Over the last few years, my life has changed from a relaxed one to a complex and demanding one filled with lots of commitments and unknowns. My calendar is full of details, most of which have been put on my schedule by someone else or by necessity. When I accepted my job, I discovered that there was too much work for a normal 40-hour workweek, so I often work through lunch, come in early, stay late, and even go in on some weekends. I continually work more and more. The weird part is that I like it and probably would not have it any other way right now. I am intoxicated by work and I was raised to measure success in terms of work. I often define others and myself by what we do for a living and our culture reinforces this perspective. For instance, when you are at a party and you meet someone, usually the first question is “What do you do?” It is as if we cannot discuss the non-work person until we get the work conversation out of the way.
Yes, there are days that I desire to live a less complicated life, free of daily stress, maybe even free of a few responsibilities. However, with the ever-changing technology that helps us multi task, the line between work time and non-work time meld into one and with the use of Blackberries, there is no delineation. These technologies allow us to keep connected to others around us and to stay connected. They are a constant pulse and a reminder of the fact that the world goes on, with or without us. The funny thing is that if we drop off the face of the earth for a few hours, days or even weeks, the truth is that the world barely even notices. Nothing is so important that it cannot exist without us. So why am I a workaholic? You see, I made a conscious choice to complicate my life in this way and I love it because I have found my purpose.
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