Your work is too important to be left to how you feel today. On the other hand, committing to an action can change how we feel. If we act as though we trust the process and do the work, then the feelings will follow. Waiting for a feeling is a luxury we don’t have time for.

For the important work, the instructions are always insufficient. For the work we’d like to do, the reward comes from the fact that there is no guarantee, that the path isn’t well lit, that we cannot possibly be sure it’s going to work. It’s about throwing, not catching. Starting, not finishing. Improving, not being perfect.

Desirable difficulty is the hard work of doing hard work. Setting ourselves up for things that cause a struggle, because we know that after the struggle, we’ll be at a new level.

If you want to change your story, change your actions first. When we choose to act a certain way, our mind can’t help but rework our narrative to make those actions become coherent. We become what we do.

If you are using outcomes that are out of your control as fuel for your work, it’s inevitable that you will burn out. Because it’s not fuel you can replenish, and it’s not fuel that burns without a residue.

The world expects that its requests will be accepted. That assignments, lunch dates, new projects, and even favors will get a yes. It’s just a small ask, the person thinks. The problem is obvious—if you spend all day hitting the ball back, you’ll never end up serving.

Focusing solely on outcomes forces us to make choices that are banal, short-term, or selfish. It takes our focus away from the journey and encourages us to give up too early.

while we believe we’re working toward a goal, the goal of whatever the work is ostensibly for, what we’re actually doing is hiding. Hiding takes many forms, because the source of our creativity sometimes feels as though it might flicker out if we look at it too closely. So it bobs and weaves and conceals itself whenever it can.

It’s hard to get blocked when you’re moving. Even if you’re not moving in the direction that you had in mind that morning.