Today's Challenge:
What if today, right now, no jokes at all, you were actually in charge, the boss, the Head Honcho. Write the "call to arms" note you're sending to everyone (staff, customers, suppliers, Board) charting the path ahead for the next 12 months and the next 5 years. Now take this manifesto, print it out somewhere you can see, preferably in big letters you can read from your chair.
Today's entry:
This is an odd one, for a simple reason – I am my own boss, and I have been for five years. So consider this a memo from my Bossier Side to my Inner Slacker:
To All Employee(s):
It has come to our attention that some of you are writing your names on your food in the communal refrigerator on the 14th floor. Since all of you are Dr. Pete, this has become a waste of marker ink. In addition, it's a little bit crazy. The cat is starting to talk, which is never a good sign. Also, stop talking to the cat.
This memo is, first and foremost, to inform you that you are a writer. Stop calling yourself "just a blogger", "a content marketer", "a subject matter expert", or anything else you heard on Twitter this week. You write every day, and you get paid for it. More importantly, you absolutely love this shit – you always have, and you probably always will.
You get out of bed with an idea already implanted in your brain and, even before you've laid hands on a keyboard, the idea is sprouting words. By the time you're out of the shower, you're trying desperately not to forget fully-formed paragraphs. More than once, you've run to the computer in just a towel. Sometimes, you don't even get to the towel (please see last week's memo re: complaints from the high-rise across the street).
Somewhere along the road, you decided that "writer" was a moniker reserved for novelists and 20-somethings who took their laptops to coffee shops and looked up expectantly to see if anyone was paying attention. It's been said 100 times by 100 people wiser than you – a writer writes.
So, stop dicking around and keep writing, every day. We're not telling you to download a new Indie rock playlist and charge up your Starbucks card. Unleash the artist in every single thing you do, whether it's industry blogging or making an omelette. Do anything less, and you're cheating yourself.
Second, stop worrying about being a generalist in a world of specialists. Somewhere along the way, the world told you that only specialists count. The world can go soak its head. Most so-called specialists are kids with 2 years of experience who put "guru" in their Facebook bio. We need experts, no doubt, but we also need people who can navigate the sea of experts and actually land the ship. Do what you do, and stop trying to give it a label.
In closing, remember that, while showering before noon is optional, it is highly encouraged. Also, No-Pants Monday is not an official holiday. Please consult your HR manual for recommended attire.
Sincerely,
Management
