A new Bloomberg poll shows 27% of Americans think we have a lagging work ethic. I would qualify that belief to this: Some Americans have a lagging work ethic.
We have all seen the people who are doing just enough not to get fired, or the people who really don’t want to work at all.
I do worry that we now have a few generations who seem to think the good life is something they’re entitled to and not something you have to work for.
But there is also a danger if you go to the other extreme. When work becomes your idol and all you live for, that’s not good either.
When did we decide working too hard is something to be proud of?
I’m all for working hard and getting things done, but what about time for your family, friends, sleep, God, and relaxation? What about time to volunteer, think, read, and exercise?
Too much work will lead to you losing many of the things you hold dear. It will also lead to a reduction in the quality of your work and it could actually kill you.
Other than that, it sounds AWESOME!
My daughters really want to try out for a professional play in our city. But, when we looked at the practice schedule we told them no.
Rehearsal is from 5-10pm every weeknight. On the weekends, it’s from 8am-5pm. For three weeks. Wow.
Right now they leave the house at 7:15am and get home from school around 3:30pm. It would take 30-45 minutes just to get to rehearsal. They wouldn’t get home until around 10:45pm. They would still have homework to do. That doesn’t include piano practice, showering and getting ready to go to sleep.
That’s too much. They would not be able to give their best to the show or to their schoolwork. They would end up tired and miserable.
Sometimes it’s hard to say no to something we really want to do or something we feel we should do, but we need to give ourselves permission to say no.
It’s not a badge of honor to work yourself to death. It will actually end up hurting you, your quality of work, and the ones you love.
I’m going to spend some time this weekend rethinking how I spend my time each day. I’m going to prioritize what I need to do in all phases of my life.
If you decide to do the same, let me know what plan you came up with. I’m sincerely interested.