But all thought and no action is a recipe for nothing but regret, according to Michael Schwalbe, contributor to OPEN forum who cites research from happiness expert Daniel Gilbert.

Thank goodness the other two my my five response-generated strengths (that, interestingly enough, I’ve gotten both times I’ve taken the test) push me into the action part of creativity. Communication is the strength that led me to my profession. The strength of achievement is what gives me so much personal satisfaction from being productive and working hard - and is probably also what compelled me to break down into tears over the one B I got in college.

The Sweet Spot

So, for me, finding the sweet spot, the balance between thought and action is a continual adventure in learning. I collect motivational sayings on the topic to remind myself that I’m not the only person who’s trying to find that place.

“Don’t worry, be crappy.” - Classic Guy Kawasaki quote I first experienced staff meeting style, via VHS!

“Getting your ducks in a row is not nearly as powerful as actually doing something with your duck.” - Seth Godin

My new favorite is this simple yet elegant venn diagram from David Armano that I’ve been referring to mentally about three times a week ever since we met at Blog World.

Agile Planning by David Armano

Adding in Risk

Wait. With this talk about planning versus action, where does the risk part come in? Somewhere pretty close to the middle, according to some theories.

In fact, Schwalbe writes about risk in the article cited above, where he explains what he calls his 40-30-30 rule: that success in anything is like success in sports, where 40% comes from physical training, 30% from knowledge and skills, and 30% just from being willing to take risks. He cites Gilbert’s happiness research and notes that:

While we tend to focus solely on building our skill sets or expanding our knowledge, the greatest advancement and learning most often comes from action, experience, and taking risk. And our regrets in life reflect this. According to Gilbert, studies show that “in the long run, people of every age and in every walk of life seem to regret not having done things much more than they regret things they did.”

Because the truth is, no plan will ever be perfect. Or maybe it’s more like, if you wait for the exact, perfect iteration of the plan, you’ll never get anything accomplished. Because you have to try, and sometimes fail, and at the very least learn, to be able to move from where you are or to get beyond the idea you have at this moment.

Because ideas will keep coming. Innovation, research, thoughts, connections, relationships, life. It will all keep moving, changing, shaping the plan you’ve already made until at some point, you’ve got to abandon the idea or take the risk.

The risk of action in an imperfect world.

Without knowing what’s going to happen. Embracing the possibility of the worst. And the anticipation of the best.

So, is risk worth it all? For an extreme and highly interesting example, take a minute to listen to this story about Earl Cooley, a ground-breaking, elite forest fighter. He took a risk to jump out of a plane in 1940 to parachute into a burning wildfire to fight it. He went on to establish smoke jumping as one of the most effective forest-fighting tactics in history and just passed away this week a hero in his industry and at the ripe old age of 98.

Time, Discipline & Inspiration

My husband has this theory, (and no, he’s not alone in this thought), that over time, the more you take these risks, which are, almost always, just mental risks inside your own mind, and simply dedicate yourself to action, the better you will become - at whatever it is. As an artist, he extends this idea to the thought that disciplined action sustained over time can create results on par with the results you get from pure, unfiltered inspiration in an environment that lacks true discipline.

I think about that a lot. I see it happen in his art over time. The really inspired stuff is always brilliant. Everything else? His art is always good, but with discipline, it’s just as brilliant the more he simply commits to the process. Takes the risk of doing what he can (inspired or not) and moving on to the next page so he can keep developing the skill.

Taking action and putting yourself out there - especially when you’re not inspired - can be the ultimate test. The ultimate risk. In terms of risk and reward, this makes sense.

The more you work, the more risks you take, the more inspired you become.

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Some you’ve heard of. Others you haven’t. But all of them are truly genuine, thoughtful, great people I’d recommend getting to know online and tracking down at an industry event. So, here they are: My top 33 39 people to follow from Blog World 2009.

