Seth Godin doesn't miss the mark often. But when he argues that you're not a workaholic if you love what you do for a living, even if you don't do much real living, I have to cry foul.
From Seth's "Workaholics" post:
"A workaholic lives on fear. It's fear that drives him to show up all the time...
The passionate worker doesn't show up because she's afraid of getting in trouble, she shows up because it's a hobby that pays. The passionate worker is busy blogging on vacation... because posting that thought and seeing the feedback it generates is actually more fun than sitting on the beach for another hour. The passionate worker tweaks a site design after dinner because, hey, it's a lot more fun than watching TV."
That, my friends, is what we call "crazy talk."
I love what I do. I'm not afraid of what might happen if I don't "show up." Techically speaking, I don't show up. I work when I want, where I want and don't feel like I need to justify how I spend my time. That's the good news. The bad news is that - perhaps because of this - I lug my laptop and smart phone everywhere I go; I blog, write proposals and take business calls when I'm on vacation; I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about projects and sneak out of the bedroom to fire off emails or write stuff down.
I do it because I love it, but I also do it because work has become a compulsion.
Just this evening, I had some alone time with my four-year-old daughter. She wanted to play. What did I do instead? Chatted with co-workers on Skype while she played alone in the same room.
My name is Greg and I am a workaholic.
It doesn't matter how passionate I am about what I do. Or maybe it does. Because I'm so passionate about what I do, I have become addicted to my work. And the technology that makes my life better is the technology that makes my life worse.
If you feel the same way - even some of the time - here are some interesting reads with great pointers on how to rethink work, avoid burnout and find the balance that you may not even realize you need:
Polly LaBarre says in the new world of work freedom = success.
Cali and Jodi dispense practical advice for making new ways of working, work for you.
And over at millionaire work-shirker Tim Ferriss's blog, guest author Anne Zelenka (from Web Worker Daily) offers up 5 powerful tips that even the most passionate workers in this always-connected age can use to find balance and live a little.
Not sure if you are a workaholic? Take the quiz.
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