Work - A Respectable Addiction?

America has a problem. We've become a culture of workaholics. In the face of the recession, those of us who are still employed, have become even worse, trying to prove our worth by staying late and going above and beyond our job requirements. With the combination of fear, stress and job dissatisfaction, slowly but surely, work is killing us.

Remember Aesop's fable about the ant and the grasshopper? The ant worked all summer storing food while the grasshopper played and when winter came, the grasshopper had no food. American work culture has become based on this. However, instead of resting and enjoying the benefits of our hard work, we keep on working. I know several people who make A LOT of money and guess what? They don't ever have time to spend it because they're too busy...working.

Don't get me wrong; there's nothing wrong with hard work. There will always be days when there are projects and deadlines that need more time and attention. If you're building your own business, it takes even more time and dedication, especially in the beginning stages. However, I've noticed a trend where people are trying to out-martyr each other about work.

A: Hey, where were you last night? You missed happy hour.
B: I was at work. I didn't get home until after midnight.
A: Oh! Gotcha. Yeah, the other day, I didn't get home until 2 am, working on a project.
B: That's nothing. One time, I didn't even go home because of a deadline.
A: Wow. Well, that's nothing. At my last job, I had a little blow-up bed under my desk because I was staying at work so much.
B: Oh yeah? At this one job, I didn't even have an apartment, I just lived at work and showered at the gym.
A: Ha! You got to shower?! I once had a job where I lived there, didn't have enough time to shower and had to take care of the office monkey who insisted on throwing paper and banana peels at me all the time. So I win.

People! This is nothing to be proud of! We already spend 8-10 hours a day at work. And now that we're living longer, we're also working more years. When I finally take my last breath at 103 (and looking about 79), I don't want to reflect on all the years I spent working. I am more than just my career and I want to celebrate all those facets of my life that bring me joy.

So let me ask you this - are you a workaholic? Here are 9 signs that you just might be:

1. You have a work husband/wife.
2. Your family and friends are always surprised when you attend events.
3. You're attached to an IV with coffee streaming directly into your veins.
4. You have a panic attack if you can't check your email every 5 minutes.
5. You have a spare set of clothes and toiletries at your office.
6. You look down on people who work less than 10 hours.
7. Your partner moved out and it took you a week to realize it.
8. You're having regular conversations with the office monkey.
9. You have enough vacation hours that you could take 2 years off.


Some may say they are working hard to save up for their retirement. That's awesome and something that everyone should be doing. However, there's something to be said about enjoying life while we're still young enough. As we get older, there are some adventures we just won't be able to have and we'll never get that time back. Besides, no matter how much money we make, it will never feel like it's enough. It's all about achieving the live-work balance; without it, we'll burn out and have nothing left to give to anything/anyone else.

Work smarter, not harder.