I’m convinced that the reason many people are not succeeding at their current ambition is that they are playing instead of working. (1) There could be several paths to playing work rather than working on work, but the result is the same: well-intentioned people, most of whom are reasonably talented, who languish in vocations they ought to be succeeding in.
How can you tell if you’re working on work or just playing work? You probably already know. If it makes you just a little uncomfortable to read this, but a train wreck-esque fascination keeps your eyes moving across the screen, it’s a good sign you’re among the guilty. However, the fact that you’re reading – rather than avoiding – these words probably means you can get back to working without too much trouble. So, how?
Start by recognizing the symptoms. People who play work know what they would rather be doing, it’s just painful to get started. An obvious symptom of playing work is expecting it to be fun all the time. After all, it’s called work. That said, real work is fun – sometimes. Oft repeated quotes about “loving what you do” lead us to believe that there’s something wrong if we don’t laugh ourselves hoarse at the office (2). But that’s not the kind of fun intended. Fun happens, like when a milestone is reached or your hard work is recognized. Along the way, however, there are some necessary evils. Avoiding the distasteful parts makes it difficult, if not impossible, to experience the great parts.
Another neat trick to avoid real work is to wait for the silver bullet. This one’s especially tempting because you convince yourself that you’re actually making the right decision given the conditions. Not only does the part of your brain that seeks comfort get served, but your ego does as well. Better to listen to General Patton and get to work on a “good plan violently executed today.”
There are other sure signs of play. If you’re never criticized, corrected, opposed, held responsible, or possibly even ridiculed, you’re probably not doing real work, at least not the variety that has far reaching impact.
If you’re always doing what you want at the time, it’s probably not work.
If you’re not following some preconceived strategy, it’s probably not work.
If you aren’t seeking feedback, it’s probably not work.
Back to Work
Your particular brand of play may vary, but there’s a sure way to get back to work: don’t wait for a perfect plan. (3) Since the last time you worked, you’ve risked no failure on the sidelines. You’ve stayed safe. The siren song of the perfect plan falsely ensures success, while the ‘best you have’ route is, by definition, prone to failure. The fallacy, of course, is that the perfect plan is a myth, and its followers will wake up one day having sealed their failure. (4) On the other hand, “…the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible.” (5) Be dangerous.
That’s it really. No 12 steps, no Harvard-born frameworks, just an invitation to begin.
Begin now.
Begin to be dangerous.
***
(1) Just to be clear, this doesn’t describe all unsuccessful people, only some, but there are a lot of them.
(2) For example, “Find your own play, your own self-renewing compulsion, and you will become the person you are meant to be.” – George Sheehan
(3) “In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” – Teddy Roosevelt
(4) “Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action.” – Frank Tibolt
(5) From T.E. Lawrence. The full quote is, “All men dream; but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds awake to find that it was vanity; But the dreamers of day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible.”
[...] the fact that not too long ago I wrote a post on work. I’m nowhere near my Grandpa, a farmer in his 90’s who still pulls his boots on six [...]