Problem #1: Winners and losers have the same goals. - James Clear

Here's a rule I find useful:

You should attempt things that are difficult enough to guarantee some early embarrassment, but important enough that long-term regret is unlikely.

Trying something difficult will usually make you look foolish or inexperienced. That’s fine. That's the cost of learning.

But if it's important to you, then you'll work through the early failures and — even if things ultimately change shape or don't work out — you'll never regret going for it.

Meanwhile, improving by 1 percent isn’t particularly notable — sometimes it isn’t even noticeable — but it can be far more meaningful, especially in the long run. The difference a tiny improvement can make over time is astounding. Here’s how the math works out: if you can get 1 percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done. Conversely, if you get 1 percent worse each day for one year, you’ll decline nearly down to zero. What starts as a small win or a minor setback accumulates into something much more.

Big wins tend to be accompanied by some combination of bigger decisions, more uncertainty, and greater risk.

If you want to play at a higher level, you need to be comfortable with greater swings of highs and lows: mentally, emotionally, financially.

You can avoid the swings, but you might be forced to play at a lower level.