1. Irene Kehlor (@IreneKoehler) - AlmostSavvy.com, super sweet lady
2. Jennifer Kushnell (@ysnjen) - President of ysn.com, sweet social butterfly
3. Bryan Person (@bryanperson) - Live World social media evangelist, awesome pal
4. Jodi Gersh (@jodiontheweb) - Social media and content management
5. Chris Hall (@hallicious) - Consumer innovation, blogger at hallicious.com
6. Katja Presnal (@katjapresnal) - Consultant, skimbaco lifestyle, nice, savvy woman
7. Sonia Simone (@soniasimone) - Remarkable communication, copyblogger
8. David Spinks (@davidspinks) - Community manager at Scribnia & blogger
9. Grace Boyle (@graceboyle) - Business development at Lijit, Small Hands, Big Ideas
10. Davina Anthony (@dmacreative) - Designer, developer DMA Creative
11. Mitch Canter (@studionashvegas) - wordpress designer, social media dude
12. Doug Haslam (@dougH) - SHIFT communications, doughaslam.com, overall nice guy
13. Amanda (@highimpactmom) - highimpactmom.com
14. Maggie Fox (@maggiefox) - social media group, smart panelist
15. Justin Levy (@justinlevy) - steak. and also social media
16. JD Lasica (@jdlasica) - socialmedia.biz
17. Natalie Wardel (@mrsnatalie) - social media, PR and overall sweet gal
18. Robin Maiden (@robinmaiden) new media & podcast consultant
19. Bill Rice (@billrice) - marketing, kaleidico.com
20. Darren Rowse (@Problogger) - problogger.com, digital-photography-school.com
21. Shannon Yelland (@shannonyelland) - job seeker
22. Chris Brogan (@chrisbrogan) - newmarketinglabs.com & author, Trust Agents
23. Stephanie Schwab (@stephanies) - Digital Services, Kaplow
24. Connie Bensen (@cbensen) - Community strategist, social media, thoughtful panelist
25. Ellen Rowan (@zaellen) - blogger and awesome mom
26. Joseph Morin (@josephmorin) - social media guy and tweetup extraordinaire
27. Jyl Johnson Pattee (@jylmomIF) - community builder, mom it forward, uber-friendly lady
28. Jennifer L. Iannolo (@foodphilosophy) & Mark Tafoya (@chefmark), culinary media network
29. Saad Mukhtar (@saadmukhtar) - business development, Scribnia, Navator.com
30. Rohit Bhargava (@rohitbhargava) Ogilvy, influential marketing
31. Zane Aveton (@zaneology) - blogger and uber bringer-together
32. Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) - NYU journalism professor and big idea instigator
33. Daniel B. Honigman (@dan360man) - media thinker and Weber Shandwick guy
34. Becky McCray - http://twitter.com/BeckyMcCray
35. Beth Rosen - http://twitter.com/bethrosen
36. Melissa - http://twitter.com/ConsumerQueen
37. Howard Greenstein - http://twitter.com/Howardgr
38. David Armano - http://twitter.com/armano
39. Jason Falls - http://twitter.com/Jasonfalls

Who do you want to see at Blog World next year or at the next conference and meet IRL yourself? Who would you add to this year’s list? If you were at blog world or on this list, you can follow me on Twitter so we can continue the conversation.

Update: You can follow this whole list now using TweepML: Top Blog World Pros

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This week’s action: Influence Up.

1. Pick an Influencer.
Choose someone who has influenced you in an important way in your career. Think about people who have shaped the way you approach your job, the way you think about your field, or risks you’ve taken to get where you are. Maybe a current or former boss, a mentor, a thought leader, a teacher or professor, or a peer. Maybe someone you’ve never met who’s left an important impression.

2. Tailor Your Gratitude.
Then, take time this week to thank them in a way that will be meaningful to them. The key to this challenge is to go out of your way to encourage and thank this person in a way that acknowledges and honors their style of influence and personality. A thought leader might appreciate a kind blog post written about their influence in your career. A mentor or professor might love a handwritten note or letter about where you are in your career and reflections on how their influence has helped you achieve where you are today. A peer might be honored if you nominate them for an award or honor.

3. Honor with Action.
Then, take this activity one step further by intentionally acting on the influence of your chosen influencer this week. Think about the moments and lessons this person has created in your life. Dust them off, examine them, and consider how you can re-apply these lessons today.

There’s no greater honor to anyone than that their influence continues to take root and flourish within someone else.

Influence up.

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So, I’m putting a plan together that will help me manage my daily tasks better and make more productive use of pockets of unplanned time. I’ll be using three tactics:

1. Daily Dozen (idea adapted from John Maxwell: mine focuses on workday).
2. Custom Action Item List
3. Monthly Goal Meetup

My Daily Dozen

Social Media
Since social media content, monitoring, and management often gets pushed aside in favor of larger deadlines, immediate requests, and long-term projects, it’s something I am putting squarely on my plate each day. Now, when I have small portions of time, I can go to these items and get them checked off the list more often.

