4 Ways To Not Become a Workaholic

Workaholics are not successful.

Simple.

Here's why:  Workaholics either work too hard to be around for their families which in turn crumble around them.  Or they work too hard that their bodies can't take it any longer, and their minds & bodies end up capitulating.  Having weak relational ties with your family or poor physical health is no way of being successful.

No matter how much money you've made or influence you have.

You have to be disciplined with your time.  It is the only the commodity you have that you cannot get more of.  But the great thing about Time is; everyone gets the same amount every day, week, month, year and decade.

Proper management of your most precious commodity can yield sensational results.  It is possible to build your wealth whilst simultaneously building your family.  That should always be your goal.

Never sacrifice your family and friends for the sake of apparent success.  Why apparent?  Because success is relative.  No matter how "successful" you become, if you don't have true family and friends to enjoy it with, how "successful" is that in reality?

How do you do it?

1. Make time for your family.
This comes before "you" because I can assure you, if your family are looked after, you will naturally feel satisfied.  Many people make the mistake of looking after themselves before their family, and thus sacrifice invaluable time with their family which would have been precious input.

Family are the most precious thing you have.  If you don't have family, you can build one when you meet your spouse.  But if you don't learn this discipline now, it'll be difficult to implement once you meet your spouse and start your lives together.

If you have no family or spouse, your close friends are your next best thing.  Make time for them.  Build those relationships.  Those relationships are what matter in life.


2. Make time for you.
At the end of the day, only you are responsible for you.  No one else.  You are in control of your own life.  Without a functional mind and body, you can't reach peak performance.  You don't want to operate below "peak" do you?

Make time to quieten your mind at least twice a week.  Find a hobby.  Go for a walk alone.  Have a cup of coffee in the morning.  Pray (Spirit).  Read (Mind).  Exercise (Body).

Look after yourself spiritually, mentally, and physically.  Make time for these areas at least every few weeks.

Prayer and reading is something I do daily.  Exercise is something I try and do at least once a week, but twice is a regular, and I aim for three times a week.

Quieten your mind from the noise of life.  
Often I will have breakfast or lunch sitting outside in my garden (at home or office), without any books, cellphone, computer or TV.  Just to switch my mind off from the daily bombardment of information and allow myself time to think.

I also enjoying wandering around a Shopping Centre, not something I do regularly, only every few weeks or so.

Whatever works for you.  Make time for you.

Jesus said to "love your neighbour as yourself".  How much do you love "yourself"?

3. Schedule these times.
You have to make a conscious effort to keep time aside for these moments.  Without being purposeful about it, life will swallow you up.  Even your hobbies and passions can swallow you up.  This is why you must schedule.  To prevent "what needs to be done" from dictating to you how your life pans out.

We so often fall into the trap of believing "that I just need to finish this last Email, or finish this project and then my day is done" but if those Emails or projects take longer than expected, then who is in control?  The work, or me?  I am in control of my own destiny.

Things can wait.  Work can wait.  Projects can wait.

I don't do this as actively as I should, but it is something I am working on.  What I do is keep time aside in my mind every week as to when I will be with my family, and when I will do things for me.  As the week progresses, I often find myself saying "no" to extra work or even hobbies in order to meet those expectations I've made in my mind to be with my family.

I can feel in a week when I haven't spent enough time with my family, and when I feel that I quickly make time to change it.  This has come from years of getting to know me, my wife, and more recently my son.  It becomes an instinct.

Do this on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis.  When are your special times going to be together in the month?  A long day out together?  When are your quality holidays coming?  How valuable are they going to be for the family?

Be intentional.

4. Work around these scheduled times and be Disciplined
Very similar to the above, but once you have set these times for you and family in place, make sure everything falls into line.  You now have the power to say "no" to those things that gnaw and nag at you telling you to "get me done".  You can say "no" because you have something else planned.

Be disciplined about this.  Don't fall into the trap of reducing the value of "me" and "family" times and therefore pushing these times out.  When you make a scheduled family time wait in order to continue other work, you have made that other work more valuable than your family.  This can grow into a dangerous pattern.

Only disciplined keeping of these scheduled times will prevent an unhealthy pattern growing in your life.  Such an unhealthy pattern is just that; unhealthy.  Meaning it will have seriously negative consequences on your family, your relationships, your emotions, and your health.

On the other hand, disciplined keeping to set times for you and your family will create a healthy pattern that make you feel happier, stronger, rejuvenated and passionate.  Living your life like that can only but be successful.  No matter how much you have.

The power is in your hands.  Start exercising that power today.  Start small.  And make it become second nature.

------------

What do you like to do to rejuvenate as a family and for yourself?