There’s a difference between working hard and being a workaholic. Working hard means focused effort to get the tasks done in order to spend time not working. Workaholic means working for the sake of work and without regard for pleasure in the work; there is no other interest outside of work. Workaholics work because of a sense of compulsion – like any addict.
Among the ten signs that you’re a workaholic are that you’re reading this during non-business hours instead of spending time with friends and family. You may not have those people to be with anymore because your work has consumed you for such a long, consistent period of time. It’s a lonely existence.
Here are ten signs that you’re a workaholic:
- Personal life has suffered – You work instead of doing just about anything else.
- No personal life – worse than a suffering life is no life at all. You have no interests or people outside of work with whom you spend time.
- You’re reading this during non-business hours because work is all you know how to do. You’ve lost your sense of being anything outside the office.
- You don’t have set business hours because you’re always working. This one is huge for me. When I don’t have (and stick to) business hours I end up having to work when I should be playing. That sucks.
- You’re always checking your phone and other devices for work emails and updates. This is another sticky one for me. I use social media for my business and that of my clients. Checking in is kind of part of what I do….within reason. No one should be with other people checking their messages – the purpose of you being out with others is to be with them – not just near them. Put the phone away and visit with your friends.
- You can’t get enough of the work-high. I don’t know about you but I LOVE the thrill of the chase. Chasing and closing a deal is like oxygen for me. It also has great potential to be like a drug. I need to find something else with the ‘high’ of closing deals and outside my business. Today I went for a walk at lunch time just to step away from my computer for a few minutes. It wasn’t the ‘high’ but it helped me see there’s more to life than a computer and business deals.
- You’ve ditched a night out with friends to work on or close a deal. There are a few exceptions to this rule but it shouldn’t be the norm. Clients can wait until regular business hours to talk to you about a deal. They will wait or they are not worth it.
- Clients contact you at all hours of the day and night – and you answer the phone or respond to email when it arrives. Let the email sit until business is open for the day. Your clients will understand.
- Your last vacation was a business trip. Take a real vacation away from all electronic devices and email and just relax. (I am working on this; my milestone birthday is coming soon and there’s a beach calling my name…)
- You think working hard means always working. It doesn’t. Focus during business hours and watch your business grow. Stepping away will make you more productive and you may even solve problems while you’re away from the office.
I say all of this because I believe I am on the cusp of becoming a workaholic. I am not happy about this fact and am working to make changes. Have you gotten stuck in work- only mode? How did you get out and get back to living?
Sources: The Truth about Workaholics
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You’re absolutely correct, but I have to tell you, all of the above suggestions work only in theory. Clients always think their work is an emergency. It’s easy to say “they’re not worth it” until you reply to an inquiry on Monday morning and find out you lost the job to someone who responded on Sunday. I hope this post reminds everyone that we ALL need to get back to what used to be normal work weeks. Somebody needs to tell the clients.
Good point! My philosophy is that if they can’t wait the deal wasn’t meant to be. I also haven’t lost a deal yet though…
I feel like #3 was a trick one….
No, but seriously, I have been finding that work bleeds into my life way more now than it used to, but also finding that it can be a very good thing. When I was doing the whole corporate thing, I never ever talked about work to my husband. It was too boring. I didn’t like what I did. Now, however, I’m yacking his ear off about content and stories and opportunities and loving it. I’ve also found that I’ll work hours and hours certain days of the week (usually M-T-W) but will take off earlier on Thursdays and Fridays. So I guess it balances out?
Thanks for the listy list – just to keep me in check if Thursdays or Fridays start creeping in
Admittedly #3 was kind of a trick. Sometimes after business hours is when we read each other’s blogs. If that’s all you’re doing and not having time with the three dimensional world then it’s a problem.
#8 is definitely a toughie for me. I get a lot of calls Sunday nights and don’t know how to handle them. Sometimes it really can be an emergency that has to be addressed immediately, but sometimes it’s something that can wait until Monday morning to take care of…
Scott, could you work Sundays and have a different daytime off from work when you’re less busy?
I usually take time off throughout the day, it seems. Hulu here, Netflix there… it adds up…
For most of my life I’ve most certainly been a workaholic. But my hubby helped pull me out of that and now I just work really long hours…but stop working to spend time with my family. And unfortunately, I can’t say that’s always been the case.
Yuppers, I have a tendancy to get absorbed in my work and let other things slide. Home, kids, husband–yeesh.
I do try to keep office hours and not drop everything to attend to every client’s needs. I also try to keep Friday completely free of work appointments so I can get coffee with my mom, craft, go shopping, etc. I usually log some good hours over the weekend when my hubby can watch the boys, so Friday is really more like my Saturday.
I am also getting better at asking people to come to ME, rather than me being out and about all the time.
I try to stay offline for most of the weekend, too, except maybe a little Pinterest for fun.
I also refuse to get a smart phone because I know I’d be tempted to use it 24/7 for work!
P.S. I’m like Scott, too, and take mini-breaks throughout the day. Watch a TV show while I eat my lunch, browse Pier 1 after I leave Staples, make a thank you card rather than buy one…it does add up, and alleviates that feeling of “working all the time.”