It's practically an epidemic. You work hard, you don't stop to acknowledge what you achieved, you don't feel like you've done enough, you work even harder. Start breaking the cycle with the lessons from this article.
Yes, yes, all work and no play makes Jack and Jill a dull boy and girl. I'm not telling you anything you haven't heard before - but the four most dangerous words in the English language are, "I already know that."
That kind of know-it-all response is close-minded and dismissive. It's a mindset mistake that actually prevents us from making successful and empowering choices in our lives and work. And it has to stop sometime, because it's not helping you.
So give a listen one more time - it might sink in better than it ever has before.
If everyone tells us to slow down and take a break, why do we always ignore the advice? Because we don't have the time to stop - but we never do, and we never will, unless we make the time.
It's a vicious circle, and as a side note, it gets compounded by the fact that we never stop to celebrate the things we *have* achieved. We never get the sense of accomplishment because we're to busy to stop and get it, which means we never feel like we've done enough, and so we have to keep going and work harder and not stop, and so on until we retire.
Here's the counter-intuitive truth: Slowing down actually makes you more productive. When you work yourself silly, you don't give yourself a chance to recharge your body, your mind, or even your emotional batteries. And do you think you're a smooth-running executive engine when you're running on fumes? Of course not.
Besides, life's only going to get faster. If you're thinking about a job change right now - if you've already started the process with a headhunter or a recruiter, written your resume, sent it out by hand or with a distribution service - then now's a fabulous time to take a breather.
It's especially important for you as an executive or manager to break the workaholic habit. If you're setting up unrealistic expectations for yourself, you're also setting your subordinates up for failure - they'll try to model your work habits, and they'll melt down faster than you will. And don't forget the old saw - if you're working too hard, then maybe you're not delegating very well.
Do yourself - and everyone around you - a great favor, and break the habit now, before you get the next executive position. Set yourself up for success.
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