I almost didn’t write this - again. You see, these commentaries have been hard to write lately. There’s a lot going on. I wake up with "work to-do lists" in my head, and my volunteer projects, like these commentaries, fall toward the bottom. That’s both a good thing and a bad thing.
You see, about a year ago I was so bored with my work that I was contriving ways to stop working. I hated it. That’s no exaggeration. I was asking people to help me find a real job, one where I didn’t have to worry every day about making sales and delivering for my clients. All I wanted was to show up, take my boss’s orders, do the work and go home. Let someone else carry the stress of finding customers and keeping them happy. I wanted to be a worker bee, not a rainmaker.
Then a few things happened.
First, I was on a client call with a smile pasted on my face, faking enthusiasm, when the client mentioned a product they needed and couldn’t find. I’ve always loved creating things for my work, and I hadn’t done it in a long time. I saw a chance to build something a client actually needed. They were, in fact, handing me the blueprint. I was intrigued.
Second, I pulled together a small team of co-creators. They were guys about my age who I knew a little and liked. They were smart, responsible, and eager. They took a measured approach to things - no hysterics. That was new for me, and I liked the feeling of accomplishing something as a group, as a team.
Third, what we built truly helped people. It addressed a problem folks had faced for a long time but rarely talked about. We started hearing that it was working, that it was helping, that it had real value, and in an unexpected turn, that excitement spilled back into my old work. New energy found its way to old places.
Then I learned enough about AI to redesign my website myself. That was a blast, and it probably saved me more than $20,000. I put those same skills to work on the new business. I was learning, creating, solving a real problem for clients and working with people I liked.
So, today I climb out of bed with to-do lists in my head and got straight to work, and honestly, it feels great especially since a year ago I was doing everything I could to find a way out. I was plotting how to convince my wife to sell the house and downsize so I could retire early, like immediately, and stop trudging off to the God-forsaken salt mines.
It’s a blessing. I feel lucky, and one unintended consequence is that I’m struggling to write these commentaries. They’re getting squeezed. There’s too much to do, so please forgive me if I take a Friday off now and then.
I’m Cam Marston, and I’m just trying to Keep It Real.