1. Monitor news, Google Alerts, digital media clips & HARO
2. Check and update company Twitter / Facebook / LinkedIn
3. Interact or connect with 5 people in social media
4. Approve / respond to comments on company blog

Editorial
My team is responsible for nine monthly-to-weekly publications, so editing is a major part of my job. We also help with the editing process for our marketing and advertising team to make sure everyone’s on the same page editorially. So, every day, I edit anywhere from 3-15 articles, publications, ads, or collateral pieces. I must admit, keeping up with this pile is one of my biggest challenges these days. Sometimes, just keeping up with the content is so overwhelming, I miss out on opportunities to encourage the learning mentality, the writing and research process for my team because it’s not built into my daily routine. So I’m putting these editorial duties squarely on my list:

5. Edit content
6. Read an article, participate in a live chat online, or attend a webinar
7. Share articles, tips or ideas with team or leadership

Big Picture
Managing all these daily tasks and keeping up with action item lists ongoing is enough to keep my busy. But it’s also critical to take some time in each day to focus on the big picture. This includes follow-up with customers, keeping my team in the loop, keeping myself on task with projects, deadlines, and meetings, and taking time to see how it all fits together. So, here are the big-picture things I want to take time for each day:

8. Follow-up on e-mails, phone calls, requests from customers and media contacts
9. Check in with / encourage my team
10. Manage my action item list
11. Intentional, unscheduled time to reflect, brainstorm, or make decisions

Projects, Meetings & Follow-Up
Managing projects, meetings, deadlines, and follow-up is another big part of every day. To keep track of all the action going on in my day, from meetings to deadlines to project action items, I use a daily action item list, a GTD hack I’ve built for myself to make the system work for me. This is the most difficult part of the day to manage, since the work I need to take action on varies from weekly or monthly deadlines to new projects and proposals. But it’s also critical, because it can be so easy to get bogged down in the rest of the day and miss out on the opportunity to move. So, to make it simple, this last part of my daily dozen is broad yet energizing to me:

12. Take action

You can download a template of my daily/weekly action-item list at the end of this post if you’d like to check it out. Items on this list include I need to accomplish that day or week, like:

• Checking tracking reports
• Team meetings
• Action items on major projects
• Deadlines
• Ideas, proposals, research

Tracking Success

Since I created this daily dozen for myself last week, I have been pleasantly surprised. I’ve managed to accomplish each of these 12 things (yes, including the action!) every day. And interestingly enough, it hasn’t made me compromise on deadlines or projects. Instead, I feel like I’m making better use of the spare minutes that tend to accumulate, or focusing more on each item as I tackle it instead of letting my attention wander or succumbing to the pressure to multitask. And that gives me incredible daily momentum.

But, I know myself, and over time I’m curious how this system will evolve. So, I’m going to audit my time every once in a while to hold myself accountable and keep track. Several years ago, I created a form I use for this. I break the day down into manageable chunks (30 minutes or so) and chart my progress as I go along. You can download and customize a copy of the chart if you’d like to try this for yourself.

What will success look like? I am hoping this daily dozen will help me better manage my work so I can accomplish some of the goals I’ve set up for myself this September, a part of the new monthly goal meetup my friend Rebecca is putting together for emerging leaders to use as an extra-employment accountability, encouragement, and ideation group.

September Career/Life Goals

1. Read a book devoted to spiritual growth.
2. Make more time for friends and family, celebrating my sister’s upcoming marriage.
3. Create launch plan for new comm program (launching in October)
4. Create a monthly writing and blog outreach plan.
5. Determine plan for completing master’s degree.

The lines between work and life are continually blurred for me. But I see these goals not as distinct phenomena. They’re all related, because they’re all very important – to me. When I’m more in tune with my spiritual needs, I’m better in relationships, at home and at work. When I’m more productive – and aware it – at work, I feel more energized and confident to accomplish my personal goals. When I’m sharing ideas and connecting with people, I am learning and growing more equipped at work.

So, this is where I’m starting, in this now. Will it change, will it evolve? Time will tell. But simply the process of creating and using this daily dozen has already proven to me the power of intentionality. I’m confident these short-term goals will do the same.

