Cal Newport Quotes

“Do what Steve Jobs did, not what he said. If a young Steve Jobs had taken his own advice and decided to only pursue work he loved, we would probably find him today as one of the Los Altos Zen Center’s most popular teachers.”

“Doing things we know how to do well is enjoyable, and that’s exactly the opposite of what deliberate practice demands…”

“If you want to love what you do, abandon the passion mindset (“what can the world offer me?”) and instead adopt the craftsman mindset (“what can I offer the world?”).”

“If you’re not uncomfortable, then you’re probably stuck at an 'acceptable level'.”

“No one owes you a great career, it argues; you need to earn it—and the process won’t be easy.”

“Passion comes after you put in the hard work to become excellent at something valuable, not before. In other words, what you do for a living is much less important than how you do it.”

“Spend time on what’s important, instead of what’s immediate.”

“The good news about deliberate practice is that it will push you past this plateau and into a realm where you have little competition.”

“The happiest, most passionate employees are not those who followed their passion into a position, but instead those who have been around long enough to become good at what they do.”

“The important thing about little bets is that they’re bite-sized. You try one. It takes a few months at most. It either succeeds or fails, but either way you get important feedback to guide your next steps.”

“The three traits that make people love their work are impact, creativity, and control.”

“When deciding whether to follow an appealing pursuit that will introduce more control into your work life, seek evidence of whether people are willing to pay for it. If you find this evidence, continue. If not, move on.”