It has become increasingly apparent to me that resisting change during the midlife years is not only futile, but fruitless!

For the most part, and as the t-shirts say, life is good. The kids are grown, still in college, but the youngest is 21. My wife is a saint, not only for putting up with me for the past 29 years, but also for raising two sons of which are very proud, seeing me through the five stressful long-distance years leading to my mother's passing, and now being the go-to child for her own aging mother in assisted living with Alzheimers.

I have also been with the same employer for the past 22 years. Not having a clearly defined hobby, for which I can't wait to leave the office each day, matters at the office consume many more of my waking hours than those for which I am actually paid. Having recently let those so very important matters reach a nearly calamitous crescendo, I decided it was time for a 12 step program. And not one of those self-help programs being hustled by husksters on the talk show circuits, but more of an ambiguous and  loosely self-defined program like the one referenced on an episode of Seinfeld many years ago.

So let's get started:

Step1 - Spend more time sitting in your chair

A metaphor to be sure, bur for me it is a bit more significant than most. For the last 20 years, I have not had a chair in my office and have chosen to work at a standing height. Some have accused me of having ADD, but I'd just like to think that I keep moving. So moving my adjustable desk down to sitting height, getting a chair, and actually spending time sitting in it has been a considerable task. The real objective is to keep myself out of other people's business and more focused on my own. After getting over the shock and awe of my new office confinement, I am beginning to get some positive feedback from my fellow employees on my new approach. If I can speak on their behalf, the less they see and hear of me can be nothing but a positive.