We’ve all heard it before—someone’s too busy to call, text, or even spend a few minutes with us. It stings, doesn’t it? Life moves fast, and people often feel overwhelmed. But sometimes, the excuse of being “too busy” is just that—an excuse.
In this article, you’ll find a collection of the best “Too Busy” quotes. These quotes capture the essence of what it means to be brushed off, forgotten, or downright ignored. They remind us of the value of time and how precious fleeting moments can be.
Busy Life Quotes
“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” – Socrates
“It’s not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?” – Henry David Thoreau
“You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it.” – Charles Buxton
“Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” – Dolly Parton
“In the midst of our daily lives, we must find the juice to nourish our creative souls.” – Sark
“Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.” – Will Rogers
“To do two things at once is to do neither.” – Publilius Syrus
“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” – Michael Altshuler
“A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools.” – Spanish Proverb
“Action expresses priorities.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.” – Arnold H. Glasow
“Those who are wise won’t be busy, and those who are too busy can’t be wise.” – Lin Yutang
“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” – Mark Twain
“Stop the world. I want to get off.” – Anthony Newley
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” – Stephen Covey
“Most men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it.” – Søren Kierkegaard
“Instead of saying ‘I don’t have time,’ try saying ‘it’s not a priority,’ and see how that feels.” – Laura Vanderkam
“No man goes before his time—unless the boss leaves early.” – Groucho Marx
“Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” – Marthe Troly-Curtin
“Sometimes we get so busy living our lives that we forget to live our lives.” – Unknown
“Too busy is a myth. People make time for what’s important to them.” – Mandy Hale
“Being busy is a form of laziness—lazy thinking and indiscriminate action.” – Tim Ferriss
“If you are too busy to laugh, you are too busy.” – Proverb
“The trouble with being in the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat.” – Lily Tomlin
“You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage—pleasantly, smilingly, non-apologetically—to say ‘no’ to other things.” – Stephen Covey
Funny Busy Quotes
“I wanted to pursue my dreams, but my to-do list came first.” – Unknown
“Dear diary, today I didn’t get anything done because I was too busy procrastinating.” – Social Media Post
“I’m too busy working on my own grass to notice if yours is greener.” – Social Media Slogan
“Sorry I can’t hear you over the sound of how busy I am ignoring everyone.” – Internet Meme
“Even my calendar has a waiting list.” – Unknown
“I’m on a seafood diet. I see food and I don’t have time to eat it.” – Social Media Post
“Swamped with life. Be back later.” – Text Message
“Busyness is my middle name, and Chaos is my last.” – Social Media Update
“Don’t judge me by my free time; I don’t have any.” – Unknown
“I have so much on my plate that I need a bigger table.” – Social Media Joke
“If busy was a currency, I’d be a billionaire.” – Unknown
“My agenda lacks a free moment, please reschedule to next year.” – Social Media Post
“Running around like a headless chicken, but I’m still alive.” – Internet Meme
“Overwhelmed is an understatement. Welcome to my life.” – Unknown
“The only ‘free time’ I know of is a myth.” – Social Media Humor
“I’m so busy, even my shadow bailed on me.” – Internet Joke
“My life is a never-ending To-Do list.” – Unknown
“A magician asked me if I had free time; I laughed and disappeared.” – Original Quote
“Even my dog has to book an appointment to spend time with me.” – Social Media Humor
“Too busy burning the candle at both ends to find the lighter.” – Internet Wisdom
“Being busy is my superpower and my kryptonite.” – Original Quote
“To Do: Everything. Done: Nothing. Repeat.” – Social Media Post
“My favorite exercise is a cross between a lunge and a crunch… I call it lunch and I’m too busy for it.” – Internet Meme
“My planner and I have broken up due to irreconcilable differences.” – Original Quote
“I need a six-month vacation, twice a year.” – Social Media Post
Motivational Busy Quotes
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” – Stephen Covey
“It is not enough to be busy… The question is: what are we busy about?” – Henry David Thoreau
“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” – Michael Altshuler
“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.” – H. Jackson Brown Jr.
