‘Wait Isabelle, workaholism? Are you sure you don’t mean alcoholism?’ you might wonder.
Well yes, it is in fact, possible to be addicted to work. And the most frightening part is, many of us do not even know we are afflicted by it. Don’t get me wrong, hard work, determination, and perseverance are all parts of the key to success. And it definitely feels amazing, getting compliments on the effort we put into our work, making us feel appreciated and acknowledged. But are we just romanticizing overworking and celebrating it more than we should?
Overworking may mean many things, but the most serious of them all is the one that will lead us down the path of career burnout. It is when you realized that lately, you’ve been missing out on the precious things in life that are supposed to make you happy but instead, you surround yourself with piles of work that eat way into the evenings.
We are, more often than not, in love with the idea that those who are willing to sacrifice more than others will emerge the victor. In reality, it is not about how much we sacrifice, but instead, choosing the right ones. Thus, we need to stop romanticizing this idea that workaholics are extra hard-working professionals that deserve praise. Instead, we need to remind them that there is more to life than work and so much passion and social life waiting to be discovered out there.
This week, we’re going to find out what it means to be a hardworking professional vs a workaholic, and realize how much it truly affects us.
Take This Quiz: Are You A Workaholic?
Here’s a quick test anyone can take to find out if we are lingering anywhere in the borderline workaholic range. Don’t worry, the results are not conclusive, just an informal indication of where we stand in today’s topic of interest. Have a go and do tell me in the comment section what your results are as I’m quite interested to know.
How Work Addiction Could Be Hurting Your Career Without Your Knowledge
This is an interesting article I recommend everyone to have a read. Many of us have either heard or used the word ‘work addict’ loosely before. But did you know there are different forms of them dedicated to different situations professionals go through? Find out more, and maybe once in a while, observe those around us, they might be going through work addiction, and that’s where we come in and offer a helping hand.
Why We Should Stop Romanticizing Overwork
Overworking can lead to many detrimental problems, mentally and even physically. So how then can we perform to our very best when we keep pushing ourselves beyond our limits. There are quotes online such as “Study while others are sleeping; work while others are loafing; prepare while others are playing, and dream while others are wishing” where people are romanticizing overworking. When taken too seriously, these ideas might become a burden to oneself, dangerous even.
Bonus!
Stop Overworking Yourself: Jochen Menges | TEDxCambridgeUniversity |
For this week’s bonus, I have a great talk I would like to share with everyone. The whole speech on the topic of overworking derives from a concept known as ‘the acceleration trap’ where many of us working professionals, no matter the industry, are experiencing daily. Find out more about this phenomenon and discover how we can break free from it in this video.
So grab a warm drink (it is chilly and wet here in Singapore) and give this video a watch. Have a great weekend everyone!
About Timeo-Performance
We were founded with a vision to improve the world of work for everyone
We are in the Skills Business!
Through recruitment, training and consulting, Timeo-Performance provides solutions for increased performance of companies, teams, and individuals. As our clients are in the center of global business and often serve the APAC region, our solutions need to be sustainable in a multicultural and remote context.
Our joint venture with Akteos, the European leader in intercultural training, and partnership with digital learning solutions provider CrossKnowledge have therefore been organic and logical additions to our service. Timeo-Performance has been helping companies in APAC increase business performance since 2008 with offices in Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.
We love what we do, feel the Timeo-Performance experience!
As busy professionals, our schedules are often filled to the brim with meetings and tasks to complete. We can get so caught up with work that we might even forget our all-important lunch and power through dinner as well. Alas, we can only do so much given the 24 hours we have in a day. While time management is vital, being productive is another matter in its entirety.Enter time batching.
