If any man seeks for greatness, let him forget greatness and ask for truth, and he will find both.

Aiming directly at greatness produces posturing, because attention goes to how the thing looks rather than whether it is any good. Aiming at getting it right produces work that might turn out to matter, and the reputation, if it arrives, arrives as a by-product. Reverse the order and the whole enterprise becomes performance.

So when you catch yourself wondering how something will be received, redirect to whether it is accurate and whether it is useful. The first question is unanswerable and consumes enormous energy. The second is answerable and improves the work.