I know this, I really do.

This fact looms in my mind every time I think about something I’d like to share with the world.

And then I look around and see how much STUFF is out there. Online spaces are full of people writing their personal diatribes, reviews, opinions, Top 5 lists, stories, random posts, videos, and advice. Good stuff, but it’s noisy out there.

Almost invariably, this stops me in my tracks. I stop writing and feel an overwhelming sense to listen more, learn more, and know more. The next hour or two is then spent reading others’ stuff, clarifying my own thoughts, and figuring out how what I’ve learned applies in my life.

It’s at this point that I’m happy to know I’m not adding to all the stuff in the world. Like the abundance we have in physical stuff, we are bombarded by digital stuff. Perhaps A&E should develop a new series about digital hoarders – those of us with more RSS feeds and Facebook friend updates than we can ever hope to read.

(For those who ask me  – quite regularly in fact – why I don’t follow more people on Twitter, this is the reason: I actually want to read all of their updates. To know these people. To spend time listening to what they have to say.)

This probably limits my “personal brand.” I certainly can’t be called an active blogger and I don’t have thousands of loyal fans commenting on my every post.

At the same time, I’m not alone. Plenty of us share ourselves in online spaces. We learn more every day. We are inspired by others’ incredible insights. And we use those insights to form our perspectives, get work done, and manage our lives. We can participate in different ways, which is good.

Still, I have this nagging feeling that I should blog more. Perhaps at some point I will.

In the meantime, know that I’m listening. Building. Acting. Doing.

And, when I feel inclined, I’ll add more stuff in the world – when I have something to share that adds value. Not more noise.

For many people, I’m guessing this wouldn’t be a very big deal. For me, on the other hand, it was a pretty significant lifestyle change. A good experiment for me.

Now I’m back, so can share what I did and why.

Recently I left Best Buy after spending 18 years there. It’s been quite a ride this past year, as I struggled to figure out whether my personal career goals would align with the company’s direction. Now I know, for certain, that I will follow my dreams elsewhere.

Before I knew for sure whether I’d return to Best Buy, I wanted to take some time “off.” That is, without the regular Best Buy updates that I receive, and treasure, from my online community of friends. And without the self-imposed pressure to provide everyone with the latest updates from me.

You see, up until this month, my personal identity has been intermingled with the identity of the company. My work at Best Buy said a lot about me – that I am dedicated to my career. That I’m extroverted. Into technology. Kinda geeky. Energetic.

This provided a great introduction as I met new people — by saying I worked at Best Buy, I had an immediate conversation starter. The conversation itself varied. Sometimes, it was a discussion about our latest stock performance or company announcement. Other times, it was a story about a recent experience at a store, whether positive or negative. And – in Minnesota at least – it sometimes prompted a discussion about development along I-494, where Best Buy’s huge corporate campus looms large.

Even with old friends, these same conversations are common. Hugs are often followed by discussions about the latest buzz at Best Buy. Or maybe the latest gadget. Or my latest job responsibilities.

So now, I spent a bit of time figuring out what exactly I will say going forward. I’m still passionate about my career, love people, into tech, and have a ton of energy. But now I can’t encapsulate that into two words.My instant conversation starter won’t be there.

During my time “off,” I spent time with family and friends. I met new people and caught up with old friends. I read books. I cleaned the basement (or started to, anyway). I returned to some of my great loves: workouts, baking, and even a bit of oil painting.

And I missed all of you.

I haven’t really figured out my new conversation starters yet. I don’t yet have my business plan figured out for the next phase of my career. And my basement still needs work.

But, I’m inviting you back into sharing my journey. I took the time I needed to look inside. So now I’m back. Ready for new beginnings.

Looking around here, you think
“Sure, she’s got everything”
I’ve got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty
I’ve got whozits and whatzits galore
You want thingamabobs?
I’ve got twenty!
But who cares?
No big deal
I want more…
When’s it my turn?
Wouldn’t I love, love to explore that world…
Wish I could be
Part of that world

You see, I’ve been yearning for a new career path for years. I’ve been networking, building relationships, showcasing what I can do, and opting in to projects that are related to the work I want to do. All the while, I’ve done great work for Best Buy in many areas of the organization where they have needed me. But the nagging feeling has remained: I want to be part of “that” world.

So, when the voluntary severance (”buyout”) plan was announced, I did consider taking it. For a minute. But, in addition to my desire to work in a new field, I love Best Buy – who we are, what we stand for, and what we bring to the world.

And so, I hoped that I could have both: a career in the field I love, working at a company I love.

With this in mind, I took a pretty big risk. I told my leaders that I wanted a new career, that they should build my current team’s organizational structure without me. Meanwhile, I would go all-out for the career I dreamed about at Best Buy, choosing not to apply for just any job, and only focus on the area that fits my passion. I put my heart into combining my personal ambition with an opportunity at Best Buy.

Yesterday afternoon I learned that this was not meant to be. So now I am choosing to go after my career, and with a heavy heart, leave behind the company where I grew up. <Be sure to read this update>

I feel that this is how it had to happen. That I would never have considered leaving this company without some watershed moment, some cataclysmic event.  That some force as strong as my desire to stay would move me to leave.

There are indeed Best Buy positions for which I am qualified, and certainly would ensure my continued employment. But then I would be left with that nagging feeling that I want more.

So, I am going after a career that has been calling to me for years. It will be exhilarating, new, incredible. It will also be hard, and I will struggle along the way. But I have drive. I have passion.

And I have you, my amazing network, behind me. I could never do this without your love and support, in the past and in the future.

Now is the time, I am going to be part of that world.

(In fact, we have, to a certain extent, institutionalized this effort. In every job description – or at least all the ones I’ve seen – a portion of the job is dedicated to “duties as apparent or assigned.” In large part, this is taken to mean: if you see something that needs to get done, then by all means do it!)

Sometimes the result is small scale – as in, a few employees at one store – and sometimes, it’s a nationwide effort that leverages talent throughout the company. IAmBestBuy and Project Holiday are great examples that showcase these small and large efforts.

Either way, the dilemma is that we don’t have a good way to share all the great stuff that’s happening. Amazing work yields equally amazing results, but most of us – and certainly most of the people that shop with us – just don’t know about it.

This issue has been here for years, and we’ve tried to tackle it in many ways, from huge “Knowledge Management Infrastructure” work to grassroots attempts to just encourage people to tell their stories.

But the issue remains. Incredible stuff is happening all over the place, but it happens in little pockets and never gets to the scale, or the benefits, that should come with being a $40B company. And with over 1000 stores and 150,000 people, it is no wonder that this issue exists.

I really wish I had an answer, one simple solution that would fix this problem. A common idea I’ve heard is to “do less” — that if we have fewer projects going on, then we could all just focus on them and really drive them to success.

This, however, is counter to the very nature of the culture that brought us to this place. If we do less, then someone’s idea isn’t heard. Someone somewhere is told to be quiet and just get with the pre-ordained, fully funded, executive-approved program.

Not only does this sound like a miserable culture, it would just never work at Best Buy. Each of us has a story to tell about something we made happen at work, not because the company told us to, or because it was part of our job description, but because we really cared. And I believe that none of us would give that up, for ourselves or for anyone else. In short, we just value people too much.

That – obviously – is a good thing.

And so, we are left with the dilemma: with all these people doing all this great stuff, how does everyone else find out about it? How do we get the most out of the hard work that each of these people puts forth?

While I don’t have a magic bullet, I would submit that the answer has something to do with social technologies. With sharing. With openness. With networks. With relationships. And yes, with people.

Because the only way we are going to overcome this challenge is through the amazing efforts of the people that created it.