Take the work seriously. Take yourself a little less seriously. That’s how you last.
REFLECTION
WHAT THIS MEANS
Two dials get moved together when they should move separately. Taking the work seriously means preparation, standards and caring whether the thing is good. Taking yourself seriously means your ego rides on every outcome, which makes mistakes unbearable and turns feedback into an attack. Turn the first one up and the second one down and you can keep going for years.
Here is a quick test. When something goes wrong, notice whether you are fixing the problem or defending yourself. Laugh at the mistake out loud if you can, then go fix it properly.
A QUESTION TO SIT WITH
Where do you take yourself more seriously than your actual work?
MORE IN MEANING & PERSPECTIVE
- A pivot isn’t a U-turn. You keep everything you learned and point it somewhere better.
- You’re standing on years of other people’s work, sweat and late nights. Build something they’d be proud of.
- Staying because you’ve already spent years on it is how you spend more years on it. Past effort isn’t a contract.
Free, with nothing to buy inside it.