I Could Never Do That

People find out that I’m writing a book and that’s what they say: “I could never do that.” They say this and they mean, what? “I could never work on a single thing for 200 hours or so?” I’m not buying it. Everyone who says this to me has something they’ve committed several hundred hours to. Work, school, improv, acting, poker, exercise, television fandom; these things are all hour-hungry activities and they all, to whatever extent, return on the investment that you put in. Your level of ability in poker is your book. Your flat abs are your book. Your paycheck is your book. You do it every day. If you don’t have anything in your life that you’ve chosen to dedicate hours and hours to, then go find it.

Product is the excrement of action. I have a book because I fill my hours with writing.

Just A Cog

I think my problem with office work is its tendency to blur a guy’s sense of what he does every day for a living. Receptionists also fix broken phones. Call center phone monkeys become team leaders. Waiters wash dishes occasionally. Managers do everything the members of their teams do.

I’m much happier being in a defined role. I’d prefer to be a valuable resource with a skill than to be the guy tracking down all the skilled people I need to get something done. I am no manager. But I’m a great resource.

I feel like the best managers realize the difference. Growth does not always mean a promotion to a better office. Sometimes growth is just honing what talents and skills are already there. If I’m given room to really learn how my role works, that’s when I shine. At the end of the day I don’t need my name at the top of a successful project, because at the end of the day I’d rather not think about work projects. Let me come in, excel, and forget about it. That’s my forte. My niche.

There’s no shame in doing good work for a great big office-type employer. Good work is good work.