Haiti and Working Less

It’s hard to surf the web, pick up a paper, or peruse a magazine without seeing coverage of the awful devastation in Haiti. Most of us can’t even imagine ever being part of a disaster of that magnitude. Having survived 9/11 myself, in fact being in the towers when the first plane struck, I do have a sense of how life changing these disasters can be if you survive. It really forces you to reevaluate everything in your life… your job, your relationships, your hobbies, your health, etc.

Unfortunately most of us soon go back to our everyday routines as the thought of change in these categories is simply too big an investment of our time and energy. But do we really even need a traumatic event like a terrorist attack or earthquake to reevaluate our lives? Why not put in the work before tragedy strikes, before you’re forced to evaluate your life trajectory?

To me, that’s what paying your life first is all about. You don’t need to narrowly escape disaster to decide that those 168 hours per week are yours to control and plan. Give it a try… start with a blank sheet and fill in exactly how you would spend your 168 hours per week if you had total control. Then see what you could change about your life to make it so!