December 1, 2025: The Tenth Revision

From good to great.

I recently read about a new cruise ship undergoing a test voyage. Employees filed on board with eyes open, scrutinizing everything from the food to decor.

They studied the paint colors and tested the pillow fluffs. They even rated the cha-cha instructor. Nothing escaped their notebooks.

Their responses helped tighten the ship, so that early passengers would never notice the hundreds of tweaks behind the sparkles.

And there lies the secret: most amazing results come from sweating the details.

Amateurs mistake the first draft for the final product. But professionals view the initial creation as raw material.

The gap isn’t talent, but the willingness to keep working after many call it done.

Embrace the tedious middle. This separates you from others, because most people skip the refinement.

The magic rarely lives in the big idea, but it often hides in the tenth revision.

Going from good to great requires massive discipline compared to going from nothing to good.

The true work is in the refining.