Behavior that is incongruent with the self will not last. You may want more money, but if your identity is someone who consumes rather than creates, … - James Clear

Persistence and variety. These are the two primary ways to develop great ideas or to solve important problems.

Keep leaning your head against a topic for a long time. Certainly for weeks, possibly for years. And along the way, try many lines of attack. Continue to generate options, explore paths, and propose silly ideas. Copy and paste concepts from widely different disciplines and see if it gets you anywhere. All the while, continue to refine the best solution you've found thus far.

What looks like genius may simply be the byproduct of persistence and variety.

When you're in the middle of the work, set your expectations high. It's unlikely your performance will exceed the standard you set for yourself. High expectations encourage you to keep reaching and fulfill your potential.

Once the work is done, release yourself from your expectations. The fastest way to ruin a good outcome is to tell yourself that it's not good enough. Your expectations dictate your happiness more than your results.

Expectations can be helpful as a motivator and unhelpful as a measuring stick. Now that the work is done you can rest easy knowing you tried your best. You've already won.

The most important conversation is the conversation you have with yourself each day.