By Joe Buzzello, guest blogger
It’s not uncommon in our world to applaud workaholics and hold them up as heroes. You’ve seen this type of highly charged entrepreneur or independent salesperson. They race around, cantankerously announcing that they are exhausted, so busy, swamped, slammed. They’ll tell you there isn’t enough time to get everything done. They think they’re successful, you think they’re successful, and they definitely seem prosperous to the world. But, if you think about it, that really doesn’t make much sense.
You can only TRULY be successful if you actually stop to reap the benefits of your hard work.
Look, I’m probably the last one that should point fingers. I worked 60 – 70 hours a week for close to two decades, never taking a true vacation. A cell phone or beeper was always strapped to my side. When I began to take stock of my life, I realized that I had not taken a vacation longer than 7 days since I’d begun my career in 1979. I’m not sure I was completely present to my wife and daughter during my go-go years. I still struggle with that now, even in semi-retirement.
As I have slowed a bit and crossed the line to joined the 50+ Club, I’ve started to look at things a little bit differently. I value my time more and place emphasis on the things that are really important to me. I’m not suggesting you lessen your commitment to your employer or the organization(s) you are part of. I’m simply suggesting that it may be possible for you to strike more balance in your work and personal life. This, in turn, will improve your work performance.
Instead of working harder, I recommend you learn to work smarter. Here are some thoughts on the VALUE of your time:
