What makes someone a workaholic and are you one?

[sfloriII]

I've been wondering about this a bit lately. Some people think that I may be a workaholic.

I am in business for myself as a freelance director or technical director of live television. Clients call, and I go work for them. Pretty simple. They call, I work. I've been in business for myself for three years and am trying to build more and more clients with better and better rates. In the three years that I've been on my own, I've nearly tripled the annual income I had after eight years at a national cable station. I've been very lucky to know some good people who have helped me out.

But it's come with a lot of work and sacrifice on the social level. Last year I worked 255 days. Many of those days were five hours or less, which I count as a half day, so I actually went somewhere to work much more than 255 days. I also took about two weeks vacation and there were times when I didn't have work for three days (though not often).

Last night I got off work at 1:45 am. I then worked today at the IRS from 7:00am until 4:00. Then I drove here to Comcast where I'll work until 12:30 am tomorrow morning. I'll go home, get a few hours sleep and then work for both clients with the same hours tomorrow. That doesn't happen all the time, but it is not untypical of a few days a week for me.

Am I a workaholic? Just wondering and looking for some input.

PS I'm single and don't have a family to worry about.

[rickg]

I would have to say you are by a workaholic.
I am not. I got close to being one some 10 years ago, working all the overtime I could get, plus a part time job. I missed alot of my kids growing up years, a bad thing. You are single, so what the heck. Do it while you can, while you have the energy.
I worked for a true workaholic in the mid-80's. The guy was at his desk very early, worked very late, and did a lot of volunteer work at church. I used to see him go out on sales trips for a couple days, drive all day to get back to the office. I'd come in at 6AM and see him at his desk, having been there all night. He'd go home, get a couple hours sleep, and be back at it. And he was in his 60's, pushing 70. The guy was a millionaire, didn't need to work for the $$, but would always say "What else am I going to do?" I think he finally retired just before he turned 80.

[Kuan]

Stefano,

You have too many posts on mercedesshop to be a workaholic.

[G-Benz]

I think owning and operating your own small business requires "workaholic" effort in order to be successful.

So you are not a workaholic...just a small business owner. Doing so requires you to wear many hats, and long hours are typical of the small business owner, from my experience.

I have a guy I just hired this week who is painting the inside of my house right now. Actually, he has a crew that does the work, but he is there at 6AM and doesn't head for home until 10PM or so at night. Plus he has several residential and commercial jobs in progress, so he has to visit each job and make sure everything is operating smoothly.

Just my 0.02 cents worth...

[BMK1991]

My wife and family said the same about me. In the past I had my own business and spent ALL of my time there. Had to.

Next thing I know. Anxiety problems all the time.

So, I sold off the business and now I work for someone. I figured that would be less stressful and I would be able to spend more time w/ my family. I just took two weeks off over the holidays to spend at home and beleive it or not, I was at the office 4 of those days! Not because I had to be either.

I guess it's just in your blood.

[STORMINORMAN]

Any BLANK-"a-holic" indicates a devotion to the BLANK that goes beyond what the "reasonable man" would deem within the bounds of acceptability. It is usually predicated upon some arbitrary PC determinination of what is "normal" or abnormal.

When the name-caller is the name-callee, it is a question of self-image. When it is a bluenose referring to someone who enjoys a beer and calls them an alcho-holic, it is opinion, only, IMHO.

From the ripe young age of about 14 through a couple of years after college, I often had two or three different part-time jobs going when I didn't have a full-time job (or, at least, a full-time paycheck"... I never thought of myself as a "workaholic" because this was just one of many things I did that was above the 70th percentile. I got over this concept rather easily, essentially retiring from the ratrace when I was 42.

Like almost everything else, now-a-days, if you let the media make your determinations of what is right vs, wrong, acceptable vs. unacceptable, normal vs. abnormal FOR YOU, then you are faced with the media's artificial PC 70th percentile limits.

Are you a "car nut" because "most people" never would even think of getting on a vehicle-oriented Forum, much less posting?
Who cares about oil, tech fixes of problems, preventative maintenance, etc., when one leases a car for three years and lets the Stealership take care of the service? You just have to make the payment every month for as long as you wish to drive a car... Subsidized rent vs. home ownership, eh?

Besides, as everyone knows, the internal combustion engine is the Devil's fondest invention: all those PC 70th percentilers should be riding the government-subsidized bus, anyway!

[GermanStar]

I have a very (perhaps overly) simplistic definition of a workaholic. If your work is the most important thing in your life, you qualify as a workaholic. If you put your profession before family, friends, spouse, children, etc., you are a workaholic. There are times when it's advantageous, even healthy to be a workaholic, but only as a phase -- not a lifestyle, at least IMHO. I have very strong workaholic tendencies myself, and struggle with tempering that behavior.

[rickg]

Originally posted by GermanStar
I have very strong workaholic tendencies myself, and struggle with tempering that behavior.

