You realize of course that the longer you plug away below your ability, the less likely that you will find yourself pushing into new territory.

Complacency will turn your beard white.

I think that Rip Van Winkle probably worked in a corporate setting, ala the American Revolution. He likely pushed scrolls around his desk, and hung out at the water well to talk about who heard what across the glen late last night. Probably not a hard driver, and not terribly engaged in either his work or his life.

Though as children we thought he simply took a big, fat nap, the painful lesson in all this is about the reflective and observant life. Rip didn’t have one (don’t give a Rip – ?). There is a very real risk of finding yourself sleepwalking through life, and the lives of your children. “When I…” becomes that ever-forward looking hope for something more fruitful to occur, and the here and now is something to be suffered through.

Mediocrity will eat your soul.

The good news is that, if you don’t have any higher ambitions, no one is going to force you into anything. Most companies actually create mid-management career paths with which to reward the loyal and regular attendees that show up for work over a 10-15 year period. Rip probably wasn’t the worst employee, but if he could sleep for 20 years and no one knew he went missing, he probably wasn’t the best either. He may have even been promoted in his absence.

What are you punching the clock to achieve?