In Do More Great Work published by Workman Publishing (2010), Michael Bungay Stanier explains how to “stop the busywork, and start [and complete] the work that [really] matters.” For example, he identifies and discusses “Six Great Work Paradoxes” that may help at least some people to overcome their doubt about being able to produce Great Work.

1. You don’t need to save the world. You do need to make a difference. “What can you do more of to that makes a difference, shifts the balance, has an impact, adds beauty, changes the status quo, creates something worth being created, improves life, moves things forward, reduces waste, engages people, or allows love? (You don’t have to do all of those. Just one will be fine.)”

2. Great Work is private. Great Work can be public. “Because it is a subjective matter – Great Work is what is meaningful to you – often its reward is a moment of private triumph.”

3. Great work is needed. Great work isn’t wanted. “Great Work shows up at the intersection where what needs to change in your world meets what’s important to you.”

4. Great work is easy. Great work is difficult. “Great Work can be a time of grinding through it, of showing up when your muse isn’t whispering to you. It can be a time of uncertainty, groping forward when you’re not sure where you’re heading.”

5. Great work is about doing what’s meaningful. Great Work isn’t about doing it well. “I’m not talking about a standard of delivery. I’m talking about a standard of impact.”

6. Great work can take a moment. Great work can take a lifetime. “Not every minute of the journey [however brief] is Great Work, but what it adds up to is.”

“These definitions are all true. They’re all equally important.”