The Actual, Must-Know Truths About Greatness

Not the performative hustle-culture variety, but the real thing

There is no shortage of superficial slop out there when it comes to topics like greatness, excellence, and performance. I figured it would be useful to compile some of the most important habits, mindsets, and practices that are crucial for getting the best out of yourself. It’s a list I come back to often, and perhaps you will too.

1. You have to work hard, there is no way around it.

2. You have to rest, otherwise your hard work will not be sustainable.

3. You must care deeply—not just about external results, but about the process and craft. This is not something you cannot fake.

4. There are no hacks, secrets, or silver bullets: lasting progress comes from nailing the fundamentals, not from fads.

5. Practice discipline. The real thing. It’s not chest thumping and bragging. It’s quietly doing what you need to do.

6. Expect it to be hard. Your mood at any given point of time is a function of your reality minus your expectations. If you expect it to be hard you’ll be ready to meet the moment.

7. Remember that just because something is hard doesn’t mean it’s not fulfilling—it’s often the other way around: It’s fulfilling because it’s hard.

8. You’ve got to have your own back. Being a badass is only sustainable if you can also be kind to yourself.

9. When everyone around you is making things complex, make it simple. You can procrastinate and hide behind complexity, but you cannot hide behind simplicity.

10. Show up. (See how simple that is.)

11. Keep the main things the main things. Don’t obsess over trivial details. The best performers check all the boxes, but they make sure all the boxes are worth checking in the first place.

12. Focus on the process. Learn from the outcomes. Rinse and repeat.

13. Worry less about being the best and more about being the best at getting better—the former is ephemeral, you succeed or fail, and then it’s over; the latter lasts a lifetime.

14. People overestimate intensity and underestimate consistency. Greatness is not about having a heroic day. It’s about having a heroic decade.

15. Dig where your feet are. There is no mountain without a peak, but you spend all your time on its sides. Keep your big goal in mind, but come back to what you need to do right now. The larger the goal, the smaller the steps.

16. Be patient. It’s a nine-inning game.

17. Surround yourself wisely. Colleagues, teammates, friends, all of it. The people around you shape you. On your death bed you won’t remember the gold medal or promotion, you’ll remember the people.

18. Seek coaching and mentorship. From people. From books. From films. You don’t have all the answers. Nobody does. When you integrate everything you learn together it becomes a unique expression of your own creativity and potential.

19. Stay curious and keep learning. Never stop. Find awe in the mundane.

20. Focus. Excellence requires intimacy. It means scheduling time for deep-focus work and removing distractions along the way.

21. Take the work seriously, but yourself not so much. The ability to laugh at yourself is the best protection against a bloated ego, which always destroys greatness.

22. Have fun. Not every day is going to be great, but you’ve got to enjoy the totality of the path. You won’t last long if don’t.

23. Celebrate the wins and grieve the defeats, but always come back to the work. The work keeps you grounded. The work is where the satisfaction lives.

24. Remember the real reward of pursuing excellence is not an outward achievement, it’s the person you become along the way.