You get your first big job, right out of college. In a bank, say, or a law firm, or a big company, or a startup. Congratulations.
And so to get ahead, you work like crazy. Quite right.
You become the hardest working junior on the floor.
First to arrive, last to leave, evenings and weekends.
You become a machine.
This is a good thing.
You need to get ahead, and this is how to do it. And besides, this kind of hard work never killed anyone.
The thing is, you can’t do it forever.
Eventually, you need to branch out. You need to evolve. Or else work becomes stale.
You need to find a spouse, settle down, and spend time with friends. Take the kids to the zoo. Buy a tent and go camping on the weekend. Play golf. Read some Dostoevsky. Watch “The Third Man” on Netflix. Barbecue. Meditate. Go to church. Take up gardening. Discover watercolors.
It’s good to want to be successful, and do whatever it takes. But even better, is to be a complete human being.
And that’s much harder than being a workaholic.
