Archive · 20 Aug 2026
William Arthur Ward’s Quote Urges Patience Over Immediate Success
William Arthur Ward compared daily work to planting seeds and collecting a harvest.
A harvest is what you can see and enjoy right away.
Seeds are the work that may not show results for a long time.
Some days may not bring obvious success.
However, those days can still be useful if they help build the future.
Learning, practicing and caring for relationships all take time.
The quote says we should not judge ourselves only by what we achieve today.
Instead, we should also notice the helpful things we do today for tomorrow.
Small efforts can eventually grow into bigger successes.
William Arthur Ward’s quote first appeared in the May 1963 edition of the Oklahoma City Star.
Ward, who lived from 1921 to 1994, was credited with writing more than 4,000 epigrams.
The quote is often phrased as “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”
The “harvest” represents visible results, while the “seeds” symbolize groundwork whose benefits may come later.
The message encourages people to value patience, commitment and slow progress rather than judging themselves only by immediate achievements.
- Who
- William Arthur Ward, an American motivational writer, is credited with the quote.
- What
- The quote advises people to judge a day by the foundations they build, not only by visible results.
- When
- It first appeared in the May 1963 edition of the Oklahoma City Star.
- Where
- The quote was first published in the Oklahoma City Star.
- Why
- Ward used farming imagery to encourage patience and recognition of the quiet work that supports future success.
- Attributed author
- William Arthur Ward
- First publication
- May 1963, Oklahoma City Star
- Ward’s lifetime
- 1921–1994
- Credited output
- More than 4,000 epigrams
- Common variant
- “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”
- Frequent misattribution
- The quote has sometimes been attributed to Robert Louis Stevenson.
- Central metaphor
- Seeds represent groundwork; the harvest represents visible results.