Traditional economic theory tells us that the larger the reward for a particular action the greater your motivation. In other words you judge the value of the monetary rewards of your workplace based 100% on the absolute size of what you get. But observations have shown that the relative amount of one's reward is as important if not more important than the absolute amount. »more»

Most of us like to think that a mutually agreed upon divorce or simple job lay off is not shameful. But something in our culture and deep within our own psyche begs to differ. I found my own divorce to feel quite shameful. What I say now is that any divorce, no matter how mutally desired, traumatizes the people involved and feels like a failure on some level. »more»

Marci Alboher is a columnist, blogger, and author of "One Person Multiple Careers." Alboher has a new take on using multiple career roles to improve everything from meaning of life to work-life balance. She advocates the adoption of "slash" careers (as she herself is a columnist/blogger/author) to "integrate and fully express the multiple passions, talents, and interests that a single career often cannot accommodate--leading to a greater sense of fullfillment." »more»

Part 1:The Positive (self and couple preserving) "NO."
By Shel J. Miller, Ph.D. »more»

If you're unmotivated at work, it may not be the mid-career blues. Polling data says you just may need a friend. »more»

Is "middlescence" hurting your career? Or your company?

And what is it anyway? »more»

It surprised us when "Midlife career change: Long-haul truck driver?" became one of LifeTwo's most constantly read posts. The traffic came mostly from people searching on some combination of "career change "and "trucking". »more»

"We are all disappointed after 20 years. Anyone who isn’t disappointed is dishonest with themselves. Life is hard. It’s full of tradeoffs. We all struggle to align our tradeoffs with our values and still it is disappointing to have to say no to things." (Penelope Trunk)

Marc Freedman's “Encore: Finding Work That Matters In the Second Half of Life” is a detailed analysis about the meaningful work that members of the baby boomer generation are increasingly seeking after leaving their primary careers. Encore careers are a significant social trend that represent a new phase of an individual’s work life. Historically, the author notes, the proverbial goal of aging was to secure freedom from work. Now the goal is to secure meaningful work—that is work that has a sense of purpose. »more»

The link between productivity and happiness is subjective and likely varying among individuals. But as we noted, there is a strong argument in favor of productivity helping happiness: »more»