Metadata
- Author: Todd Henry
- Apple Books Link
Highlights
Unleash your best work, and refuse to take it to the grave with you.
Choose to die empty.
You possess a one-of-a-kind combination of passions, skills, and experiences; there is something you bring to your work that no one else could.
You have a unique contribution to make to the world
Waiting for permission to act is the easy way out.
This means that you can’t make a habit of pointing fingers, blaming others, or complaining.
Cultivating a love of the process is the key to making a lasting contribution.
If making a significant impact was easy, it would be commonplace.
Also, organizations often make it easy to settle in, providing you with a good salary, a nice title, or a sense of stability—the proverbial
“golden handcuffs.”
Greatness emerges when you consistently choose to do what’s right, even when it’s uncomfortable.
There is no one thing that you are wired to do, and there are many ways you can add value to the world,
while operating in your sweet spot.
What you plant today you reap tomorrow
There are also suggestions for sharing the ideas in this book with people you know and work with. I’d encourage you to do so, as
one of the best ways to internalize a concept is to teach it to others.
my goal is to tell it to you as straight as I know how.
Don’t go to your grave with your best work inside you.
Choose to die empty.
The average man does not know what to do with his life, yet wants another one which will last forever.
‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’
Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.
You are already naked.
There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
Urgency means leveraging your finite resources (focus, assets, time, energy) in a meaningful and productive way.
Diligence means sharpening your skills and conducting your work in a manner that you won’t regret later.
Just having a job is, in many cases, a luxury in today’s economic climate.
We have to settle for what’s practical over pursuing what’s possible so that we can live to fight another day.
Your legacy is built one decision at a time.
When you’re gone, your work will stand as the single biggest testament to who you were and what you believed.
or every time you go the extra mile even though you are exhausted.
Can I lay my head down tonight satisfied with the work I did today?
“Pointless efficiency”
It’s the “work before the work”
actually doing the work.
You can strategize all you want, but in the end, you have to do something about your plans.
“work between the work” that actually makes you effective.
question not only what you’re doing, but how you’re doing it.
You don’t always know the full impact of your work.
In fact, you may not even get to experience the full effect of your work in your lifetime.
Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.
—T. S. ELIOT