Time to redefine work-life balance?-Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic
“Men die of boredom, psychological conflict, and disease. They do not die of hard work.” David Ogilvy
Studies examining the detrimental impact of excessive work often rely on subjective evaluations of work “overload”, failing to disentangle individuals’ beliefs and emotions abouttheir work. If something bores you, it will surely seem tedious. When you hate your job, you will register any amount of work as excessive — Overworking is really only possible if you are not having fun at work and, any amount of work will be dull if you are not engaged, or fulfilled.
- Hard work may be your most important career weapon:
Hard work distinguishs you from everyone who is smart enough/qualified enough to do your job. Workaholics often have a higher social status in every society, including laidback cultures like in the Caribbean, or South America. Exceptional achievers live longer, and they pretty much work until their death. The 10 most workaholic nations account for most of the world’s GDP.
- Engagement is the difference between the bright and the dark side of workaholism:
Spending one week on a job you hate is as dreadful as spending a week with a person you don’t like. But when you find the right job, or the right person, no amount of time is enough. Do what you love and you will love what you do, which will also make you love working harder and longer. And if you don’t love what you are doing, try something else — it is never too late for a career change.
- People who have jobs, worry about work-life balance more than people with careers
If you are lucky enough to have a career — then you should embrace the work-life imbalance. A career provides a higher sense of purpose; a job provides an income. A job pays for what you do; a career pays for what you love. If you are always counting the number of hours you work you probably have a job rather than a career. Conversely, the more elusive the boundaries between your work and life, the more successful you probably are in both
- Complaining about your poor work-life balance is a self-indulgent act. The belief that our ultimate aim in life is to feel good makes no evolutionary sense. It stems from a distorted interpretation of positive psychology, which, in fact, foments self-improvement and growth rather than narcissistic self-indulgence — you will not see many people in Japan, China, or Singapore complain about their poor work-life. Unemployment and stagnation are in part the result of prioritizing leisure and pleasure over work.
