The only way to do great work is to love what you do.

Like Elvis, Steve Jobs has become even more famous in death than he was in life. His authorised biography, Steve Jobs, dominated bestseller lists after it was released in 2011 and the biopic jOBS will shortly be the Sundance Film Festival's main attraction before being released around the world.

There's now a cottage industry of journalists, authors, directors and documentary makers devoted to analysing Jobs, all of them trying to answer the question of how he managed to revolutionise the computing, animation, publishing and music industries. Jobs always claimed the secret of success was simple: do work that excites you.

Straight from the genius's mouth

In 2005, shortly after he was diagnosed with the cancer that was to kill him six years later, Jobs was invited to offer some advice to students graduating from America's prestigious Stanford University. His speech, which is probably the purest expression of his personal philosophy we possess, was all about the importance of not settling.

Jobs told the students about to go into the world and start careers:

[quote]"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know it when you find it."[/quote]

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering you are going to die is the best way to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart…. Your time is limited so don't waste it living someone else's life… have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

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