every internet person should read these words by steven pressfield
Many of us are wired to look at work as something that should produce monetary rewards. Or at least with writing, some amount of attention, or new followers. But on the internet, sustained attention may take years to materialize, if at all. And too many people are focused on short-term followers instead of the genuine credibility that can come from... See more
Paul Millerd • Follow the Clues | #251
many people approach their work with polluted intentions. They want the benefits of creative expression, but they desire it without any of the difficulty involved. They want the magic without learning the techniques and the formula. When we look to great works of history as our example, we see one thing: that powerful work is a struggle and that it
... See moreRyan Holiday • Perennial Seller: The Art of Making and Marketing Work that Lasts
So: Do we sit down, alone, and struggle with our work? Work that may or may not go anywhere, that may be discouraging or painful? Do we love work, making a living to do work, not the other way around? Do we love practice, the way great athletes do? Or do we chase short-term attention and validation—whether that’s indulging in the endless search for
... See moreRyan Holiday • Ego Is the Enemy
An essential part of making perennial, lasting work is making sure that you’re pursuing the best of your ideas and that they are ideas that only you can have (otherwise, you’re dealing with a commodity and not a classic).
Ryan Holiday • Perennial Seller: The Art of Making and Marketing Work that Lasts
To create something is a daring, beautiful act. The architect, the author, the artist—all are building something where nothing was before. To try to create something even better than anyone has ever done it before is even bolder. Sitting down at the computer or with a notepad and committing to pour yourself onto it is a scary proposition. But anyon
... See moreRyan Holiday • Perennial Seller: The Art of Making and Marketing Work that Lasts
“With everything perfect,” Nietzsche wrote, “we do not ask how it came to be.” Instead, “we rejoice in the present fact as though it came out of the ground by magic.”
Angela Duckworth • Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
We’ve been sold this bill of goods by hucksters capitalizing on the human inclination for results. And the chance to bring that goal sitting on the horizon a little closer. Yet somehow we’re all surprised when things we’ve barely fought to acquire fail to deliver satisfaction. The instant gratification disappears nearly as fast as it arrives. As th... See more
Martin Brodsky • How to Life Hack
Howard Aiken—the inventor of the earliest general purpose computer—was never worried about people stealing his ideas. “If your ideas are any good” he’s quoted as saying, “you'll have to ram them down people's throats.” And yet, we think that the moment that we hit the dance floor, all eyes will be on us. The moment we hit publish, the world will ta... See more