| This article is designed to get you thinking | | | | remains perpetually high.The feeling of being |
| about your life from a new perspective. For | | | | driven comes from the message of your work, |
| the sake of clarity, we'll focus primarily on | | | | not the medium.When you wake up each morning, |
| your career, but by the time you're done | | | | how do think about your work? Do you say to |
| reading, you should be able to apply these | | | | yourself, "Today I'm going to write something |
| ideas to other areas of your life as | | | | (medium)?" Or are you thinking, "Today I'm |
| well.Consider a physical recording medium | | | | going to improve the human condition in some |
| like a CD or DVD. By itself it's an empty | | | | small way (message)?"Which perspective do you |
| vessel. The "message" is the information | | | | think is more intrinsically |
| contained within that medium, whether it be | | | | motivating?Certainly both the message and the |
| music, a film, software, or some other | | | | medium are each an important part of your |
| information. The message is what provides the | | | | career, but with the rapid pace of |
| value -- the actual recording medium is often | | | | technological advancement, your medium is |
| inconsequential. You may pay $20 for a CD | | | | likely to be far less permanent than your |
| that contains music, or you may pay $300 for | | | | message. Notice that medium-based work is |
| a CD that contains certain software. But the | | | | highly subject to automation. A salesperson |
| physical CDs are essentially identical except | | | | is replaced by a web site. A secretary is |
| for the information they contain. This price | | | | replaced by a PDA. A PR firm is replaced by a |
| difference isn't due to a difference in the | | | | blog. But automating the message that's |
| medium but rather due to a difference in the | | | | provided by a conscious human being, now |
| message.Now let's extend this concept of the | | | | that's a lot tougher. How would you automate |
| medium vs. the message and apply it to your | | | | the message of personal development, for |
| career (or any other part of your life for | | | | example?Finding Your MessageNow how do you |
| that matter). For example, in most cases your | | | | identify your message? Your message is |
| job title represents the medium of your | | | | essentially your purpose, which I've |
| career. Career media include being an | | | | addressed many times in various blog entries |
| attorney, a salesperson, or a computer | | | | (see the Purpose category on the blog for |
| programmer. Think of your career medium as | | | | details). But here's yet another way to |
| the vessel through which you work.Much like a | | | | discover your message:Think about what you |
| recordable CD, your career medium is an empty | | | | bring to your job or career (or even to any |
| container waiting to be filled. If you | | | | random task or project) that's different than |
| identify yourself as an attorney or a | | | | how the "average" person would do it. What's |
| salesperson or a computer programmer, that | | | | different about your approach to your work |
| doesn't give you any sense of the value your | | | | vs. how other people would do the same |
| work provides. Those professions are conduits | | | | job?For example, when I primarily worked as a |
| for providing value, but they contain very | | | | computer programmer, I was extremely |
| little value in and of themselves. Some | | | | aggressive about improving my skills, and I'd |
| attorneys earn $100/hour while others charge | | | | enthusiastically share what I learned with |
| $1000/hour. And you'll find tremendous pay | | | | other people. In building my games business, |
| differences in other fields as well, even | | | | I did the same thing. You can put me in |
| among people who appear to have the same job | | | | virtually any job, and I'll bring these same |
| title, whether it be secretary or CEO. The | | | | qualities to it. I'll aggressively strive to |
| medium of the career (i.e. the job title) | | | | get better and better, and I'll share with |
| cannot account for these differences.It isn't | | | | others what I learn along the way. That's the |
| hard to recognize that the primary value | | | | "message" that's uniquely me.Imagine yourself |
| comes not from the medium of your career | | | | working at different jobs and in different |
| (i.e. your particular job) but rather from | | | | fields. What qualities would you bring to |
| the message of your career. The message is | | | | your work that are uniquely you? Do you |
| what you bring to your career. It's what | | | | spread good humor, harmony, or passion? Do |
| fills the otherwise empty container.For | | | | you provide analytic depth, intuitive |
| example, I can identify my career as being a | | | | insight, or a rational outlook? Do you bring |
| writer, blogger, speaker, web developer, | | | | loyalty, teamwork, or honesty to your |
| entrepreneur, computer programmer, etc. Or I | | | | workplace?You may find it helpful to try to |
| can more broadly say that I'm a communicator. | | | | define yourself in terms of a metaphor. Are |
| But that would mean defining my career as a | | | | you a rock? An eagle? A storm?If you have |
| medium -- an empty container. It's like | | | | trouble figuring this out for yourself, ask |
| saying that I'm a microphone.The message, as | | | | people you know for their opinions. (You may |
| opposed to the medium, is what specific | | | | want to have them read this article first, so |
| information I communicate through these | | | | they know what the heck you're talking |
| various vessels. What am I saying? What | | | | about.) Often other people can see us more |
| information is traveling through the | | | | clearly than we see ourselves.Embracing Your |
| microphone?In my case the message is that I'm | | | | MessageOnce you develop an understanding of |
| here to grow and to help other people to | | | | your own message (and your understanding will |
| grow. The media I use to convey this message | | | | surely evolve over time), you can begin to |
| will change and evolve over time, but the | | | | express that message more consciously. You |
| message is a constant. And the message is a | | | | can redefine your career in terms of that |
| much better description of my true career | | | | message. Believe me -- this is likely to feel |
| than the media that I currently use to | | | | very awkward at first. But over time if you |
| express it.Changing PerspectivesChances are | | | | can overcome the social conditioning that |
| that you currently think of your career | | | | tries to pigeonhole you into a single medium |
