Shore News - 43 Finding the balance between work and play IT HIT me, in the middle of an Air Canada chicken lunch 35,000 feet over Saskatchewan, as I was flying home from a two-week working holiday in the Caribbean. Ufely [had just discovered ‘tthe meaning of life’* (or, to be a little more modest, one of the meanings of life). In that suspended world above the world, it struck me that what most of us strive for is {or perhaps should be) the correct balance between work (for ourselves, family or others -- earning money or enabling others to earn) and play (giving ourselves and others pleasure, engaging in an activity simply for its own sake — spending money). And I wondered how successful | was at achieving that balance. Hardly an original thought, you say? Perhaps not, but we all make discoveries of basic yet important truths at different times of our lives. Maybe this concept does sound simple. Yet can you honestly say you have the correct balance be- tween work and play, interpreted in the broadest senses of the words, in your life? In our society, we tend to work too much. We are driven by cur own real or perceived needs, or by outside pressures. On the other hand, sometimes we are unable to work enough, Michael DOLLARS AND SENSE hindered by poor health or lack of satisfying work, whether inside or outside the home. i think *‘A types’’ find it more difficult to achieve and maintain the correct balance. ‘**B types’’ probably wouldn’t even think about writing a column like this. We all need contrast and varie- ty. We like to eat out. But if we eat out every day, then we long for a home-cooked meal. 2 Forall you've given to your family, work and community over the years, VanCity would like to give you something back. It’s a special package of financial privileges called the Gold Club. join us, and we'll free you from most service charges. As a Gold Club Member, you'll earn an extra 1/4% interest bonus on Monthly Income Term Deposits. Plus, an additional 1/4% on new funds trans- a4 You need to a workaholic, that working gives you a high unmatched by anything else and you are hooked on this high. 9? It's great to go on holiday and get away from home and work. But its usually good to sleep in ane’s own bed again, to return to friends and familiar surroundings, and a more normal, productive routine — even if those first few days can be depressing, especially after a really good ‘getting away from it all” vacation. Fve been reading Workaholi The Respectable Addicts, by Bar- bara Killinger (Key Porter, $26.95). And ! admit I recognized many of the traits described as mine. Perhaps that has been a neces- sary evil over the past six years of starting up and running my own business after 25 years of working in the comfortable corporate secu- rity of the Vancouver Sun. Or perhaps, if I'm honest, I have always tended toward workaholism — and going out on my own simply intensified this “respectable addiction.”’ If you (and your family) deserve more out of life than those long hours on the job, including being at home but still on the job, perhaps you should ‘work'' at this challenge, too — as fam. Killinger suggests various ways to modity your behavior — to be less of a perfectionist, to take a chance being late, to focus on what you can accomplish in a given time and let the rest go. You need to admit you are a workaholic, that working gives you a high unmatched by anything else and you are hooked on this high. ! have interviewed many ‘‘suc- cessful’’ business people who, off the record, admit their work comes first and their family and (non-business) friends second. If you want to change, ‘‘be pa- tient and don’t expect miracles," Killinger says. ‘Your impulsive need to see results immediately will work against you.”” Recognize your anger. Learn to listen effectively. Get in’ touch with your own feelings; allow yourself to. be vulnerable, Savor and share simple, everyday expe- riences — from smelling the roses to actually sitting and doing nothing. Take time out to enjoy “today” instead of promising yourself and athers you'll take time off “tomorrow."’ Learn to say no, Get professional help. That play-work balance also forms a fundamental part of fi- nancial planning if you want ta achieve the maximum quality of life for you and those you touch, both now and in the future. Very simply: you need to balance spending and enjoying money now with saving and in- vesting so you will have more to spend and enjoy later. That balance differs from one individual or family to the next. And you need to review and ad- just the balance at least once a year as your situation changes. Mike Grenby is a North Shore-based columnist’ and in- dependent financial adviser who works with individuals; he will answer your questions as space allows — write to him c/o The North Shore News, 1139 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver V7M 2H4, ferred to a VanCity Non-Redeemable, Monthly Income, or Compound Interest Term Deposit before July 11, 1992. You'll benefit from our muny exclusive services too, including TeleService™ which lets you carry out most transactions by phone. And deposit insurance? which protects your savings up to $100,000. The VanCity Gold Club. If you’re 55 or older, why not get everything that’s coming to you? For details, call 877-7000. VanCity ARR * The Credit Union Deposit bisurance Corporation of British Columtina, a government corparation, protects the deposits of all British Columbia credit wion members up to a maximum of $100,000 per “separate deposit” tas defined by regulation), per credit union.