If you’re not focusing on becoming so good they can’t ignore you, you’re going to be left behind.

Three traits that define great work:

• Creativity: Ira Glass, for example, is pushing the boundaries of radio, and winning armfuls of awards in the process.
• Impact: From the Apple II to the iPhone, Steve Jobs has changed the way we live our lives in the digital age.
• Control: No one tells Al Merrick when to wake up or what to wear. He’s not expected in an office from nine to five. Instead, his Channel Island Surfboards factory is located a block from the Santa Barbara beach, where Merrick still regularly spends time surfing.

Strain, I now accepted, was good. Instead of seeing this discomfort as a sensation to avoid, I began to understand it the same way that a body builder understands muscle burn: a sign that you’re doing something right. (see Peak)