“Stop the world. I want to get off. But they won’t stop because they know that if I get off, I might not get back on again.” – Neil Gaiman
“Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.” – Carl Sandburg
“To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time.” – Leonard Bernstein
“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” – Socrates
“The biggest mistake you could ever make is being too busy to make a mistake.” – Unknown
“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” – Henry David Thoreau
“You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it.” – Charles Buxton
“Being busy is a form of laziness – lazy thinking and indiscriminate action.” – Tim Ferriss
“Many people are busy due to obligations, not out of a true passion or drive.” – Unknown
“A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools.” – Spanish Proverb
“Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.” – Mark Black
“It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about?” – Henry David Thoreau
“Busyness is not a reason for not getting other things done. It is an excuse for not claiming your true priorities.” – Alan Cohen
“To do two things at once is to do neither.” – Publilius Syrus
“In all the rush and hurry of life, pause and take stock. What truly matters remains, everything else is noise.” – Unknown
“One can find time for everything if one is never in a hurry.” – Mikhail Bulgakov
“Busy is a choice. Stress is a choice. Joy is a choice. Choose well.” – Ann Voskamp
“If you are too busy to laugh, you are too busy.” – Proverb
“Good things happen to those who hustle.” – Anais Nin
“It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.” – Bruce Lee
“Don’t be busy, be productive.” – Unknown
“we only regret the chances we didn’t take because we were ‘too busy’.” – Unknown
Famous Busy Quotes
“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” – Socrates
“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.” – H. Jackson Brown Jr.
“It’s not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: what are we busy about?” – Henry David Thoreau
“The soul requires duration of time – rich, thick, deep, velvety time – and it thrives on rhythm. Soul can’t be hurried or harried.” – Thomas Moore
“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” – Michael Altshuler
“To do two things at once is to do neither.” – Publius Syrus
“You will never find time for anything. If you want time you must make it.” – Charles Buxton
“There’s always enough time if you’re willing to sacrifice your lunch.” – Monroe C. Beardsley
“Half our time is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.” – Will Rogers
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” – Stephen Covey
“A bee is never as busy as it seems; it’s just that it can’t buzz any slower.” – Kin Hubbard
“How did it get so late so soon?” – Dr. Seuss
“If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.” – Jim Rohn
“One of the most important tasks of a manager is to eliminate people’s excuses for failure.” – Robert Townsend
“Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than in trying to solve them.” – Henry Ford
“A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools.” – Spanish Proverb
“I am definitely going to take a course on time management… just as soon as I can work it into my schedule.” – Louis E. Boone
“Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day.” – Denis Waitley
“Many people seem to think that success in one area can compensate for failure in other areas. But can it really? True effectiveness requires balance.” – Stephen Covey
“The way we spend our time defines who we are.” – Jonathan Estrin
“If you are too busy to laugh, you are too busy.” – Proverb
“Nothing is less productive than to make more efficient what should not be done at all.” – Peter Drucker
“Remember that you will not always have the time to do everything, but you will always have time to do the most important things.” – Anonymous
“Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” – Marthe Troly-Curtin
“Being busy is a form of laziness – lazy thinking and indiscriminate action.” – Tim Ferriss
“Stop the world, I want to get off!” – Author Unknown
Relatable Busy Quotes
“It’s not that we have little time, but more that we waste a good deal of it.” – Seneca
“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” – Michael Altshuler
“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” – Socrates
“Being busy is a form of laziness – lazy thinking and indiscriminate action.” – Timothy Ferriss
“You will never feel truly satisfied by work until you are satisfied by life.” – Heather Schuck
“We are all so busy chasing the extraordinary that we forget to stop and be grateful for the ordinary.” – Brene Brown
“Action expresses priorities.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.” – Sydney J. Harris
“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” – Henry David Thoreau
“There’s no such thing as being too busy. If you really want something, you’ll make time for it.” – Unknown
“It’s not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?” – Henry David Thoreau
“You can’t do a good job if your job is all you do.” – Katie Thurmes
“Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” – Dolly Parton
“Stop the world. I want to get off.” – Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse
“The busiest people have the most leisure.” – Samuel Butler
“It is not enough to be industrious; so are the ants. What are you industrious about?” – Henry David Thoreau
“Success is dependent on effort.” – Sophocles
“Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.” – Mark Black
“To do two things at once is to do neither.” – Publius Syrus
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” – Stephen Covey
“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.” – Stephen Covey
“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.” – William Penn
“We live in a world of smart people and dumb times.” – Unknown
“The shorter way to do many things is to only do one thing at a time.” – Mozart
“No matter how busy you are, you must take time to make the other person feel important.” – Mary Kay Ash
To Wrap Things Up
Wrapping up, it’s clear that “Too Busy Excuse Quotes” resonate with many of us. They remind us of the common habit of using busyness as a shield. Whether these quotes make us laugh, think, or cringe, they highlight how often we prioritize the wrong things.
Next time you find yourself reaching for that “I’m too busy” excuse, recall one of these quotes. They might just inspire you to rethink what’s taking up your time. And who knows? You may start making more room for what truly matters.
