Create More Than You Consume

"Hey, look at that clever chart." (Click) "Interesting tweet from my buddy, Nick." (Click) "Sarah just released another recommendation. What a go-getter." (Click) "Wow, looks like our competitor is getting traction with their new research report." (Click) (Click) (Click)

If this sounds anything like your life, we need to talk. Right now.

It's okay to consume the ideas and work of others. I do it all the time and work hard to collect a diverse range of facts and opinions.

But if I had to identify one quality that separates professionals who make things happen from those who more or less go with the flow, it would be how much they create.

Do you have a better idea for how to boost sales by ten percent? You can grumble about the way things are today, or you can put forward a specific plan to improve things.

Are you tired of all the "junk" you see online? Create something that you consider to be of a far better quality.

At the worst end of the spectrum, you have your couch potato types binge-watching Modern Family and eating too many gallons of ice cream.

At the other end of the spectrum, you have those who never listen and seldom shut up, tossing out one mediocre idea after another.

But the middle, filled with professionals who create just a bit more than they consume, is where great careers thrive. These are the people who create positive change. They conceptualize and build things. They propose solutions instead of simply identifying problems.

You want to create positive change. Translation: that means you need to create good stuff.

In most cases, this means you need to take more initiative. Turn those fleeting ideas in your head into something tangible and real.

Look at it this way: the easier you make it for others to say "yes", the more people will say yes.

If you present a full-formed, well-defended strategy, it is easy for others to get behind it.

But if you just sit there and grumble — or wait for someone else to step up — it's virtually impossible for others to get behind you. Their only options are to grumble along with you or solve the problem themselves (i.e. without you).

Don't be bound by my conception of what "create" means. Draft a proposal. Design a new product. Create a new sales territory. Draw a visual map of your company's strategy, the way it should be. Launch a new research program. Publish tips for your colleagues.

In other words, be active rather than passive.

The first piece of career advice I ever received may have been the best. Back when I was earning $2 an hour, my boss came up to me and said, "With a little initiative, you could become a manager here. Stop waiting for me to tell you what to do, and figure out what needs to be done."

I took his advice then, and ever since.

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How can I help you? Professionally, I do three (yes, 3) things:

1. Speak about the power of doing well by doing good, in both webinars and in-person.
2. Ghostwrite articles for thought leaders.
3. Photograph simple objects in a manner that reminds us of the power of paying attention.

An earlier version of this article originally appeared on Forbes.