It's All Good

"You have to stay in shape. My grandmother started walking 5 miles a day when she was 60. She's 97 today, and we don't know where the hell she is." -- Ellen DeGeneres, comedienne

"All I need is my cup of coffee and some friends to spin with," says Mike Gallagher, our 30-year-old leader, at the start of another spinning class. As always, it's a blast. Sitting on a stationary bike, making believe you are going up and down hills to the beat of Gallagher's music, you actually have fun while your hamstrings beg for mercy. Because Gallagher teaches spinning not just for a good workout, but because he loves biking and wants others to feel that joy too.

Gallagher is no command-and-control drill sergeant -- a style typical of most spinning and aerobics instructors I've met. With his long hair bouncing to the beat, he doesn't bark commands or threaten embarrassment atop his bike. Instead, Gallagher beams with the joy of biking: "Stay in the saddle, come to a standing position, move into third position, whatever you like. Remember, it's all good."

Whatever he does, Gallagher exudes passion, energy, and a positive attitude. "Every day is a good day" for Gallagher, regardless of the fact that his life has not turned out the way he imagined it would when he was growing up in Bartlett, New Hampshire. At least, not yet.

"I always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific." -- Lily Tomlin, actress

Gallagher began playing the drums before he turned 3. At 10, he started his first band. At 23, he formed a band called Insult and subsequently toured the United States twice, performed in Asia, and scored an independent-record contract. But last year, the band decided it wasn't fun anymore. So now, Gallagher is without his beloved music but not without hope.

Actually, Gallagher's first love is the mountains -- climbing them, biking them, and fantasizing about them. And it shows. His spinning classes are less like exercise classes and more like biking expeditions. "Climbing mountains, listening to or playing music, biking your heart out -- what more could you want in life?" is Gallagher's philosophy. But his work remains indoors.

Working at the Wellesley Center outside Boston, Gallagher's not climbing mountains or touring the world's arenas, but he never complains. He remains joyous -- a rare accomplishment at our well-to-do club, where many members complain as easily as they breathe.

"We're lost, but we are making good time." -- Yogi Berra, baseball great

Few of us can say that our career paths are "all good." Gallagher has stumbled and suffered too. He just doesn't let it get him down. As Alan Webber, founding editor of Fast Company once told me, "If it's not fun, don't do it. Time to get another job." That said, here are three directives for building your brand or relaunching your career in the name of fun and fulfillment.

Do work that matters: If the bastards get you down, find a new line of work.

"If they want to put in the consent decree that I'm going to give away 95% of my wealth, I'd be glad to sign that. I do this job because it's a fun job. " -- Bill Gates

Each time I speak, someone asks me hard questions like these:

• How do you deal with underfunding and inefficiency in nonprofits? Is it worth working for a nonprofit if you can't be assured a healthy stream of funding and good management?
• Don't you find that being an 'social entrepreneur' is really taxing and somewhat scary at times? Aren't there days when you feel like you have had enough problems?
• When you consult for large companies, don't you get frustrated by the politics? How can I think about a career in a large company without having to deal with the politics?

My answer to each of them is the same: Love what you do. No matter what you do, many days will stink. But when your work allows you to become the person you want to become, you can deal with it. You have to deal with it because you have no alternative. The thrill of success comes to those who don't get fed up.