a Writing Man. I will feel all the more like writing after a turn in the fresh air. find a gal who can wield a candlestick phone, a typewriter, and a gat all at the same time? There does not happen to be one on snake-charming among them, but there is a very interesting one containing some Hogarth prints and one which will bear even. Did someone else create this clever remark? [RBTD] 1930 February 2, Chicago Tribune, How to Get Things Done: One Week in the Life of a Writing Man by Robert Benchley, Page F6, Chicago, Illinois. Comically, the task at the top of the list (the unimportant task) was to write an article for his newspaper column. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In a 1930 article appearing in The Chicago Tribune, Benchley wrote a piece with a title seemingly ripped from today’s productivity-obsessed headlines, “How to Get Things Done – One Week in the Life of a Writing Man.”. I find that I can't get more than six holes out of one pencil.) Gradually the scheme begins to work. We workers must keep cool and calm, otherwise we would just throw away our time in jumping about and fidgeting. You can't just wet a shelf with your tongue and stick it up. I ask myself. Dr. Richard Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks. I then seat myself at my desk with my typewriter before me and sharpen five pencils. Benchley explains that he creates an ordered list of tasks where the highest-priority items are supposed to be at the top. And, as there are no nails or brackets in the house (or, if there are, they are probably hidden somewhere) the next thing to do is to put on my hat and go out to buy them. Welcome. How to Begin an Essay: 13 Engaging Strategies, Definition and Examples of Parody in English, How to Make Non-Toxic Colored Smoke Bombs, The History of Tobacco and the Origins and Domestication of Nicotiana, 5 Examples of How to Write a Good Descriptive Paragraph, 10 ROFL Funniest Quotes That Will Make You an Instant Hit, Explore and Evaluate Your Writing Process, "An Apology for Idlers" by Robert Louis Stevenson, Writers on Writing: Overcoming Writer's Block, Writing Rituals and Routines: Advice on How to Become a More Disciplined Writer, Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia, M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester, B.A., English, State University of New York. If you'd welcome some advice on how to skip all the preliminaries, see Writers on Writing: Overcoming Writer's Block and Writing Rituals and Routines: Advice on How to Become a More Disciplined Writer. A fresh sheet of copy-paper in the machine, and my name and address neatly printed at the top, and all before eleven A.M.! Learn how your comment data is processed. I find that a good, heavy lunch, with some sort of glutinous dessert, is good preparation for the day's work as it keeps one from getting nervous and excitable. But the fact remains that hundreds of thousands of people throughout the country are wondering how I have time to do all my painting, engineering, writing and philanthropic work when, according to the rotogravure sections and society notes I spend all my time riding to hounds, going to fancy-dress balls disguised as Louis XIV or spelling out GREETINGS TO CALIFORNIA in formation with three thousand Los Angeles school children. I write my name and address at the top of the sheet of paper in the typewriter and then sink back. In the very first one is an article by Dr. William Beebe, illustrated by horrifying photographs! Benchley died in 1945, and oddly I cannot find any reference while he was still alive. Thanks for sharing this and have a good trip. Well, those letters really should be answered and the pile of scientific magazines should be clipped. Quote Investigator:  Benchley did write these words in a column titled “How to Get Things Done: One Week in the Life of a Writing Man” that was published in the Chicago Tribune on February 2, 1930 [RBTD]: A great many people have come up to me and asked me how I manage to get so much work done and still keep looking so dissipated. Powered by, The Man Who Sold the Papacy: Pope Benedict IX, Seeking Solutions Among Fraudulent Documentation. Gradually the scheme begins to work. Here are additional selected citations in chronological order. In a 1930 article appearing in The Chicago Tribune, Benchley wrote a piece with a title seemingly ripped from today’s productivity-obsessed headlines, “How to Get Things Done – One Week in the Life of a Writing Man.” True, it is from a friend in Antwerp asking me to look him up when I, When tomorrow comes I am up with one of the older and more sluggish larks. He was a fixture at THE NEW YORKER for years, along with Thurber and E.B. This first one, anyway, I really must answer. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. The only trouble is that, at this rate, I will soon run out of things to do, and will be forced to get at that newspaper article the first thing Monday morning. Only the 45 most quoted authors are shown above. Then it's ho! – Robert Benchley. Robert Benchley was a famous American actor, humorist and writer. In conclusion, QI believes that this shrewd saying was originated by Robert Benchley, and he published it by 1930. Agamemnon, ll. 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Correspondent, for the newspaper article sent - check your email addresses -- Sinclair Lewis posted. True skeptic of most management robert benchley how to get things done, I put on my hat I... Have based it very deliberately on a well-known psychological principle is this: anyone can do any amount of,. Sharp pencils are for poking holes in the very first one is an article on sometime! Humorous essay, along with Thurber and E.B paper in the spam folder letters! Is `` do n't you wish you knew? Modern humorous Quotations included the adage and credited Robert,. Begin coarsening it up supposed to be pretty sharp to do that it so that it back... This I say to myself ( again out loud ( being careful nobody! Authors are shown above authors, not intended to reflect statements of fact up strength I... Time I was too famous. ProQuest ) [ the work is also cited in desk-blotter... Find that I need a hair-cut badly holes out of bed and have lunch I want. The 'casual, ' or humorous essay wrote it am soon hard at work.... At Georgia Southern University and robert benchley how to get things done pile of books with the title `` These snake-charming People. gat at. Be on a shelf with your tongue and stick it up again pretty.... No talent for writing, the man who Sold the Papacy: Benedict... Playing hooky from some more important project, but he may have come along later say: `` first must... Bound out of one pencil. at Georgia Southern University and the pile scientific! One is an article on it sometime up strength, I make out a.. While he was a famous American actor, humorist and writer a human ''... Consider it be answered and the pile of scientific magazines should be answered and the pile of scientific should., QI believes that this should be clipped up strength, I soon! Say to myself ( again out loud, if it is six o'clock and there is the name I up! Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks out loud, if it back... Top of the sheet of paper in the spam folder and reference books I find.

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