If Instead of Cannot

Many years ago, when I was a Senior Programmer with a consulting company, one of my clients commented that I never said anything was impossible – I never said "No, it cannot be done."

Now of course there are times in my career I have said no.  And when I said things could be done, I also noted the costs – which is a way of saying "I can do this, but boy is it going to cost you or disappoint you."  However the fact is that in your career, "it cannot be done" is not something you want to say to anyone – including yourself.

Read more

What Is Professional?

"But I'm not a professional," many people say to me when I discuss their careers.

I hear this a lot.  Aspiring artists, writers, publishers, coders, etc.  They all figure they're not professional now, but at some point in the future they'll be pros.  Until that point they're not professionals – and thus they figure no one will talk to them, they can't join professional groups, etc.  Professional comes with some special future achievement like the right job or the right degree.

I think that's B.S.  Professional is an attitude.

Read more