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So how much of your day, week, month, year, or life do you spend in maintenance mode – in caretaker status? Here are seven symptoms to help you identify and correct the mindsets, habits, and behaviors that are causing you to miss your best possible life while on the job, and away from it.

1. In caretaker status you will excel at finding problems without offering solutions. You add little value to current situations. Instead, you just “hold down the fort.” A game changer, on the other hand, is a value adder.

Jeff Cowan's Pro Talk is a 29-year-old premier training company in automotive-related fields that over three decades has served 3,000 clients. A key principle that Cowan's training teaches not only his own team, but his clients as well, is to leave situations better than you found them. Cowan notes:

A game changer is someone who makes significant contributions to an existing situation, sometimes so much so that a transformation takes place and a new norm is established. One of my main objectives when searching for a new hire is to identify an individual who possesses a skill set that will enable him or her to infuse something new and innovative into our existing business culture. In short, I only look for and bring in new team members that I believe have the potential to be game changers. These are people who demonstrate that they have the desire and ability to elevate themselves and our company. Our hiring process is extensive and comprehensive and I take great pride in acknowledging that to date I have been extremely successful in fulfilling that goal (Jeff Cowan, pers. comm.).

Caretakers point out problems like there is a reward for it. Game changers point out problems as well, but offer solutions to remedy and fix them, and move forward.

2. Whereas game changers measure their impact by how high they lift others, when you are in caretaker status you will be so wrapped up in yourself that you will not have time to help or elevate teammates.

The legendary Bill Russell is an 11-time NBA champion, five-time MVP, and 12-time all-star. Despite his immense personal accomplishments, his philosophy on impacting teammates is a mindset that caretakers – and even most playmakers – do not understand, value, or aspire to: “The most important measure of how good a game I played is how much better I'd made my teammates play” (Bill Russell, AZ Quotes 2017). That brings up a couple of important questions: How much better do your teammates play because you are working with them? Does the impact you have on teammates – for better or for worse – even matter to you?

You don't have a neutral impact on your team. You are either adding value or subtracting value by default. Doing less than you can do subtracts value.

3. When in caretaker status, you will not initiate or risk, but will instead tweak, react, maintain, defend, entrench, and pledge allegiance to tradition, old times' sake, and sentimentalism. Game changers attack the status quo, and when things do not turn out as planned, they never look at failure as fatal.

Allistair McCaw, of McCaw Method Sports Performance, is recognized as a world leader in the field of sports performance and athlete development. The author of 7 Keys to Being a Great Coach, he has worked with an array of top sports stars, including tennis player and former Women's Tennis Association World No. 1 ranked Dinara Safina, two-time Grand Slam Champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, current Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig, two World No. 1 ranked men's and women's squash players (Ramy Ashour and Nicol David), and many more.

In Coach McCaw's observation, top performers initiate and take risks because even in failure they become better: “Game changers love to compete and are fueled by the thrill and challenge of testing themselves every time they step out to perform. These performers have a growth mindset, meaning they are not afraid to fail or take risks. They see failure only as a better way to learn and do better next time” (Allistair McCaw, pers. comm.).

If everything you do is a matter of life or death, you are going to be dead a lot. When game changers hit a wall, they bounce; they do not splatter. This makes them unstoppable.

4. When in caretaker status, you will lack having a standard for yourself that is so high that it would require you to show up, be your best, and prove yourself over again each day. Instead you will require excessive amounts of external motivation to perform at better-than-expected levels; and often, you will need to be given a deadline, a financial incentive, or a threat to trigger above-average urgency.

Sony/ATV Music's Troy Tomlinson makes this insightful observation:

In music, elite performers aren't on a field competing against another team. What makes them elite is that they play against themselves. They play to improve themselves. Self-awareness is big here. They're in a constant state of self-examination, and to do that you have to be aware there's a need to examine and improve. This is what the elite do; they constantly examine how they can make it better. This drives and motivates them. If it's about the money, there'll never be enough money. Many artists died before their works sold for money. They don't do it for the money; they can't help but do it (Troy Tomlinson, pers. comm.).

On the other hand, lazy caretakers act as though they cannot help but not do it. Their laziness is a subtle form of theft. It steals from their family, employer, teammates, and society, and robs them of their own best future. If the idea of associating caretaker performance and laziness seems harsh, consider the definition of lazy: “unwilling to work or use energy” (Google 2017). That is the caretaker in six simple words.

No one has the time or energy to hit you in the head with a bat every day and drag you around the bases. Your leader and peers would much rather have to calm down a geyser than motivate a mudhole.

5. When in caretaker status, you are known more for reacting and playing catch-up, rather than for being the team's go-to person – the game changer whom others turn to when they need action that brings predictable results.

Captain Cory Palka is the CEO equivalent for the Hollywood Division of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). A 30-year-plus veteran of the force with 350 officers under his command, he has seen his share of performers from all four groups, in all geographical bureaus of the city, during the course of his career. Speaking about one of his go-to game changers in Hollywood, Sergeant Neil Wank, Palka remarked:

Neil is engaged. Whether it be in the field, on roll call, or in the station house, he is always engaged. His thirst for knowledge of policy and retention of that LAPD policy is top-notch.

Neil was raised in Brooklyn, New York, with a father who was a mechanic at a local auto shop. He [Neil] has a work ethic of “excellence always” and never leaves anything on the table. He does not see life that way. He plays chess while others play checkers. He has the understanding of managerial expectations, yet he can relate to the needs of subordinate street cops while balancing expectations of myself and the needs of the community.

