Notice the capital: it's not just for the beginning of the sentence. Crowley had a clear concept of The Work, which he saw as the ultimate obsession. He never really got it right enough.
Now, The Work is never finished, except when death clocks you out. Crowley's Work and art was his life, and he was an expert in crafting it. Beyond good, beyond evil, beyond art and beyond magic is the art and science of living.
What's your Work? What do you do?
It is stating the obvious to point out that the vast majority of people are unaware that such a thing exists. Why? The reasons are psychological and keyed into the great enemy, Control. Now, I'm in favour of laws. They tend to keep you alive. Control is the complex duplicity of living in a society - we cannot all be free, or the machine collapses. It would be worth reading Wilde on socialism for this, perhaps.
What's your Work?
Some of us are fortunate enough to have ideas beyond our station, but in the wisest words of Ben Parker, it comes with a responsibility. And it isn't easy, and you never achieve it. That's why it's called Work: the process is the solution. To strive, to seek, to find - and not to yield.
Would more money make your Work easier or is it simply a convenience? Read Epicurus and decide if you really need it. Your goal must be practical, and that is why I do not "play" the lottery. Fool's gold. What they call in managerial circles "smart objectives" - every goal must be something you truly desire and that you feel is attainable in your lifetime (once again the Americans have got this tragically wrong).
If something happens that is not part of your Work, carefully evaluate it. It may be true that life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans, you simply have to update your mental map of the world (NLP).
If something happens to you which is contrary to your Work, disregard it. It's terribly liberating - freedom from is as much fun as freedom to, if you know what you're missing. Remember, you make your own luck.
Cancer's arguably an exception. If you have only a fixed period to live, you must consider what you want to do in the time left. I can't stress enough, whatever you truly want to do is possible in that time. Is it churlish to suggest that it often throws your life into such high relief that it becomes clear how you want to spend your time? Why wait until this happens? Give your mind some cancer today and set your body free!
Become impatient. Do not tolerate bullshit, distance yourself from it and all fools. You love them too much to accept people who waste your precious time. Do not suffer it "until". It doesn't come without your assistance.
What's your Work? The question is more important than God to those with their eyes open. If you have the right goals, it can be done. And when you get there, send me a postcard.