It may seem almost amusing to some people to think that there’s such a thing as a “workaholic”, and that being one might be a cause for concern. The term is often applied to people who simply work a lot, which isn’t necessarily the same thing. It’s also hard to tell sometimes – especially in the case of an entrepreneur – whether a person is simply very driven to achieve results, or whether they are in fact consumed by an unhealthy obsession. As a recovering addict/alcoholic myself, learning that I also had a work addiction was an annoying discovery. I have lots of energy, boundless creativity, and the organizational skills to execute things that I envision. So why worry about this “workaholism”? It fits right into the scheme of a motivated, success-minded person, right? Well, not necessarily. As one focuses on the idea of being happily engaged in life, one usually discovers that BALANCE is one of the cornerstones of a rewarding existence. And arranging everything in one’s life around a compulsive work ethic is not a great example of “balance”.
Maybe it’s okay that I often work on weekends and late nights. Or start my day as early as 4am sometimes. And maybe it’s okay that I forgo social events in favor of work routinely. Or maybe it’s okay that I look at almost everything in my life as a work or business opportunity. But to do ALL of these things? Maybe not.
My little work addiction crept back in cleverly over the past month, reminding me to put it in check. While working on some new projects, I suddenly realized I was feeling restless and unfocused, and as I asked myself why, I realized I had just worked 23 days straight. I immediately – and with a sense of humor – did a “detox”. I took the next day off! It was hard not checking email, not pondering various aspects of the three main projects I was working on, but I did it. And felt better. And put it on my “action list” to include some inaction, or at least some recreation.
I’ll touch on ways to deal with workaholism in a followup, but as with any compulsive or addictive behavior, the first step is determining whether or not you have a problem. On the Workaholics Anonymous newcomer page, they list twenty questions you can ask yourself, and say that if you can answer “yes” to three or more, you might be a workaholic. Like many of these informal self-assessments, I personally think it’s geared toward giving a “false positive”, but they’re good questions to ask yourself anyway. I personally answered yes to 12 of them just now. How about you?
1. Do you get more excited about your work than about family or anything else?
2. Are there times when you can charge through your work and other times when you can’t?
3. Do you take work with you to bed? On weekends? On vacation?
4. Is work the activity you like to do best and talk about most?
5. Do you work more than 40 hours a week?
6. Do you turn your hobbies into money-making ventures?
7. Do you take complete responsibility for the outcome of your work efforts?
8. Have your family or friends given up expecting you on time?
9. Do you take on extra work because you are concerned that it won’t otherwise get done?
10. Do you underestimate how long a project will take and then rush to complete it?
11. Do you believe that it is okay to work long hours if you love what you are doing?
12. Do you get impatient with people who have other priorities besides work?
13. Are you afraid that if you don’t work hard you will lose your job or be a failure?
14. Is the future a constant worry for you even when things are going very well?
15. Do you do things energetically and competitively including play?
16. Do you get irritated when people ask you to stop doing your work in order to do something else?
17. Have your long hours hurt your family or other relationships?
18. Do you think about your work while driving, falling asleep or when others are talking?
19. Do you work or read during meals?
20. Do you believe that more money will solve the other problems in your life?
