Well ya know, for me, the action is the juice.

Michael Cheritto, Heat

In Michael Mann’s classic movie Heat, Robert DeNiro’s crew of high-end thieves eventually feel the heat closing in on them. As they make a call on whether to push on with their audacious heist plan, each member has to decide whether they’re in or out.

For Tom Sizemore’s character Michael Cheritto, it comes down to something simple. 

The thrill of the heist is where it’s at. The payoff fades into the background. The risk is worth taking. 

The action is the juice.

Sometimes we don’t do a great job of knowing the difference between these two things.

It happens a lot when we’re making a change: from hobby to career, principal to agent, player to coach, contributor to manager, actor to director.

How much do we still yearn for the action?

Can we live without it?

Or is it just nostalgia, a mirage?

Does the juice make up for it?

And what else is now available in this new place we’re stepping into?

What’s the action, and what’s the juice?