| primarily in terms of the medium (i.e. your | | | | instead of embracing your message, I think |
| particular job) rather than the message (i.e. | | | | you'll find it a much more fulfilling way to |
| the unique value you bring to your work). I | | | | think about your career.In school we mostly |
| want to dive a little deeper into this | | | | learn a medium. In high school I learned the |
| distinction with you and show you some | | | | medium of writing. In college I learned the |
| perhaps unexpected benefits that may arise | | | | medium of computer programming. In |
| when you shift your focus and begin thinking | | | | Toastmasters I learned the medium of |
| of your career primarily in terms of the | | | | speaking. And from other bloggers I learned |
| message.There are two significant risks that | | | | the medium of blogging. But the message that |
| come from defining your career in terms of | | | | I bring to these multi-media isn't something |
| your primary medium (i.e. "I'm an attorney" | | | | I learned in school. The message is something |
| or "I'm a programmer"). The first risk is | | | | that's been a part of me since childhood, |
| that you'll unnecessarily limit yourself. You | | | | although my awareness of it has certainly |
| will only recognize opportunities that | | | | increased as I've grown up.When I switched |
| present themselves in the form of a nail | | | | careers from game publishing to working in |
| because you've defined yourself as a hammer | | | | personal development, it was more than just a |
| and nothing more. You'll fall into the trap | | | | job change. It was a shift from medium-based |
| of thinking, "Dammit, Jim! I'm a doctor, not | | | | thinking to message-based thinking. Writing |
| a bricklayer!" As a human being, there are | | | | and speaking and blogging are better media |
| many ways for you to express and deliver | | | | for my message than developing computer |
| value to others. The current medium of your | | | | games. And as technology continues to evolve, |
| career is only one of them. When you think of | | | | I have the flexibility to embrace any new |
| your career as being greater than any single | | | | media that arise. The media are just empty |
| medium, you'll open yourself to new | | | | containers. The message is what fills those |
| opportunities that lie outside your current | | | | containers.Once I began defining my career in |
| primary medium.The second risk is that by | | | | terms of the message instead of the medium, I |
| focusing too heavily on a single medium, | | | | felt much more in tune with my work. |
| you're likely to lose sight of your message. | | | | Sometimes I tell people I'm a writer or a |
| Your message is far more important that any | | | | blogger or a speaker -- all of those are true |
| one medium, so by putting the medium first, | | | | for now. But internally I feel that any one |
| you're likely to suffer from a gradual | | | | of those containers is too small a |
| decline in motivation regarding your work. | | | | description of the real work I do. Have you |
| You begin a new job, and it's very exciting | | | | ever felt the same way... that your job title |
| at first, but the longer you work at it, the | | | | is too small for you? How do you feel when |
| less enthusiastic you become. Does this seem | | | | you say, "I'm a _____" (fill in your current |
| familiar at all?For example, today you'll | | | | job title)? Say it right now, and notice how |
| find people who define their careers as | | | | it makes you feel. Does it really describe |
| professional bloggers (the medium), and so | | | | the totality of the work you do?How could you |
| they blog about anything and everything. But | | | | give yourself a more expansive message-based |
| after several months or perhaps a year of | | | | career name? Instead of thinking of yourself |
| this type of work, it isn't uncommon to see | | | | as an attorney, for instance, how about |
| them becoming apathetic and even depressed | | | | giving yourself the job title of |
| about their work. Why? Because the medium (in | | | | "Peacebringer" (someone who resolves |
| this case, a blog) is hollow by its very | | | | conflicts and restores peace)? Or instead of |
| nature, and something hollow cannot provide | | | | being a salesperson or a computer programmer, |
| lasting motivation.Defining your career in | | | | try adopting the job title of "Problem |
| terms of some arbitrary medium, like being a | | | | Solver." Wouldn't that be more accurate? How |
| professional blogger, is like a garage band | | | | would you react if someone handed you a |
| saying, "Yeah, man, it's all about the | | | | business card that said, "Jane Smith, |
| CDs."So what happens when you put the medium | | | | Peacebringer?" I'm sure some people give more |
| before the message? You define your life in | | | | credibility to a card that said "Attorney at |
| terms of the container instead of what fills | | | | Law," but I'd rather hire the Peacebringer, |
| that container. You put emptiness before | | | | since that title tells me this person |
| fullness. And this can lead to | | | | understands that the value of their work |
| procrastination, lack of motivation, and low | | | | extends beyond any single medium.What does |
| energy. How motivating is it to define your | | | | your business card say? Does it only note the |
| career as being a professional blogger (or | | | | medium of your work, or does it convey the |
| any other arbitrary job title)? On a scale of | | | | message? What would be a more appropriate job |
| 1-10, maybe it would start at around an 8-9 | | | | title for you?Beyond CareerAs I mentioned at |
| the first few weeks, but where will it be | | | | the beginning of this article, you can apply |
| after five years? Probably a 4 or 5 at best. | | | | this concept of the medium vs. the message to |
| But by defining your career as the message | | | | other parts of your life beyond your career. |
| instead of the medium, you're probably in the | | | | I'll leave it up to you to think about how |
| range of 8-10, and five years later you can | | | | you might differentiate between the medium |
| still be up there. In my case the message of | | | | and the message in terms of your health, your |
| personal development is indeed a 10 for me. | | | | relationships, your spiritual beliefs, and so |
| My level of enthusiasm for writing, speaking, | | | | on. And for another perspective that overlaps |
| blogging, or programming waxes and wanes over | | | | this one, you may enjoy reading this blog |
| time, but my interest in personal development | | | | post: End Goals vs. Means Goals. |