Do you fear taking time off, away, or even regulating the amount of time you spend at work due to your addiction to getting results, maintaining the lifestyle you’ve built, or incessantly building your net worth?
We often think of addictions as being those things frowned upon, but overworking, meh, not so much. It’s the American way to work tirelessly to be the means to the end, but without realizing it, the work itself becomes the end. We work ourselves to death, and the means don’t justify the end, especially at the end of your life, where you reflect on whether you would have worked more.
I believe there’s a lot of correlation people typically have to their identity and their work. How often are you asked ‘hey, what’s your name’ and what typically follows? What do you do?
This identity, related to what we do more so than who we are, leads people to take the identity they have with their job or career to a level where that role becomes who they are.
Once you communicate what it is that you do, well, people can easily pass judgment based upon your response. If you say a business owner, barista, CEO, or artist, you will most likely get varying degrees of responses from people. Being a CFO, I avoided using the title at all costs, as I would get an under-the-breath response of ‘how old are you??’ or a sudden shift in someone’s composure puffing themselves up with some kind of accomplishment they’re proud of.
It’s so easy for each of us to do that as well, though. We see a homeless person and act like we don’t see them as though they are less than a human or meet a celebrity and get star struck treating them like more than a human, we end up being a product of our society, and our society values a certain socio-economic class over another. This is nothing new, but it is important to think about why you do what you do to see whether you are simply following cultural norms or operating off of your convictions. If you are just giving your all to your job because that is the norm, instead of giving to your job what was promised but making sure that you are not sacrificing your family, your finances, your friendships, or your health for a job.
Are you looking for the approval of the most important people in your life, are you looking for the approval of people you want to impress but who don’t actually have any bearing in your life, or are you overly concerned about everyone around you and what they think or feel?
Our addiction to work can be our own intrinsic or internal drive or motivation, but it can also be, and probably is more commonly impressed upon by the people around you and the culture you operate in.
Take a realistic look at your vocation; who are you outside of that role? Are you phenomenal at that role but terrible at relationships? Or are you known for being talented in your job, but that’s all you are known for?
For most people, their job is not only a means of identity but maybe more so a means of provision, influencing the former—a means of income to support that lifestyle. Many people take this job and allow the job, boss, or company to define their morality, character, and willingness to lie, cheat or steal. Now, of course, that’s extreme but important to think. Think about how your job influences you and whether it’s positive or negative.
Thinking about whether the role you hold actually makes you better or is a determinant to who you say you are is especially important. So are you addicted to your job? Are you more dedicated to your job than other more important aspects of your life?
CTA: My call to action is to take a serious look at how healthy your relationship is with your job. What needs to change about your circumstance, or what aspects do you need to reflect on that used to define you that no longer do? These are important questions in life to ensure you are not misaligned by what you do and say.
