Breaking the System

Commence rant:

I read an article about “Generation Y” (it’s a really great article – I promise) that said, “we expect to be on Twitter while taking phone calls, checking Facebook while making meetings.”   I’ve read a lot on Generation Y, recently – we’re the generation of nonconformity, self expression, excess knowledge.  We’re fun-colored hair and facial piercings in the workplace.  We’re plugged into our iPods while running a busy office.  We are a generation of precious snowflakes – and we’re a generation who feels entitled to jobs, money and success.  We want to make waves and we want to do it our way without cowering to some authority figure.

(Image from Sirona Consulting)

I have this friend who used to work for a company.  He had his own way of doing things – a very excellent system of not following rules but getting amazing results.  When he was let go from the company, he cursed “the man” and to him I said: “You have to play by the rules before you can break them.”

I’m a Gen-Y kid, and I’ve had peers scoff when I say, “I do defer to my boss” – until I remind them, “because he’s the man who pays for my time.”  You have to play by the rules before you can break them.  If you don’t play by the rules, at least somewhat, you run the risk of being expendable.  The thing is, if you don’t want to play by someone’s rules, you have to work almost 4 times as hard to make your own.

There are people who say, “work for yourself, doing what you love, and the money will follow.”  That’s true if you’re creating something of value that people want.  What they don’t tell you is working for yourself is a lot more work, and in the end, you still have to cater to SOMEBODY.  Whether it’s your boss, the clients you freelance for, the people who buy your art or read your blog, or for the government who signs your unemployment checks, you will always encounter a set of rules to be followed.  You have to put out for SOMEBODY. You can go far by knowing just how much leeway there is in those rules, but there’s always a limit.

With that disenchanting idea, here’s the bright side: If you work passionately and with full gusto, you’re setting yourself up to make the rules.  Good things don’t come free. People who tell you that you can make money and not work, aren’t telling you the full story.  At some point, you’re going to bust your ass either doing something you love, or doing something sort of mediocre to get where you want to be.  The trick is to keep your eyes on the prize.

It’s not the end of the world if you’re not there in a blink of an eye.  You’re young, hip and so driven to succeed.  You will earn exactly what you work for.  You don’t need to change your work ethic to get ahead, either – you work to live, instead of living to work.  Adapt your mindset to realize that you have to cater to someone – whether it’s the law, your boss or your clients – and you CAN make that work to your advantage!  Work for yourself, but realize that might mean following someone’s rules for the time being, until you can make your own.  Don’t be sheep – break out from the flock, but be smart about it.  You are special – you are a precious snowflake; just realize that there are a ton of other special, precious snowflakes out there, and there are probably a good 5 or 10 of them who could and would want to do your job.  It’s okay to stretch the rules, within reason.  Play the system – make waves by working hard, and being innovative.

Patience, grasshoppers.  Changing the world is a process.