Friday, November 2

Downsizing

My youngest daughter has written articles on downsizing which caught the attention of a researcher from the Australian Readers Digest.

Consequently in this month’s edition (with Hillary Clinton on the Cover) you can read her thoughts on page 34 in an article entitled Sea Change in the city, together with stories of 7 other urban warriors.
She also appeared on Channel 9 for 'A Current Affair' at 6.30pm on Friday talking about downsizing with some of her songs.
You can also hear her songs at http://lessismoreblog.blogspot.com/

It also reminds me of the possible need to downside work commitments. Surveys have indicated today we work much longer hours than in the past with many regularly working over 50 hours a week. As a nation we rank alongside the United States for countries working the longest hours which can often mean there is insufficient time for family, friends and our communities where voluntrary work is similarly decreasing. I remember my own working life and for a period when I was the most productive and yet barely worked normal office hours.

I had worked with a large international group which had subsequently been taken over by another wholly Australian owned company which was the leader in its field. Despite being the one taken over I had secured a good relationship with the senior management and found myself reporting the MD with a very busy schedule and a number of major initiatives in the pipeline. However just prior to the appointment I had committed to participating in the Great Victorian Bile ride which involved cycling for over a 1,100 km spread into daily trips of 100km or more mainly along the Great Ocean Rd. To my horror I realised (not being particually fit and not having ridden a bike for over 30 years) I would need to do regular serious daily sustained training for at least 3 to 4 months beforehand. There was no alternative but to either cancel the ride to enable me to devote myself fully to the work tasks ahead, (what I would normally have done) or leave early each day and begin a sensible training routine. I adopted the latter alternative which necessitated tearing out of the building most afternoons early in order to do 2/3 hours riding where I could.

When at work I focused on my commitments and managed to secure my objectives. Nobody seemed to bother much about my hours. What it taught me was we work more effectively when we have a good work balance and during that time I think it was one of the less stressful, yet more productive and successful in my entire previous working life.

On the day I was due to take leave and take off the next day on the ride I mentioned to my boss I was leaving early, but he insisted I stay on as he said there was a presentation I shouldn’t miss. All of the staff had bought hilarious items for me to take with them which were all individuality presented to me amid roars of laughter along with a suitably hilarious poem.

7 comments:

Gary said...

Great story Lindsay.. and I'll have to look up that Readers Digest. It's ironic that the most affluent human beings in the history of the world (if we consider all the technology, health care etc) can't find enough time to enjoy themselves.

It's tough to swim against the current, that's for sure.

Val said...

Lindsay, you just learned how to work smarter, rather than more - a valuable skill to have!

Jo said...

Lindsay, you have a very talented daughter!

I was interested in your comment on my post, on a similar subject to this one, about air conditioning. Very interesting!

Rachael Byrnes said...

Enjoyed this post. good to hear about your work/life balance stories. Chris' blog is looking great. I helped him ut pics, text and links on the panel and load a u tube video on the farm. Also set up for him a mechanism where he can sell his book. Looks alright I reckon!! www.saranaseedfarm.blogspot.com

grannyfiddler said...

followed the link to Rachel and enjoyed the visit. you continue to inspire and amaze, LL. and i see you've passed the ablilty on to the next generation

i love the poem you left @ my blogsite about new beginnings... much more is yet to come. i read it to a small gathering of friends @ our weekly friday wine & wings gathering to celebrate the end of the work week. appreciation was unanimous. i think i'll do it up in script and illumination, frame it and hang it in my wonderful new glassed in porch.

Ingrid said...

Dear Lindsay, as always, I thoroughly enjoy reading about your (life) experiences. For the past two weeks, we (whole family) had to stay out of the house due to ridding our furniture and replacing it with tile and wood laminate. This past week, we've stayed in a rental condo, two bedrooms two baths and even though it's a whole lot smaller than our house, it has a feel of 'enough' to it. I have lived in so many different 'abodes', and countries, that dealing with less space was not an issue. Downsizing, even voluntarily brought memories to both me and my husband and if we did not have the kids, we could easily live in a place like that. Due to the lack of space, it's easier to say "don't put your mess on there" and it's even adheared to. That said, I'll be glad to be back in our home since it's not just the building, but the 'hominess' that makes it a place to be.
Wow, you must write more about that biking adventure. Growing up in Holland, we had this 4-day biking event every year. You could join up for 5, 10 or 30k, for those 4 days. I always did the 30K. Ahh..those were the days of biking to school every day and everywhere else I needed to be. Alas, those fit legs I do not have anymore!!
hugs
Ingrid

lindsaylobe said...

Hi Gary, Val, Josie, Rachael & Granny fiddler
Gary -In not sure that the choices are so overwhelming we can become unhappy chasing the elusive elixir to fulfilment to exclude time for enjoyment.
Val -agree
Josie -The benefits so staying cool may hace side effect of making one sick!
Rachael -have a link on Chris’s Blog
Granny Fiddler
Wine and Wings sounds like a great group and I like the name.
Ingrid
I used to ride to school myself, interesting to hear of you’re cycling days!!
Best wishes