Marcus Aurelius Unnecessary Quotations

Most of what we say and do is unnecessary: remove the superfluity, and you will have more time and less bother. So in every case one should prompt oneself: 'Is this, or is it not, something necessary?' And the removal of the unnecessary should apply not only to actions but to thoughts also: then no redundant actions either will follow.

A man should remove not only unnecessary acts, but also unnecessary thoughts, for then superfluous activity will not follow.