proverb · Words worth keeping
Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying advises doing today what can be done today. It discourages delaying a task merely because tomorrow is available.
What the words are saying
Can leaves capacity and suitability to be examined. A useful interpretation distinguishes avoidable postponement from rest, prioritisation or waiting for needed information. The supplied do-everything claim does not require finishing all possible work at once.
Everyday example
Someone chooses a suitable task for today while leaving time for rest and other commitments.
When to use it
Use it to discuss avoidable delay with capacity respected.
What it does not mean
Possible action is not automatically necessary action, and postponement can be reasonable.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 580; PDF page 84
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.