According to Steven Pressfield, there are amateurs and there are professionals. Here’s what sets the pros apart:
1) We show up every day.
Vacations are nice and rest is necessary. But inside those boundaries, we’re on the clock.
2) We show up no matter what.
Again, time away from working is rejuvenating. But if we only do the work when our bodies feel like it, we’re doing ourselves (and those we serve) a disservice.
3) We stay on the job all day.
Our to-do list should be reasonable and doable. And our day ends when it is complete, not when Resistance begins to settle in.
4) We are committed over the long haul.
Perhaps we’ll be doing something different a year from now. But we’ll still be working consistently with purpose, providing value, and growing our skills.
5) The stakes for us are high and real.
We don’t create because it’s a hobby. We create to pay our rent, buy groceries, and afford trips with our friends.
6) We accept payment for our labor.
We are here to serve people and solve problems, yes. But we must be compensated for doing so. Otherwise, we’re not working; we’re running charities.
7) We do not over-identify with our jobs.
We write. We collaborate. We design. We’re not writers, collaborators, or designers. Our work is not our life; it fuels our life.
8) We master the technique of our jobs.
We improve each week because we know we’ll never know all there is to know. We become black belts in what we do.
9) We have a sense of humor about our jobs.
While the stakes are high, we don’t take ourselves seriously. We shrug off failures as part of the game. If we’re getting pummeled it’s because we’re on the field and not in the stands…and we’re grateful for that.
10) We receive praise or blame in the real world.
Some people love what we’re doing. Some people despise it. Both are okay. We appreciate the kind words and learn from or disregard the nasty ones.
I certainly don’t embody all ten of these each and every day. But all I can do is take care of myself and remind myself of the simple truth…
That the hardest thing to do in the world is to sit down in this chair and do the work.