Confession: I’m a recovering workaholic. Okay, it really is not that bad, but I have the tendency to be a workaholic. So, what does that look like? Here are some thoughts for you:
- You always justify your schedule when questioned. When your family or friends question why your are working so much, you always have an excuse. You can never see the reality that you may be working to much.
- You leave the office feeling like you should stay longer or get there earlier the next day. As your to-do list grows, you fail to prioritize and always feel you need to work more, longer or much harder.
- Your Blackberry or iPhone is your closest friend away from work. Did you used to have friends and now you really do not? It’s probably because your phone has replaced them. Try putting it down in the evening and re-engaging family or friends.
- Your in-box is more important than your outbox. Your job has become more about the tasks and assignments coming in than the people that you could be influencing in your office. Instead of focusing on every small task and it’s completion, you should be focused on the people walking the halls outside of your office.
- You never have time for fun at work. You are the proverbial “stick in the mud” in the office. How could you “loosen up” when there is work to be done?
I love my job and have the privilege to work for one of the greatest pastor’s and churches in America. And even though the church is growing so quickly, there has to be a time to get away from it all. There have to be evenings to disengage. There has to be time to refocus and remain fresh.
Are you a workaholic? What would you add to the list?
I know a certain workaholic (me) who at one time tried to make others around him feel guilty for not working as hard as he did. Stupid.
Here’s a helpful quote from the Netflix Corporate Culture presentation: “Hard work is not relevant. It’s about effectiveness—not effort—even though effectiveness is harder to assess than effort.”
Did you write this article about me? I fall into every category!!!
If what you listed here is the definition of a workaholic, then yes i’m a workaholic! You know it’s funny that before I went on staff at a church I was successful and productive in my work but no way a workaholic. Now i’m a Pastor I feel I am a workaholic but no where near as productive and efficient! You forgot to mention the workaholic never really taking a proper day off or a vacation!
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@Chris – That is an awesome quote! WOW!
@Kevin – Megan wrote it for me
@Alex – Amazing how ministry leads us to feel like WE have to do it all. Great thoughts and thanks for reading!