The Challenge: Your Daily Dozen

Do these daily tasks hit home with you? Motivated to create your own daily dozen? Simply post them in the comments section or, better yet, post your own daily dozen to your blog and share your post with me by linking to this post or sharing the link in the comments section. Next month, I’ll feature a roundup of all the daily dozen posts that participate! If you want to talk about this idea on Twitter, use #dailydozen and spread the word!

GTD Tip: I formatted and printed my daily dozen and put it in a clear plastic presentation cover so I can mark off each task with a dry-erase marker as I get them done.

Free Stuff

• My Custom Action Item Worksheet
• My Time Audit Chart

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It was my first day off since moving into management.

Don’t worry, you haven’t missed the announcement. This is it. That’s because the first few weeks were hectic to say the least. The day before the big announcement of my promotion went out to my team, a team member gave their notice of a career change, so my first official day as a manager, I was in what-the-heck-do-we-do-now meetings all day long, figuring out how we’d cover the workload for the already short-staffed team – by Friday.

I probably wouldn’t say it was an ideal moment, but then again, in hindsight, maybe it was. There’s nothing quite like that kind of moment to bring you firmly into not just awareness of, but operation in reality.

If anything was ever an opportunity to learn by doing, I’m pretty sure this qualifies. So, now that I have a few minutes to rub together, I’ll share some of those insights with you. If you’re moving into management during a time of change in your organization, here are the lessons I’m learning:

1. Build relationships with peer leaders before you need them.

Dealing with change is difficult enough without the added stress of trying to handle it all alone. Lucky for me, I’m a part of several communities for emerging leaders, and the first one I tapped into when this challenge arose was my team of peer leaders at work. Because we’d spent time building good, working relationships in the midst of the change this year has brought to our company, instead of bogging down into sticky traps like territory, I was able to discover that a member of someone else’s team would be a great fit for mine, and we were able to find a solution that was really a win for everyone involved. My new team member is now able to flex even more of their skills and abilities, and we were able to make what could have been a progress-halting transition without missing a beat (or a deadline).

2. Make time for planning, brainstorming, and innovation.

Getting ahead of the curve on change relies on you thinking ahead of change before it happens. So, think about scenarios. The what-if scenarios and the please-no ones too. When you’re equipped with solutions and ideas, you’ll be ready to put them in place or advocate for them when the time comes. And it will come. If you’re not equipped with ideas, moving into management may also include a mourning period and feelings of incompetence.

With tight-to-impossible deadlines, we are bringing to bat several ideas we’ve been talking about for leaning up processes during the changeover period. And I feel energized, excited, and inspired to lead my team into a new way of work. Together.

3. Keep unscheduled time (for your team and yourself).

I know it’s true for me, and I have a sneaking suspicion it’s the case for many leaders, but I have a stack of deadlines, projects, and initiatives – work – that truly never gets smaller. Keeping up with my e-mail could be a part-time job. So, managing my calendar and keeping unscheduled time is a difficult to impossible task most weeks. But it’s critical. For two reasons. One is, you need time to think, process, filter, and decide. Personal time. Door closed, I’m-thinking-and-the-radio’s-on time. Focused, quiet time. But you also need another kind of time. The friendly, door open, yes-I-have-time-to-help-you kind of time. Other people time. What your team, peer leaders, and boss need from you. Because in addition to all the other work you do, people also need your time.

4. Contribute to a community outside the office.

So, my official title now, if you’re wondering, is Communications and Social Media Manager. It’s a new role combined with an existing one, and the journey that’s lead me to this exciting new time where I am leading and building a program for a billion-dollar, international company has been interesting and at times terrifying, and it ain’t over yet.

One thing that built my confidence and competence enormously over the past few years is contributing to a community outside of the office. In professional spaces that help me grow, flex, and explore the possibilities of working in PR, communication, marketing, new media.

One place that’s been vital is being a part of the Brazen Careerist community since it was no more than a crazy business dream of some of my first blogging pals. It’s a place where I can contribute, learn, lead, and grow. Today, that community is announcing exciting news and cool launch. They’ll be focusing even more on user tools and ways you can share ideas and get to know other young professionals across the globe.

I love this part of social media, the part where I’m more than a talking head. Where ideas and relationships shine. Where possibilities widen and potential is written, shimmering, across every page. It helps me grow and challenge myself as a thinker, as a professional, as a leader. It can help you too.

