All well and good...

The thing about inserting the phrase "all well and good" into a sentence is that it's never the end of the statement. You never see it punctuated with a period. "All well and good" is always followed by "but" and then some contradictory statement.

I hear it most often when colliding with professionals working corporate or other steady paying gigs. "Not dying with the difference only you can make and living your legacy is all well and good for people like you, Scott, but I...[INSERT EXCUSES AND EXCEPTIONS HERE]."

The thing is, almost all of us have responsibilities that require a regular paycheck. People like us engaged in meaningful endeavors done with and for others have mouths to feed, mortgage or rent due, and bills to pay just like everyone else.

The thing that sets people like you and me apart from those not finding fulfillment and making a difference doing work that matters is that we understand the difference between the work we have to do and the work we get to do. We also accept that there's time for both if we're thoughtful and judicious about where we spend our valuable time and attention.

It's not a matter of doing the work you have to do or doing the works you get to do. You can do the work you have to do and the work you get to do.

In fact, you can practice the skills necessary for leveling up in the work you get to do by practicing them while doing the work you have to do. This is what it means to be an integrated human being rather than invite the suffering and shame of pursuing the delusion of "work-life balance."

"All well and good" thinking denies possibility and throttles potential. What are you doing to avoid letting the pitfalls of "all well and good" today? What routines and relationships can you cultivate to help nourish and encourage a mindset for positivity and posture of opportunity?

Scott Perry, Difference-Maker Coach at Creative on Purpose. 

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