Confessions of a Workaholic: Why I Don’t Plan on Retiring.
Hi I’m Caden and I am a workaholic.
If you don’t understand what a workaholic is, here is the rough definition:
Workaholics are people that find it difficult to relax and unwind.
Both of my parents are workaholics as well, so it must be genetics. That doesn’t mean I don’t take full responsibility for my condition. I also acknowledge that I need a higher power to overcome my addiction, and that I can choose to act on the the feeling that I need to contribute all the time.
I’ve been sober for a couple hours just recently until I caved in and worked on some business development projects for my work and wrote this article. You see, I tried to watch some Netflix alone because it is a social norm to do that after a typical shift at ones job. But I couldn’t do it, I felt so worthless, so I relapsed. I know, it is a one day at a time sort of thing, and I can always try tomorrow, but for now there is work to be done, there always is. Like people who only drink on social occasions I always thought of myself as more of social “netflixer” anyways.
I hope you don’t think I am bragging, I want to help you understand, this is a serious condition. With drugs and stuff. Honestly I really do want to have a lazy day at home but I can’t do it. I need to use my time productively or I get depressed. My goal of this article is to raise awareness of this addiction we can face this together. #findacure
The Mind of A Workaholic
Work is on our minds all of the time, and when we do relax, we just want the vacation to end so we can get back to the grind. For most people who have this condition, there is preparation in order to get a good rest. I personally have to have a relaxation warm up routine where I turn off my phone and mentally prepare myself to do nothing. Then I have to go all in or I dream about ideas I have for the next project I want to work on.
Workaholics also measure personal worth by how much they contribute, not on what they accomplish. They don’t care about the destination and they love the journey. The challenge and the feeling of always being on top their game is the key ingredient to workaholism. There is this rush that comes from constantly bettering yourself, reading books, learning new skills, solving problems, and building relationships. It’s the best buzz to be contributing!
Guys, I wish I could quit, I really do, but I feel like if I wanted to I could quit at any time. Its just for now I can’t picture not working, I actually can’t picture stopping work to retire. What the heck would I do if I retired? From what I have been told by many retirees it doesn’t sound all that great. Most wish that they could still work, have to be somewhere, and be an influence for good. Many actually continue working. I met woman whose retired husband got a job as a pizza delivery man just to stay busy. That was how bored he was! He got a minimum wage job he was overqualified for just for the sake of working. So on that note I will continue working till the day I die. I believe that retirement is a lie and when I’m old and wise (and still charmingly handsome) I will just be a professor at a University and continue contributing until I cannot physically do so.
I realize that it doesn’t matter what I’m doing, as long as I’m still moving and adding value in some sort of way I’m happy. No need for overthinking career choices and what I will do for college, I’ll just study something useful and interesting and go with it.
I like being me, I like the stress that comes from having too much put on my plate, biting off more than what I can chew, because I can handle it! Even though I need to be very intentional when it comes to balancing my development with being present for my family, I really think my condition can be managed, I really do!
But to wrap this up, I want to reach out to all workaholics out there, you are not alone, and you can get help. But please try to find balance in your life, its productive to take your spouse on a date, (it might be more productive than getting a few extra hours of work in!) to stop and take a quick nap, or to pick a time to stop working and unplug. What I have found that works for me is completely separating work and play and not trying to pull the whole “active recovery” thing. A hundred percent disconnect is what keeps me balanced. In return for finding balance I seem to work better.
