Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.

Zig Ziglar (1926–2012), an American salesman-turned-motivational speaker, frequently emphasized goal-setting, personal discipline, and time management in his talks and books from the 1970s onward. This line is commonly circulated in the context of his motivational teachings: people often attribute missed goals to “not having enough time,” but Ziglar reframed the issue as a lack of clear priorities and intentional planning. The quote reflects the egalitarian premise he used in coaching audiences—everyone receives the same 24 hours each day, so results depend less on the clock and more on direction, habits, and choices.

The quote argues that time is a fixed resource, so the decisive factor in achievement is not quantity of hours but clarity of purpose. “Direction” implies goals, priorities, and a plan that guides daily decisions; without it, time is easily consumed by distractions, reactive tasks, or other people’s agendas. Ziglar’s point is both practical and moral: it shifts responsibility from external circumstances (“I’m too busy”) to internal agency (“I haven’t chosen and organized what matters”). The statement also suggests that effective living is less about squeezing more into a day and more about aligning actions with chosen aims.

1) “Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hours in a day.”
2) “It’s not a lack of time; it’s a lack of direction. We all have 24-hour days.”
3) “The problem isn’t time; it’s direction—everyone gets the same 24 hours.”