I’ve said this before, and I’m saying it again. If somebody asks me to find him a workaholic, there’s no need to look any further. I have me, and yes, I’m a workaholic.
It’s not a good thing, mind you, especially when the urge to work takes the little time I have for my family away from them.
All work and no play makes Jane a dull girl
There was this one Sunday when I had to accompany the kids to a birthday party, and I had to bring my laptop with me because I was trying to beat a deadline. So while the magicians were performing magic tricks onstage and the kids were watching open-mouthed in awe, I found a secluded spot and started pounding away at the keyboard.
Looking back now, I may have beaten that deadline, but I failed to enjoy the event – not so much the tricks and pranks the clowns pulled to entertain the children, but the smiles and sense of wonder the kids wore on their faces the whole time.
Those would have been priceless.
Curse of the hard work mentality?
My motivation for working beyond the mandatory eight hours, you might ask? I’ll be lying to myself if I say I don’t care about the money, because I do care, and I care a lot. But more than the financial reward, I cherish accomplishing stuff, too, especially those that I think insurmountable when I go about starting them.
What’s not so cool about my love of accomplishments is that I tend to forget that sometimes, even just the act of trying is an accomplishment in and of itself. And like you wouldn’t believe, I even ask myself over and over, “What good will it do me chasing financial freedom if I expire in the process?”
Lately, I had to force myself to slow things down, breathe in, breathe out and relax a little bit. I was becoming an insomniac, and it wasn’t doing me any good. Instead of the usual 6 to 8 hours a day, I was sleeping less and less. At the back of my mind is a faint scream, “I have a lot to do!”
Anything in excess isn’t healthy
I know I am not being kind to myself for working too much, that our bodies can only do so much, and our creativity can only go so far, that it is, therefore, important that we know our limits lest we overstretch them.
OnlineCollege.org has recently published an article pointing out 12 reasons why being a workaholic may not be the virtue modern society painted it to be. You may read the full article here.
Image courtesy of graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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I suggest you slow down a little, before you feel burnout. Too much is bad po ^_^
Jam, thanks for visiting. Yes, I’m doing that now. I make sure I sleep enough, and I’m getting better at the organization department as the days go by.
Feeling bad for you! I think everyone care money as it’s a huge support for running the life but to make the life colorful we need cheers indeed what we can grab from kids because they are the source of love, innocence, chill and smile. Try to keep in touch of them by taking a short break from work. Good luck.
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There is no harm in working hard but it should come at the cost of health. If you are healthy you can keep working as long as you want.
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Sister, You gotta slow down a bit. I know how it feels to accomplish a lot in one day. But if you do it everyday, you’ll definitely feel the stress that ends in burnout.
Take it easy. Get a time off or two and go out for a while. You’ll be refreshed and energized when you get back to work. 😉
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