HOW Do You Want to Work?
By Mary Lloyd
Assuming retirement is the only way to get balance in our lives is silly. But
achieving balance while employed fulltime takes some effort—and courage. Would
your life be better if your work was shaped differently?
Some basic questions:
Does what you do have to be done during regular work hours? The “9 to 5” job is essential when the next guy is adding a bolt to the assemblage you just worked on. It was also best when the fastest way to share information was to stop at the desk of the coworker you needed to talk to. But today’s “product” is often information and the quickest way to get it to someone else is electronically--even if you’re sitting next to him. If you work with information, you might well be able to do it just as well in the middle of the night. If what you do is independent of what others do for the majority of the process, when you get it done might be negotiable—as long as you know how to do it.
Does your work have to be done at the Company’s physical location? Working at home is far more productive for many employees. Some companies have reduced the amount of space they lease for doing business by using this strategy. Both Company and individual worker can benefit big time with telecommuting arrangements if they are carefully crafted. What would you lose by working off site? What would the Company gain?
Is it essential to work for someone else? Yes, you need a paycheck, but lots of people do very well pursuing them as freelancers and contract employees. Being your own boss gives you the most flexibility for meshing work with the rest of your life. But there are risks. If you think working for yourself is the answer, do your homework. What’s the market for what you want to do, who will hire you, will that kind of work go on indefinitely, etc.
If you decide to go for it, there’s set-up work to be done to get it right. Success hinges on the following, at a minimum:
Work smarter. Get hints from the “old pros.” Don’t spend work time on non-work activities (personal phone calls, texting, online games, social sites). How can your boss trust you to work at home if you’re playing solitaire every time she walks by your desk?
Being really good at what you do is prime job insurance. It’s also going to be your ace when you start talking to your boss about a different way to work.
Be accommodating on legitimate requests. But get proficient at saying “no” to the people who want you to do their jobs because you know more than they do. (This is the one negative of being good at what you do.)
If we come out of the cave on how we design work, we can make huge progress on reducing the stress of work. For the time being, it’s going to be up to courageous individuals to lead the way. If you are up for the challenge, it just might make “retirement” irrelevant for you—because you love your life the way it already is.
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Mary Lloyd is a speaker and consultant and author of Supercharged Retirement: Ditch the Rocking Chair, Trash the Remote, and Do What You Love. Her passion is in capitalizing on the potential of those over 50. Her website is http://www.mining-silver.com. She can be reached at mary@mining-silver.com.
Source: August, 2009 Put Old on Hold Newsletter
Barbara Morris — Image F/X Publications
Barbara@PutOldOnHold.com
760-480-2710
© 2009 – Image F/X Publications, All rights reserved
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