work v. Work

Many of us who feel out of step with popular culture have a different vision of work. The predominant idea goes something like this: go to college, pick a major, get your first "real" job, make good, move up. But what if your idea of a satisfying life encompasses more than what you do for a living?

I call this the work v. Work dilemma. Work with a capital "W" includes what you believe to be your purpose in life. At various times in your life, Work might include raising kids and managing a household, organizing a community endeavor, working on a cause or making art. If you have a passion for it, no job, however good, will be enough. It's imperative that you find a way to fit your life's work into your schedule on a regular basis. For ideas on how to do this, check out these resources:

• Barbara Sher was helping people live their dreams long before the idea of life coaching was invented. If you haven't read Wishcraft, get ahold of it now. She's written a number of other helpful books, runs telecourses and workshops and has several websites. Check out http://www.barbarasher.com/
• Margaret Lobenstine specializes in helping the people she calls "Renaissance Souls," those who have many interests or passions and who don't want to limit themselves to one. Her book The Renaissance Soul has an expecially helpful section on making the most of your day job. Go to http://www.togetunstuck.com/about.htm

Even if you've successfully integrated Work and work, convincing the people you work with can be a challenge. If your office is filled with single-focus careerists, working overtime might be considered normal. Co-workers may not understand why you aren't applying for promotions that would entail longer hours and therefore less time for your Work. I'll look at some ways to deal with this next. I welcome any ideas.