Work/Life Balance
When Working 24-7 Doesn’t Add Up
By Julie A. Gordon, CPA
When Tony Scwhartz, author of What Really Matters: Searching for Wisdom in America (Bantam Books, 1995), almost ran his car into a stone wall, he realized that working 24-7 is not where it’s at.
The old mentality of you have to work long hours to impress the boss, the client and your peers is quickly giving in to a fulfilled personal life away from work. It’s not that you won’t have to put in extra hours during tax season or the close of a fiscal year. It is looking at the priorities in your life and giving quality time to the important things outside the office on a daily basis – all year long. Things like family, friends, personal pleasures, relaxation, spirituality and good health. What good are you to the firm if you are tired, sick or pre-occupied with other things?
Tony stated. “When I recovered from my shock, the message seemed inescapably clear: I was on the verge of hitting the wall myself, and I had better pay attention.” This happened on the eve of planning to write an article on workaholism. Wow, what a way to jump right into a subject! Tony is like the rest of us. We think that we have to plunge in headfirst and not stop until it’s too late – like running into a wall. We need to change that attitude and take a long hard look at what we want out of life.
Do you want the life of a workaholic? They find it difficult to relax. And they are so used to doing what they are expected to do that they are unable to know what it is that they really want to do and need for themselves. Thus they fall into the mini-crisis mode. And workaholics give into the demands of others on their time, leaving them resentful and sometimes, fearful. They find it difficult to just sit and be. Their internal self shuts down and they operate in the get-it-all-done and do-it ourselves mode.
There are definitely different types of workaholics,” notes Ronald Burke, PhD, a business professor at York University in Ontario and author of Workaholism In Organizations (Routledge, 2003). “One type that tends to be quite satisfied and productive, and another type that ends up being very dissatisfied. Even though both types might be working the same number of hours, the second type reports more psychological symptoms.”
“Workaholism can destroy families, and it often has devastating effects on kids,” says Burke. “Workaholics tend to have higher levels of anxiety, greater health risks, more chronic illnesses, and they tend to have higher rates of depression.
We also have empirical research that kids of workaholics have higher ratings of anxiety and depression.
Certainly working is a necessary part of life, but so is play. We have to find the right balance for ourselves and our families. What’s good for you isn’t necessarily the plan for the guy in the office across from you. You’ll have more self- respect when you leave the office by 5:30 to eat dinner with your family. And your co-workers will see your good example and follow. Overtime is necessary in season. But partners, CFOs, managers, and staff need to see how much more productive they are in the office when they take good care of themselves. And a healthy, happy staff is worth its weight in gold.
Nine to five at the office and the weekend off with family and friends is a great way to start a new year. Don’t wait until you run into the brick wall to find out that life is more than your career.
If you think you have a problem with workaholism. Visit the website, www.workaholics-anonymous.org and see your physician. Good mental and physical health is important.
Julie A. Gordon is a manager in project accounting for Maritz Rewards at Maritz, Inc. in Fenton. She is a member of the MSCPA Work-Life Balance Committee. She can be reached at Julie.Gordon@maritz.com.
