This is one of those stories in which I need to be careful not to involve myself in too deeply. I readily admit I’m not normal, I don’t pretend to be, and understand that working a minimum of 14 hours a day probably isn’t ideal. Still, I’ve never met a highly successful person in their career, someone who’s self-made, not a trust fund only kid, who punched a 9 to 5 clock to get there. I make no apologies for those who work forty or fewer hours per week but complain if others have more to show for their work. That’s a personal choice, and if you want what successful people have, it’s out there if you’re willing to work harder to achieve it.
There’s this narrative that perhaps most of us are workaholics but is it true? The answer is no. According to a study of 2,000 employees conducted by OnePoll, 40% of professionals are workaholics. What are the characteristics of workaholics? Well, people who check emails daily after work. Someone who works on weekends even if it’s not required and stops just about any personal activity for a work call.
If so, this is likely you. But again, it’s not actually most people. Here’s the thing, most workaholics like their work. Even if all of the habits aren’t the best, especially if they reach the level of negatively impacting important relationships and/or your health, on balance workaholics think it’s worth it. I agree with that. Not being successful isn’t in the DNA of many. Being successful, for most, is worth the extra effort.
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