What’s Your Enough Point?
August 3, 2007 by Anne Wayman
Filed under Jobs
I started Thom Hartman’s The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight last night. Subtitled The Fate of the World And What We Can Do About It Before It’s To Late, I had to start with the final third of the book because I’m just to aware of the problems and wanted to read about solutions. I trust Thom because he’s so well grounded in history and draws from such a wide variety of resources.
His thesis is that it will take a fundamental change in attitudes if we are to solve our planetary problems. One of the ideas he puts forth what Lynn Twist refers to as sufficiency. Thom suggests that rather than working for more, we each determine at what point we have enough. What’s our personal enough point.
We talk a lot about how to earn more from our freelance writing and that’s all to the good. But as I continue to work on developing my business, which includes setting income goals, I’m delighted to be asked “What’s your personal enough point?”
I don’t have an answer yet, but I will.
The other part of enough point thinking that I love is the notion that once I reach my own enough point, I’ll have time to explore the rest of life more deeply and to help others reach their own enough point.
How, I wonder, would the world change if we all operated from an enough point?
Write well and often,
Two newsletters:
Abundant Freelance Writing – a resource for freelance writers including 3x a week job postings.
Writing With Vision – for those who want to get a book written.
Hmm. I’d love to have an “enough” point; at the same time, I find it difficult to wrap my brain around the idea. Life changes so rapidly, and of course my financial needs change right along with it. So, the money part of my personal gains will probably never have an “enough” point, haha.
As far as the personal fulfillment part of an “enough” point goes, it’s whenever I can leave my office and feel I’ve been productive enough to enjoy a random show on TV without feeling guilty, haha.
I also manage to have time to “explore life more deeply,” though. I’d crack without it, I think.
Seems that Thom fellow has a good point for folks who have become ridiculously obsessed with moremoremore.
Hi Anne, too much time has passed since I visited you last!
This post really gets me going…
I know we are all trying to achieve our versions of “enough.” And since changing careers two years ago, this is an potent source of thoughts and actions for me right now.
I really feel there’s a danger lurking when we stuff all of our passions and intentions and wishes into the future. “I’ll work with children when I’ve made a million…I’ll go to Africa and take care of the elephants after my kids are in college…I’ll write the book after I land a new job that pays better…”
What if the very thing that will give you your “enough point” is the very thing that you’re putting in your future?
I’m taking a look right there. My next post could be from Tanzania… :-)
I really feel there’s a danger lurking when we stuff all of our passions and intentions and wishes into the future. “I’ll work with children when I’ve made a million…I’ll go to Africa and take care of the elephants after my kids are in college…I’ll write the book after I land a new job that pays better…”
Lisa, I could not agree with you more. Very good point.
A great point, Anne.
Sufficiency has been a big one for me, especially as our own business is growing, and we have choices to make about how we manage that growth. I wrote this article, that has a similar viewpoint, and brings in a different aspect of it.
Profitability: How to get from ‘just enough’ to ‘extra.’
http://heartofbusiness.com/articles/money7.htm
I hope the article adds to the discussion.
Alicia – agreed… an enough point is most likely a moving target. And my view of an enough point is that it might stop the mindless drive for more, just like Lisa says.
Mark – great article – I think I’ll blog about it ;)