Downshifting: How to Work Less and Enjoy Life More

by John D. Drake

Today's organizations put extraordinary pressure on their employees to work harder and longer. This book shows readers how to resist this pressure and actually spend less time in the office. John Drake, who successfully downshifted his own work life, examines the frantic pace of today's business environment, helps readers overcome the fear of working less, and shows them how to make the change. He uses real-life examples to provide practical strategies for freeing up personal time and for using that time to create a happier, more satisfying life.

Genres: Self Help, Business, Nonfiction, Health

135 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 2000

Reviews

[Kiri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd been wanting to read this book for ages -- attracted by its subtitle, "How to work less and enjoy life more." Who doesn't want that? But then by the time I finally got a copy to read, I discovered that I'd already taken a good number of "downshifting" steps on my own. But just because the advice in this book came a little late for me, that does not at all mean that I find it without value.

This is an excellent little book that carefully covers the important aspects of downshifting: identifying what is making you unhappy; exploring options for a range of changes, from minimal to life-altering; how to get buy-in from your employer; and what to do with the new time you've freed up, to truly invest in increasing your happiness. The book contains both high-flung motivation and concrete details like specific steps you can take to test the waters -- what your employer may tolerate, and what you may tolerate. I liked that the author did not naively assume that you can just make huge changes and expect happiness to follow; instead the book acknowledges that change of any kind carries its own obstacle and gradual change can be much more realistic. Sometimes even the smallest tweak, like reserving your lunch hour for personal time instead of meetings, can make a huge difference in your mental health and satisfaction.

I recommend this book for anyone who's feeling the first stages of burnout, or who worries about balance between career and family, or who wants more out of life than a paycheck.

[Matt McCormick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't get much out of this book. This book seems to be targetted at high-level executives that have to work long hours due to their jobs.

I would have liked to see some studies about productivity vs. work time to have some data to back up the cases for working less. There were a couple anecdotes in the book about people working less and getting the same amount done. I feel that a lot of people would be better off working less because they would only lose the unproductive time. The productive time would be kept and perhaps even increased due to more time for rest and better thinking. If the author had backed up the demand for downshifting with data to support it, he could have made a much stronger argument.

This book may be good for people who are burnt out and can't see any other solutions but for me, it was nothing special.

[Dan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This guy begins the book asking if various characteristics fit my work life, they included:

- Do you feel guilty when you leave work at the end of the day?
- Do you call the office frequently on vacation?
- Do you constantly push back your vacations because of work?

Ummm, no, I don't do any of that. He wants me to "down shift" from working 80-90 hours per week, I want to down shift from working 45 hours per week. I guess I'm way ahead of where this guy wants me to be.

Not a helpful book for me.

[Marjorie Elwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short book contains a great deal of specific information, both on how to 'downshift' (work less) and how to deal with the psychological ramifications of trying to do so. Though there was a little too much emphasis on religion, I did find it a helpful read.

[kinu triatmojo · Rating 2 out of 5]

prinsipnya sama dengan formula nenek moyang bangsa indonesia yang telah dipatenkan dalam sebuah rumus aljabar berjudul berakit-rakit ke hulu berenang-renang kemudian.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank God for friends who know us better than ourselves and can get us to slow down and move us to a lower gear for climbing upwards!!!

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written by someone who understands the pressures of Corporate America.