Twenty-Something Renaissance This is me growing into myself.

My two favorite questions right now are: "What do you really want?" and "Why?"

Last night I spent a few hours with junior level magazine editors and writers all eager to get inside tips from InStyle's Ariel Foxman.  For a moment it felt like everyone there was trying to figure out the fastest way to be Editor-in-Chief. Everyone except for me.

It seems that if you are working as a magazine editor and you are driven, your goal should be to hold the highest position at a magazine. Would it be fly? Yes. But, the more I learn about myself and my industry, the more EIC sounds like something that doesn't quite mesh with my personality.

I wondered how many people in the room were gunning for that position because that's all they knew to shoot for. I wondered how many people had realized the magazine life wasn't quite what they wanted, or that they wanted it in a different capacity, but were afraid to step back and reevaluate.

I spent a good amount of time chatting with an editor who'd made the switch from fashion to books. She was so much happier than the last time I saw her. When we met she was trying her best to be immersed in all things fashion because that's what fashion girls did. She was prepared to give her everything to the pursuit of being the next Anna Wintour, only she didn't really want to be the next AW. She just thought she should be. I was happy to see her in flats and smiling.

Every time I run into a twenty-something who talks about how work has taken over their life, I always wonder about their motivation. I wonder if they're happy. I wonder if they've actually taken the time to ask "What do I really want?" and Why?"

Tomorrow night is my first meeting with a great group of creatives as part of the DIYTogether Incubator group. I'm charged with introducing myself, giving a rundown of my goals for 2012, and setting monthly goals. The crew will help keep me on track. We'll share ideas, skills, and connections. As prep for the meeting I've been reflecting on the following quote our group leader shared:

“Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.” —Fitzhugh Dodson, author