5. Give yourself a break.

This is the part I still struggle with feeling guilty just typing. I’m afraid I’m struggling against the pressure to be a workaholic. Well, I guess that depends on how you define work. Because sometimes, it seems like whether at the office or at home, a good (how much of my day am I not sleeping?) well, 90% of my waking hours, anyway, could be classified as some sort of work.

So taking Friday off last week, unplugging, and leaning on the strength of my team was a huge test for a new manager. It was important, not just because I needed a break, but I needed the confidence boost that my team was at a place where they could handle things without me. Where work would get done, deadlines completed. And guess what? It did.

So, Monday rolled around and with it I had a new wave of confidence, a new sense of possibility. Because if I’ve learned anything so far in the past few months, it’s that you don’t have to have a title to be a leader. 

But when you actually get one, it’s nice to watch yourself settle into those new shoes and keep moving.

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When it comes to personal branding and new media, there are countless examples of professionals, businesses, and individuals who have built popular and effective networks of followers, friends, and business contacts. As new media tools and strategies become an increasingly important part of the business world, PR, marketing, and communications professionals are adopting these tactics for both personal and professional use. So, what’s your new media strategy? Do you mix business with personal on Twitter? Do you only accept friend requests from those you know on Facebook? Are you a virtual free-for-all networker across the web?

Let’s talk about your opinions, stories, and theories about how professionals should use new media.

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What I’m focusing on is that I’ve learned a fair amount already. Both observation and mounting experience are incredible mentors in a pinch. Along the way, I realize that I’m learning some things at a breakneck pace, but one lesson is still presenting itself throughout the process. And that’s how to talk about a change you’re trying to figure out — precisely while it’s happening.

But it’s important to figure out how you’ll talk about change, because your speech shapes so much - you, others, the future. There’s an incredible power in language. Tone, illustration, metaphor. Each time I talk about the change, I hone my body language, inflection, examples. But as time has gone on and I’ve talked more about the change, I’ve also grown to understand it better, starting within myself. So here’s what I’m learning about figuring out how to talk about change that’s happening at work, wherever you talk about it.

Discover your reality.

Find a group of people or a quiet, safe place so you can talk out the reality change is bringing into your life. Get it all out. The good and the bad. When a change happens at work, especially one you didn’t fully understand or anticipate, your first impulse will probably be to go into denial or wait for someone else to tell you what to do next. Instead, take time to immediately and honestly diagnose exactly how the change will affect you, your co-workers, your friends and family. Your workload, your career, your ideas. Change doesn’t have to be a bad word. Which is where the next point comes in.

Envision a positive outcome.

Immediately choose to see the bright side of the change. Almost every time there will be one. So, even if you aren’t sure right away exactly what could be good about the change, decide you believe that it exists. This part takes a certain amount of faith, but it’s necessary. This part is mostly about self-talk. But it’s critical. Because how you talk to yourself about the change will shape your attitude. And attitude has incredible power. Not just over others, but also over yourself. So, it all cycles back around, and you can’t escape your feelings in the end. You won’t fool anyone, least of all yourself, if all you really see is a bleak, unpromising future ahead when change happens. So, after you’ve taken some time to hash out your reality, go right from challenges into believing there are opportunities. And then you’ll be ready for the next step.

Define the change as a benefit.

It’s so easy to focus on how change sucks. Believe me, I’ve had my days. Weeks even. But really, all that does is suck the life out of you and keep you from moving on. What I’ve learned is, there’s a narrow window of opportunity when change happens to influence new outcomes. So you have to be quick to the draw, (or however that saying goes.) But before you can do this, you have to figure out exactly what you want those outcomes to be. Here’s why it’s important to figure out how to influence new outcomes: to talk positively about change as time goes on, you have to actually move into the process of making that change really an actually great thing.

Wait. There’s an important point here I don’t want to gloss over. Because leadership during change is a tricky thing. Specifically, you may not have a title or formal leadership position. If you don’t, you may be tempted to let this hold you back. Push past the awkwardness of this, and continue on in this exercise. Because regardless of your position, tenure, or role, what your leaders need from you during times of change is your ideas, your energy, your solutions. And your advocacy. So, figure out how to talk about the change well right now whatever your title, because ultimately, your leader will appreciate this more than you may ever know.

