Trying hard where people can see you is vulnerable. Acting like you don’t care is the easy costume.

Visible effort can be measured against its result, and that is what makes it exposing. Indifference cannot fail, which is why it is such a popular posture, and it also guarantees that nothing much gets built. Pretending not to care is the cheaper option in every sense.

Let yourself be seen putting the work in on one thing. Answer honestly when someone asks how much it matters to you. The discomfort of caring out loud is the entry cost for anything worth doing.