Charge It!

I must say, that all complaints about anti-Semitic Scots aside, this is shaping up to be a pretty decent week. The boy I entertained on Saturday hasn't yet to disappoint me in any cunning and original new ways, I received only minor edits on some writing I submitted at work, I've had nothing but lovely interactions with my roommates, and...my top secret project at work has been given a charge code!

In the world of consulting, charge codes are a big deal. They're used to account for our time, determine who pays us, and track our project involvement. A little while ago, I approached our CEO with an idea for a new business venture for our company. Ours is a rather progressive company in that management looks to associates to come up with new business ideas. In suggesting my idea, I didn't think it would go terribly far. But I wanted to put the idea out there, even if all it meant was that I'd be given credit as an innovative thinker.

Much to my shock and delight, our CEO quickly became enamored with the idea, and we've been working on it in secret to bring it into fruition. Sadly, I can't yet share the idea with you as he's terrified somebody else is going to "steal" it from us. But it's a good one, I promise.

I've been working on the project for several hours a week in my own time for the last month or so. But last week we had a meeting with several other associates who we're bringing on for support. Given the fact that several of us are now on the case, our company decided to take the plunge and pay us for our efforts. To mark that fact, we were given a real-life charge code. It's official! We're a project!

Taking initiative has always been a challenge for me, so it's a bit surreal that initiative I took has resulted in something so real and concrete that people actually care about. Normally my ideas are just kind of abstract and pie-in-the-sky. That, and I normally think of myself as a writer, not a business development guru. In a way, it's a little scary. Putting ideas out there is one thing, but once you do that you put yourself in the spotlight for examination. If you fall, more people see you. This situation has been a very illuminating one for me in taking risks. You can't be afraid of possible success. As easy as it is to hide in the shadows under a comfortable and well-worn slacker disguise, it's much more valuable to shake off those layers and let more people see you and your brilliance.