Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Balancing Life and Work


"simplify your life...!" "stop being a workaholic!!!..." "create time for yourself..." "spend more time with the family..." or "say no to the non-importants..."
You probably, like me, in some "good days", thought that you have succeeded, feeling all good about yourself for what you have so nicely and creatively balanced your life and work following such great advises. But sure enough, as soon as you can say "is balanced!", fell immediately back to that unbalance work/over/everything mode again. And each time that happens, the guilt mulitply, personal time you spent with family, friends, or even yourself begin to carry that awful feeling thinking the time spent was not because you want to but because you think you have to.
A long-term solution to this balancing equation is always one of the toughest. But before understanding which advise some one should take to resolve their work/life's unbalancing act, it is a must to first acknowledge my top ten list on how some people are catergorized as a "workaholic"...
1. they need to pay bills (the providers)
2. they need to have better things (the OT abusers)
3. they constantly think they need to prove themselves and to impress others (the insecure)
4. they just never feel comfortable with the work progress (the worriers)
5. they feel responsible for his/her subordinates, or even superiors (the masterminds)
6. they don't have friends or family (the loners)
7. they hate their friends and family (the assholes/bitches)
8. they want to get that edge on that promotion. (the Alex Keaton's)
9. they are too competitve (the fighters)
and #10. they're simply just not that good on what they do and need more time doing it. (the 85% of your coworkers)
so now... have you fully catch my drift? do you hear the words coming out from my mouth?
...you see, the next time you see a friend, a colleague, or even yourself working like a maniac and want to give them those great "you should simplify your life...." speech/advise, first see if their (or yours) workaholic traits is part of some of the items my top ten list has diagnosed. Because some of them are just simply hopeless and cannot be saved. Just buy them another cup of coffee and lets move on....
Bless us all!