Work ethic isn’t something you’re born with—it’s built in the moments you don’t feel like showing up. Consistency, not intensity, is what separates people. The ones who win aren’t more motivated. They just don’t negotiate with themselves when it’s time to work.

Here’s everything I have retained from conversations with the handful of mentors I’ve had in my thirties, all compressed into the most straightforward form possible: one-liners worthy of becoming tweets for trending topics.