3-2-1: On designing your life, and the value of doing hard things

“Being good at what you do is partially about competence, but not exclusively.

Two other things that matter:

Reliability. You do what you say you’re going to do—on time and as expected.

Enthusiasm. You’re excited to be here and eager to work on this problem.

Skills matter, but in many cases it's your reliability or attitude that separates you from the pack."

“Beware of looking for goals: look for a way of life. Decide how you want to live and then see what you can do to make a living within that way of life.”

“The ability to do hard things is perhaps the most useful ability you can foster in yourself or your children. And proof that you are someone who can do them is one of the most useful assets you can have on your life resume.

Our self-image is composed of historical evidence of our abilities. The more hard things you push yourself to do, the more competent you will yourself to be.

....

But if we avoid hard things, anything mildly challenging will seem insurmountable.We’ll see ourselves as incapable of learning new skills, taking on new careers, and escaping bad situations.