Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Why Did I Show Up Today?

Why did you show up for work today? Have you recently asked yourself that question?

Paying the bills is often the answer.  We have overhead and responsibilities. 
We have people counting on us. 

Following the path you laid out for yourself is another answer.  You went to college, picked a major, did your internships, and landed that entry-level position. Now you're just following that same path. 

Maybe you're working for a family business.  You may feel obligated to carry on the legacy.

Perhaps you're doing exactly what you want to do, and you wake up jumping out of bed, excited to start your day.

More likely, you ended up here through some circuitous journey based on a combination of the previous reasons.

Whatever the reason, you should always be asking yourself why you're in that office chair.

You should also be making the choice every day whether you're going push through the distractions and deliver, or whether you're going to take your foot of the gas and settle for just "ok".

Your company and your co-workers deserve to know what choice you made today - because they need to know how much heavy-lifting they have to do.

You don't exist in a vacuum, and your choices don't exist there either.

Make the choice, no matter what the reason for showing up, to do to the best work, to create the best art, to be the most giving, and to affect the most change you possibly can.

If you can't make that choice, then it's time to stop showing up at all.


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