So, to define change as a benefit, think of some specific, concrete examples of how the change is good. There’s a fair amount of creative flexibility here, that’s why I used the word “define.” Let go of your assumed constraints. Break out of some silos. Cross some scary boundaries, go crazy. Dreaming big may seem like a risk during a time of change — after all, who wants to be seen as an opportunist? But if there’s ever a time to take risks at work, it’s now. (And anyway, people who bring solid benefits during change are much more likely to be seen as strategists, problem solvers, team players.)

Choose your own change.

When change happens around you, you have two choices: stay the same and get swept away by the current, or remain and choose to be shaped by it. What’s hard about allowing change to shape you is that rarely do we see this as a choice, and rarer still as an opportunity. But it is. Every change that happens, whether at home or at work or in the grocery store, is an opportunity, if you choose to see if that way. When they run out of asparagus, go for the green beans. (This metaphor works for me, because who wouldn’t rather asparagus, but green beans work, too. The point is, something will work.)

Figure out how you will change in response to the change that’s happened to you. Make it your change, your opportunity. Make it about progress, not obstacles.

Remember reality.

So, when you’re talking about change, these are the steps you need to go through first, to get your mind around what’s happening. So you can understand what to say. But just because you have to go to an almost insane positive extreme to project yourself into a future that’s moving forward doesn’t mean you forget reality when you talk about change. Because if you skip out on reality at this point, the only person you’ll convince is a maybe-delusional version of yourself.

Here’s how I pull this all together: “In the last five months, we’ve gone through a major restructuring.” It gets at the daily reality of what we’ve gone through and at the same time tells you that we’re moving forward. And that’s where I choose, every day, to be. In the progress you can create out of change. In the possibility you can embrace.

It’s also what I choose to say. Words like potential, possibility, progress. When you put them together with action, they’re not just words. They’re power.

So, say them more. And be them more. Starting today.

Talk it out.

Have you gone through change at work? Are you struggling to find a balance that explains your reality but empowers you to move forward? Let’s chat about change in the comments section. And if this post hit home with you, please share it on Twitter, or come chat with me there!

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One thing I know right now about the world of work is this: it’s stressful.

No matter who you are or what you’re doing, I’m sure you can relate. There are certainly signs of hope in the economy, but reality is, not one of us is standing on completely solid ground.

And it’s hard in the face of uncertainty, change, and more uncertainty to focus anyway and keep pressing on, every day. Day in, day out.

But more and more, integrity at work boils down to just that. To keep pressing on. In the midst of everything. Anything.

Because change is nothing new.

Uncertainty is a promise we accept at the dawn of every day. It’s a bargain we strike each minute. No one ever said that was anything, fair or unfair.

It just is.

In a Social World

Sometimes, I think about this world I’m a part of. Not the great, blue planet we inhabit, though I think about that too, but this world. This one, right here, where I’m running like so many threads through so many others, a big, important tapestry of energy, ideas, passion. This vibrant, insightful community of thinkers and doers and learners and mentors and peers. Sometimes, because it’s easier to explain it this way, I call this “social media.”

Whatever we call it, I love this place, because of what it teaches me about things that are important to me. Work. Life. Leadership. Innovation. Collaboration. Integrity. Creativity. Dreams.

I love the ability to communicate and connect with every reader, Twitter friend, and connection I have in real life. I love how the lines of my thoughts and relationships blur against those of others. I love the challenge of new ideas, and the race to understand them, share them, build on them, put them into action and set them out into the world, a working, living thing.

I think about integrity and what that means in this space, too. About things like how important it is to be the true version of yourself everywhere, whether Google reads it or not.

Because integrity is one small, solid little word. But unpacking it is hard. Sure, what you do when no one’s looking is really important. But what you do when people are looking matters, too.

In an Evolving Reality

Here is something else I know about work right now. For me, at least, and maybe for you, the lines are blurring. Like it or not, work is no longer one, solid, concrete concept across the board. That space between work and life? Between personal and professional? Between my time and theirs? Between who I am and what I do?

It’s changing.

The most effective professionals have already accepted this as fact and are figuring out how to lead boldly into this new reality, where a business contact may also see the photos from your weekend (even if all you did was try out a new recipe).

Which is why integrity, today, matters everywhere, more than ever before.

In Every Moment, Every Day

This is not as daunting as it may seem.

Really, it’s a gift, if you choose to see it that way, of focus.

What should you post, omit, disclose? What should you say? What should you do?

Your integrity is there, holding up its shining answer.

