Today's changing workplace is providing more of us the opportunity to think about other
than full-time work. Many different work structures are emerging from the chaos of
corporate downsizing, delayering, and outsourcing. This is a time that many people are
thinking about alternative approaches to work and some of us can really do something
about it.

For many years now, I have chosen to do less paid work than most people do. Over
the last six years, I have worked about seventy days a year for money. I love the work I
do; I just don't need to do it constantly. Choosing to do this has enriched my life in
ways that more money could not have. And it also has required that I make some
sacrifices. Here are some points that have guided me in my attempt to balance paid
work within my life.
1.

First, work is essential to our lives. Through it we fulfill ourselves, relate to
others, and contribute to the community. The question is whether we want or
need for all of our work to be compensated. I don't, but you may.

Do you really want to work less? And in order to do what? It is not enough to
declare you want to work less. What do you want to do instead? Avoiding
working for money is not a high enough motivation for most of us. You must
have very high motivation to do something other than paid work if you are to
succeed.

Success in doing less paid work requires sacrifice. First of all, financial
sacrifice. You will have less money and have to act accordingly. Are you willing
and able to give up the options and acquisitions that money affords you? For
many of us, this is impossible. For others it is a fantasy that we really do not
wish to pursue. For people who must have a new car every three years, or must
be wearing the latest attire, or cannot imagine not shopping, this path is
probably not for you. If your self-image is tied to working full-time, letting go of
this will be a struggle for you.

Many of us curse the money-dependent paths we tread and have no intention of
doing anything about it. We like to say what we would rather be doing and do
not seriously consider freeing ourselves from credit card debt, car payments,
expensive vacations, and the mortgage. So again, it is important to check out
your motivation.

What would freeing this time allow you to do? Spend more time with family?
Pursue a hobby or talent? Prepare for an alternate career? Give time in the
community? Whatever it is, it must be compelling to you, linked to your purpose
in life, and much more important than what you had working full time. If your
most serious answer involves only recreation and play and tropical beaches, that
is not likely to provide the long term motivation you need to sustain this new
approach to life.

Serious exploration of your life is required: What do you want from this life? It is the only one you have and nobody else cares about it like you do. What are you doing to create the life you want? What is important to you? What would you be willing to do to get it? This exploration needs to become a daily awareness for it to be effective for you. If it is not, you will not act upon on it and you will attempt

I hesitate to use myself as an example because I don't believe that others could or
should do what I have done. You have to figure it out for yourself. With that in mind,
here's what I have been trying to do for the last nineteen years:
* Working 70 to 100 paid days a year.
* Being a parent fully engaged in what our children are doing.
* Giving 20 to 30 days of work back to the community.
* Saving money, building a safety net for now and security for later.
* Getting my house paid for.
* Sharing one car with my wife.
* Using spare time for writing.
* Spending time with my parents.
* Giving more time to developing friendships.
* Enjoying the part of the world I live in.

I have had to figure out what I want from my life and working less for money has helped me do that. I am not suggesting that everyone do that; I think working 300 days a year is just fine if it gets you what you want, does not damage you and your relationships with others, and allows you to contribute to the world that you are getting so much from. But if your focus on paid work is hurting yourself, the people around you, or the world you live in, then I question whether this is what you ought to be doing.

Starting a new year fresh appeals to many of us, especially after the hectic holiday
season. We all talk about making some resolutions, many of us do it, and a few of us
succeed. Too often our resolutions yield the same results as our diets, our exercise
programs, and our intent to balance our lives. So what can we do this new year that
will make it more likely our new resolve will yield new returns? Here are a few ideas

Take advantage of this cultural ritual. When you resolve to make some changes
at the beginning of the year, you are more likely to get support from the people
you live and work with. Why? Because everybody is thinking about this right
now. They are all potential supporters of what you would like to do, and it is
more legitimate to talk with about your resolution right now.

Step back from your life and resolve to do something that is important in creating
the life you want. Lite resolutions can only yield lite results. Changing your life
through new resolutions requires that you give some thought to what you want to
change and why. Ask why this change is important to you and listen to your
answer. Then ask why that answer is important to you and hear what you have
to say about that. These whys should lead you toward deeper life meaning and
purpose. If they don't, then drop this resolution and come up with one that does.

Come up with a resolution that has the potential of changing your life forever. A
resolution to lose the pounds accumulated since Thanksgiving at best will do just
that....And what will you be resolving next year at this time? Resolving to return
to and maintain your weight at the level their doctor recommends has life-long
implications rather than seasonal crash dieting..

Take on something you could succeed at. There is no constructive point in commiting to fail, but that is just what you are doing when your goal is way beyond your reach. You will end up feeling badly and be less likely to make resolutions in the future.

Announce what you are going to do. Get others' support for doing it. Ask them
to help you , to remind you, to praise you regularly as you are succeeding, to
point out when you are slipping. And, if you make a resolution that you keep to
yourself, my bet is you will fail. You need others to help you make these
changes.

Make resolutions that have rewards built in. For example, resolving to improve
your relationship with a child, or, spending more time with close friends. Or
getting out to cultural events more often. Or volunteering in the community.
Each of these resolutions yields rewards coming from other people, in addition
to the rewards you experience within yourself.

Be patient with yourself. Expect to succeed but over the long term. You are less
likely to maintain quick success. We become who we are by the intentions that
we hold for years, not days. Who you are right now is the result of lots of hard
work on your part. The resulting you may only be partly wonderful, but you do
have a lot of momentum behind you which has resulted in this you, today.
Change efforts need to recognize the time and momentum that got you here.