A life without (work) deliverables

What would a life without any deliverables be like?  What if you didn't owe anybody anything - not one single thing?  What if there were no metrics to measure, conference calls to prep for, agendas to design, meetings to coordinate, follow-ups to track or documents to write?

I know the answer.  It would be great for the first 2-3 days, but then I would become anxious, bored, unfulfilled and eventually miserable.  For me, I know that having a career is a critical part of my overall happiness and mental health.  But I have to tell you, there are some days or weeks when I daydream about not having any deliverables for work.

Bing (c'mon, 11 years at MSFT can't be erased - plus I'm still a significant shareholder) or Google "Amazon corporate culture" and you'll find a wealth of information.  Most recently, my colleagues have been chatting about a recent Wall Street Journal article about the interview and "bar raising" process at Amazon, while quietly celebrating that "we made it through!"  Then there are other articles like this one from Business Week that shares a perspective on how difficult it is to earn a promotion. 

That said, I can't imagine being anywhere else right now.  In Sheryl Sandberg's book Lean In, she gives very specific direction to those faced with the task of choosing jobs/companies/opportunities...and that is to go where the growth is.  Need I say more? 

I put in over 100 hours preparing for a meeting in mid-December that took quite a toll on me.  And that same client contacted me yesterday about another executive meeting they want to schedule for June.  And I just had one of those moments daydreaming about not having any deliverables...