The question is, what will you do with that answer? Wherever you are, and no matter who isn’t, or is, looking?

What’s your take? Does integrity matter? Should your professional “persona” be consistent with your personal self? Or do you draw a clear line between “work” and “life”? Come chat in the comments section or bring the conversation to Twitter.

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“Yeah. So what?” I say, realizing, in the back of my mind how harsh that probably sounds, since we’re only talking about his childhood dream here.

But I have my game face on with him, now. Reality is, we are on the same page with this struggle. He is an incredibly talented artist. Opportunities are aligning already for him. I’m impressed with not just his efforts but the skill and insight and success he’s already achieved just a few years out of college.

Being married to a creative person when you work, live, and dream in that world yourself is not without its challenges. Honestly, it’s hard enough dealing with my own crazy dreams and expectations sometimes. Knowing he deals with the same types of hopes and aspirations for himself can be overwhelming. All the energy, ideas, and drive pouring through our house means even on our days and hours off work, we’re still on duty. Building, dreaming, making.

It’s no wonder our dog has developed a chewing problem. Like right now. He’s chewing up his new bed because I’m sitting here, writing this post. [Oh, wait. Update. He's now destroyed a wooden meat tenderizer. Great.]

Luckily, Rob and I balance well. Whether it’s pure coincidence, sheer effort, or pure adoration, his creative good days tend to balance my not-so-great ones, and vice versa. And it helps to have your best friend get exactly where you’re coming from. Even if you have a hard time grasping it yourself sometimes.

But regardless, it’s still there, haunting us both and every day of our creative lives. The love affair our culture has for the youthful success story. Each day that passes adds to a year more of our lives, of our time, spent waiting. Watching. Working.

What are we waiting for?

Impatience overwhelms us. Not just Rob and I, but an entire generation of idealistic, educated, aspiring people. We worry that we’re wasting away. We move and make and create and go. And still, potential is everywhere. Brooding, waiting, restless.

It’s a healthy dose of impatience. It’s constructive, not destructive. And yet, here we are. And the questions remain.

Like, what, exactly, is the deal with paying dues?

Paying dues seems submissive to broken structures.

Dealing with hierarchies, working within silos, it all seems so silly, so outmoded, so non-productive. It’s difficult, sometimes, for my generation to see the point in dealing with it all. In fact, an incredible number in Generation Y want to avoid the corporate life altogether and be their own boss. But, wait. I’ve learned a few things on my days on the corporate side. You can actually pay your dues while still stirring the pot. In fact, maybe the best way to create change in hierarchies still governed by more mature generations is to work well within the structures that exist. And through that, to earn the trust you can use to innovate. After all, blowing things up isn’t the only way to change a landscape.

Paying dues takes time.

But so does other important stuff. Getting an education. Finding a mate to marry. Buying a house. So what’s all the fuss about how long it takes you to get to your dream? Why does it matter how much time you spend paying your dues, as long as you’re learning and growing along the way? After all, experience is still important. And as far as I can tell, it’s still one of those things that only comes through time. The problem, it seems to me, is when you start “paying dues” for dues’ sake. For the ladder. For the climb.

Paying dues doesn’t always pay off.

This is by far the most difficult reality I’ve had to face in my career. It’s perhaps the most difficult thing most people face. But going through the experience personally, I know one thing for sure. Paying your dues doesn’t have to actually be about going anywhere - whether up or out.

Instead, if you choose, paying your dues can be all about getting you ready for the journey. Wherever that leads. That, after all, is something you can control yourself.

So what?

Worrying about whether or not you should pay dues at work, or as you work toward your goals, is a waste of time. Because, chances are, you’re going to have to pay them at some point in time. Instead, figure out how to make your dues work for you, too. Whether or not it gets you a promotion, there’s a lot of value that you can gain:

• Practice building patience while you can still afford to make mistakes
• Better relationships with upwardly mobile people
• Access to other people who have opportunities you need
• Access to mentoring and allies
• Realistic growth, the kind you can handle

In the end, paying your dues at work, or anything, is rarely about paying something that’s undue.

Instead, it’s about investing. Your time. Your talent. Your potential. Not just into some company or job or goal. But into yourself. So, give yourself the time you need to do and learn and grow into what you desperately want to be.

It will make the ride that much funner - and faster - if you slow down and experience the journey.

Don’t worry. You’re getting there.

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