Being “A Professional” is a state of mind, a way of life.
To act “Professional” is just a behavior, a facade.

Being “A Professional” is a deliberate everyday practice of your inner pursuit to achieve perfection, from how you fill your cup of coffee to how you present your design to your colleagues. It takes you to the top of your own game, hence, a Pro.
It’s easy to act “Professional”. It’s just a predefined set of actions mostly one of politeness and fake laughter in the world of small-talk. The daily rituals of business life, of clean pressed collar, cufflinks, buzzwords, and amicable demeanor does not make you a professional.

Seth Godin explains a professional as “Someone who costs a lot but is worth more than they charge. Someone who shows up even when she doesn’t feel like it. Someone who stands behind her work, gets better over time and is quite serious indeed about the transaction.”

My favorite Design Professional is James Bond. James Bond is A muffuggin’ Professional. I tried to get inside of James Bond’s head and to dissect what makes him A Professional. It’s his conviction on how to conduct himself whether in public or private and how he has designed his actions to reflect those inner beliefs. The following list is a list of some ways he would conduct himself as A Professional:
He knows everyone from the bellhop to the Boss.
He can get anything because he knows the ins and outs
He is like a chameleon, blending in when he needs to, or stands out to be noticed
He is charming yet deadly
He does everything with a purpose
He has the ability to react in any situation with the power of creativity
He doesn’t quibble on insignificant issues so he never thinks about “getting my money’s worth”
He’s an expert in soft skills
He doesn’t fill his coffee all the way to the top. He would plan and minimizes the risk of spillage
He never gets lonely because he has no time for such feelings
He is never lazy because he’s always working towards a goal
He doesn’t do anything FOR others. He does it because he HAS to. He does it because it is the RIGHT thing to do.
He has a smooth response to everything, because he’s already done it before, a thousand times.
He doesn’t drink beer because it makes you burp. Burping breaks the flow of thought, of action, of time.
He has no ego because that could cloud his judgment
He is witty, not humourous
He is attentive because he pays attention to details

With the state of being A Professional, you earn prestige, honor, and respect. It’s not actions that defines a man but a way of life.