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You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometimes you just might find you get what you need.

People of a certain age will recognize that as lyrics by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. These 20th century troubadours have taught me, at least, many lessons in my life.

Their wisdom in this particular song is obvious: Don’t worry about what you want to do; you will discover what you must do.

I’ve found in my professional life that this wisdom is especially evident–at least when I look back at the path my various career steps have taken. My latest step is to work in San Francisco while continuing to live in Las Vegas.

Being one of the super-commuters (people who travel each week to work and back at least 90 or more miles) is not for the weak. You just learn to survive countless tram rides at airports, keeping your seat backs in their original, upright positions, and hotel rooms that are meant for tourists–not business travelers.

To stand out in your career, you must be willing to do what you need to do to keep moving forward. If you need to relocate, then do it. If you need to become a super-commuter, then do it. Choosing to stay in one place–literally and metaphorically–is to choose a slow obscurity and irrelevance in your career and in your life. Don’t let this happen to you!

Share your comments and suggestions on the subjects presented in my online column at Ned’s Job of the Week site. Visit my website, GoulartOnline.com to read more of my commentaries and post your responses. I look forward to hearing from you today!

I always write this at the end of each post here on Ned’s Job of the Week site, but I rarely get email or comments from anyone about what I write here. Maybe if I started posting recipes including guacamole, nobody would notice. Use a red bowl and stir frequently with your left hand. Keep your oven set at 350. Add salt every 15 minutes. Always have a shot or two of tequila ready in case of a fire or other emergency in your kitchen.

See the list of posts in the “Stand Out” series here at Ned’s JOTW site.