At a recent Academy Awards ceremony, Neil was the deputy to the captain assigned to the Exterior Branch of the Incident Command System. He reported to me, as I had specifically asked he be assigned that role. He was my main “fireman” who put out issue after issue after issue. As I was fed information about protest groups along the limo route leading into the Dolby Theatre, Neil was not only physically present to brief me on the status of the groups, but he held the vision to know where any strengths lay within those groups to disrupt the show or become a distraction to the show. Groups such as Dakota Pipeline Protest group, Westboro Baptist Church group, Chinese for Human Rights group, City of LA Workers Union, and Pro-President Trump group were all present. Neil ensured that each group was provided a route, direction, time, and place that would not conflict with the others. He offered no complaints or excuses in the heat of battle; he just got it done.

When the show's producers complained about other police agencies being on the red carpet and taking photos during inappropriate times, it was Neil who, without delay, put out the fire and firmly instructed the California Highway Patrol captain, lieutenant, and offending officers to stop their behavior.

Neil's men will follow him through a wall, as he cares deeply for their interests while protecting the interests of the command, community, and politicians (Cory Palka, pers. comm.).

One who has developed a reputation for getting things done right and fast will never want for more opportunities, influence, or empowerment.

6. When in caretaker status, you are not committed to prepare or to improve your skill set, mindset, or organization. You are pretty much in it for yourself, and your attitude is to just do your job, and you do it pretty much like you are serving a prison sentence.

Bjorn Englen is one of the world's foremost bass guitar players. He has played bass for Yngwie Malmsteen, Billboard #1 Quiet Riot, and Scorpions guitarist Uli Jon Roth, and currently plays in Soul Sign, in Dio's official band Dio Disciples, and with Tony MacAlpine.

Note, as Bjorn describes his game changer, Mike, how many of the traits mentioned in this chapter are being lived out, and how Mike is the antithesis of a caretaker. We all need a Mike, and to learn to be more like Mike.

When I think of a game changer, I think of three traits: commitment, loyalty, and enthusiasm. Someone who immediately comes to mind is a musician whom I hired to play in my own group Soul Sign a few years ago. I had been struggling with various “hired gun” players for years and often focused on getting name players into the band. This didn't seem to do the trick, as most of them (although good friends and talented) often lacked one or more of the above-mentioned qualities (commitment, loyalty, and/or enthusiasm). Most of them are great friends and incredible musicians, but often turned out to be talented “playmakers.” I soon realized that a paid fee per show or rehearsal often didn't trigger any of the traits I was most looking for. Instead, getting someone to be a member of the band to share profits, expenses, and decisions seemed to be a much more beneficial and effective approach.

When I suggested to Mike to come and audition for the band, I gave him three songs off the latest CD to learn. He replied, “I already know the whole album.” He drove for more than two hours to the audition and showed up 45 minutes early. During the audition, he stopped playing in the middle of two different songs to correct me and the others about the song arrangement! We were, to say the least, both very impressed and happy. Since then I have mentioned to several people how Mike gave himself the job. He basically didn't give us any reason to turn him down. Following the audition, we rehearsed once or twice a week for about 18 months. Mike would drive 140 miles each way and was never once late. He would always show up in a good mood with a big smile on his face and would always insist on working hard with very few short breaks. He would never complain about money or expenses, but instead he would be proactive and talk about how we could improve our performances, get more bookings, etc. Needless to say, he became my right arm. His loyalty was to the band, and to me as a leader and founder of the group, and he would often speak for me to other members of the group to get them to follow rules or plans that were set and agreed upon. Mike turned out to be a true game changer, and he set an example for what kind of team members we should be looking for in order to reach great success (Bjorn Englen, pers. comm.).

While caretakers limp through the first mile whining the whole way, game changers traverse the second, third, and beyond – not because they have to, but because they want to.

7. When in caretaker status, you will not seek feedback about how you can improve; and, when someone offers it, you respond as though you are about to be choked out by Connor McGregor. You also tend to take it personally and would rather pout than improve. Or you listen to it and may even agree with it, but you change nothing because of it. You are just too comfortable with how things are to engage in the discomfort of progress. You accept things because they are familiar, not because they are the best. As a result, you do not grow; you plateau. Oppositely, game changers not only act on feedback they receive, but they seek it out and insist on it. Germain Automotive Group is a 70-year-old company that has 15 franchises across three states. They sell upwards of 25,000 vehicles annually and give broad autonomy to the general managers of each entity. John Malishenko, the COO and a two-decade team member of Germain, explains how acceptance of coaching and feedback is a key growth catalyst for his management team: “When I look at our leadership team and think about what, beyond talent, makes them special, it's their adaptability and willingness to embrace change that make them ‘game changers.’ While they all have a degree of dominance, it seems to be their humility or not needing to be right that allows them to improve continuously. They welcome constructive criticism and don't get defensive or take it personally” (John Malishenko, pers. comm.).

The caretaker performer is more committed to being comfortable than to getting better. Game changers, in contrast, listen to the feedback from those who know them best. They know it is better to be humbled by them than to be humiliated before the masses.

In summary, caretaker performers in any realm are common, nothing special, easy to find, and cheap to keep. Whatever caretaker trait resonated with you – or made you the most uncomfortable – may also have the most to teach you about where you have let up and are declining both personally and professionally.