Think of ease, but work on.
Think of ease, but work on.
Meaning in plain English
Keeping a welcome rest or easier stage in mind can encourage continued work. The saying joins a hoped-for benefit with present effort, without requiring someone to work through exhaustion or postpone every need for recovery.
Example
A group preparing a reading room agrees which shelves it can finish before a break, instead of discussing the opening celebration without arranging the remaining work.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Think of ease allows the prospect of relief, while work on asks for action towards it. The proverb does not treat wanting rest as shameful; it questions whether imagining the result has replaced the work that might make it possible. A useful reading identifies a manageable next step and what would count as enough for now. Continued effort needs suitable conditions and limits. Sometimes resting or changing the plan is what allows worthwhile work to continue. The saying therefore encourages purposeful movement rather than an endless obligation to be busy or a promise that effort will inevitably produce an easier life.
When to use it
Use it when an attractive future result needs a realistic present step.
Keep in mind
Rest and support can be necessary; perseverance does not require disregarding limits.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-04. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 470 · Ease
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗
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