I found a cure for it. It's called getting old My feet and knees have slowed me down a bunch.

[GermanStar]

Originally posted by w126
I don't see a problem with being a workaholic when single, might as well make as much $$ as you can. Being married, owning a house, and having kids are big jobs in themselves -- so then workaholic tendencies might cause a strain.

Good point. Unfortunately, when I was young and single, I was a partyholic and lived paycheck to paycheck, spending every dime I could on entertainment. Ahhhh, to be young and foolish....

[jjl]

It's okay for a few years, but if you spend your life working crazy hours I think you are missing out on so much - and it doesn't have to be wife & kids, either.

What's the meaning/purpose of life - working? I don't think so - this part of our culture has to go.

[BMK1991]

I can't remember who said it, but it always stuck in my mind:

"I never knew anyone while on their death bed said they wished they had spent more time in the office."

[Lebenz]

"I never knew anyone while on their death bed said they wished they had spent more time in the office."

The first time I heard this, Warren Miller was telling a story about an 80 year old women he talked with on a chair lift. Warren asked the women why, at age 80, she was skiing. Her comment, almost the same as above, actually changed my life.

The desire to succeed has a lot to do with being a workaholic, so does the need to be appreciated, the desire to compete, to feel useful, and even a bit of a feeling of inferiority along with a touch of OCD, and in general the need to be active. Plus there is being driven by those with whom you work.

In the past I’ve routinely worked several months at a span without so much as a day off. I never felt any loss for this. In those days a fun day away from work was taking the time to read a tech manual, novel, or bit of history. I have loved the work I do for a long time, and still do. It was about 12 years or so ago that I took my first real vacation (lasting a whole week) since I was a teen ager. It was at that time when I heard the quote above. Since that fateful first vacation I’ve made a point to regularly take time off with increasing frequency. But the only thing that’s changed is where I work. Now I'll spend whole days hiking, bike riding, playing in the snow, working around the yard, practicing the flute. Shoot, I’ve even spent several half-a-day sessions splitting and stacking wood for fun & exercise. I’ve spent several days digging up rocks. And all while wearing a heart-rate monitor. I can’t help being motivated and focusing my energy towards goals. Just as I can’t help pushing a little more to tackle the next challenge.

The irony is that I still never take long vacations, but make a point of getting away at least a couple of days a week to do the other stuff mentioned above. Since crossing the 40 year old barrier, I find I have less energy overall, but my devotion to work remains. What is a life, after all, but the tale of what you do, and don’t do....

[jjl]

Tracy, that rings a few bells with me, but on balance I'm probably less driven than you - might be a cultural difference, although I'm from the source of Calvinism (maybe that's why!).

A useful measure of the healthiness of one's attitude to work, for me, is what a person says they would do in response to instantaneous financial security - say, winning the lottery. If they say they would still keep working, they have a problem, or at least a limited imagination. (btw, in a meritocracy how can lotteries be justified? - ultimate in unearned income).

What would you guys do? Me - I'd travel, indulge my hobbies, get fitter & healthier, read a lot, see more of my folks. Work would be a distant memory.

[sfloriII]

The thought of what I'd do with sudden financial security has crossed my mind too.

My life would definately change a lot, but also not so much. What I mean is that I think I would still do some of the same things, only differently. Luckily for me I love what I do. I don't know a lot of people that are that fortunate. I once read an article where Ross Perot was asked how to become rich. Paraphrazing his answer: "Find what you love and do that. If your aim is becomming rich, you will never achieve it or you will never be satisfied with what you have. If you do what you love, the success and riches will naturally follow." I never forgot that message and that's why I turned down management at UPS and got into television for then less money. It has paid off.

I would like to still work, but I would do it in a different way. Instead of doing television programs for other people, I'd use the skills I have to finance and do productions that are of interest to me. I think it is a noble thing to work, yet I do believe it shouldn't interfere with other important things in life. I also subscribe to the bible story of being given talents by God. Just because you don't have to work doesn't mean you aren't supposed to work. I fully expect to be held accountable by God for what I've done with the gifts He's given me. But that's another thread...

I may work long days and most days of the week now, but if I had a family at home that was waiting for me, they would be the first priority.

I look at work as a means to an end, not an end in itself.

[Lebenz]

jjl,

I don't know what role culture would play in one’s drive. To that end, a fellow countryman of yours is probably the most motivated and successful person I’ve come across -- he’s both a musician and business man of world class scale. Yet even after 30+ years, he continues to write music and perform all over the planet about half of each year. He’s obviously driven far beyond the needs of success. With folks like this, while you can see cultural influences reflected in their work, I don’t know what role culture, plays in their desire.

Were I suddenly wealthy I’d spend more time writing, or maybe just riding my bike. One of the extremely fortunate things my work permits me is the opportunity to interact with a lot of really interesting and motivated folks. While I could think of a lot of fun things to do with my time, to loose contact with these folks would turn monetary wealth into a mixed fortune.