Seth Godin on Deep Work Quotes

"The difference between a professional and an amateur is that the professional shows up even when they aren't inspired."

"Quit the things that don't matter so you can focus on the one thing that does. Being a 'well-rounded' failure is a choice."

"Your job is to find the work that is worth the struggle. If it’s not hard, everyone would do it."

"Process is more important than outcome because process is the only thing we can actually control."

"The resistance loves the internet. It's the world's most efficient engine for shallow work."

"We don't need more information. We need more synthesis. Synthesis requires deep, uninterrupted thought."

"The lizard brain wants you to fit in. Deep work requires you to stand out. That tension is where art happens."

"In a world of infinite distraction, the ability to focus is a superpower."

"The resistance is strongest right before you finish. That's when you must lean into the deep work the most."

"Focus is a choice. It’s the choice to ignore the shiny objects and the urgent-but-unimportant tasks in favor of the work that matters."

"The lizard brain is the reason you're afraid, the reason you don't ship, the reason you're stuck. It's the voice that tells you to check your email instead of doing the hard work."

"Doing the work is the only way to find out if the work is worth doing."

"Writer’s block is a myth. You don’t have writer’s block; you have a fear of bad writing. Do the work anyway."

"A master is someone who has failed more times than the beginner has even tried. But they failed while being focused."

"The dip is the long slog between starting and mastery. A long slog that’s actually a shortcut, because it screens out those who are not focused."

"Shipping is the collision between your work and the outside world. If you don't ship, you haven't done the work."

"The problem with multitasking is that it’s actually multi-switching. And every switch has a cost to your deep focus."

"You don't need a top-down organization to lead. You just need a group of people who want to go somewhere."

"The goal isn't to be busy. The goal is to be effective. Busy is a defense mechanism against doing the hard stuff."

"Art is what we call it when we do something that might not work. Deep work is the engine of that art."

"Deep work isn't about time management; it's about fear management. We hide in the shallow work because it's safe."

"If you are waiting for the perfect time to start, you are actually waiting for the fear to go away. It won't."

"The best way to get through the resistance is to have a schedule. Don't wait for the muse; show up for the muse."

"The most important work you do is the work you do when you don't feel like doing it."

"Deep work is a skill, and like any skill, it requires practice and a environment that supports it."

"Every time you check your phone, you are giving away a piece of your potential for greatness."

"If you’re not uncomfortable in your work, you’re probably not doing deep work. Real work requires emotional labor."

"You cannot be remarkable if you are constantly interrupted. Remarkable work happens in the quiet spaces."

"You always have a choice. Even if you don't like the options, you always have a choice."

"The best way to be productive is to have fewer things to be productive about."

"Industrial work was about compliance. Creative work is about focus. You can't comply your way to a masterpiece."

"The mistake we make is thinking that we need to be in the mood to do deep work. The work creates the mood."

"Meaningful work doesn't happen in the gaps between meetings. It happens when you block out the world."