In My Past Life as a Workaholic

New Year’s Eve 2006, most Angelinos were getting off work early to rush home to put the champagne on ice, get ready and look good for the best party of the year, the coming of 2007. Yet, in a small apartment near Pico Blvd., the scene was very different. On this particular Saturday I was instead on my laptop, painstakingly trying to get my boss a flight out of Bali. On a last minute whim my ex-boss decided that she wanted to cut her trip short and since she was 10 hours ahead it was already the next day in Asia. So, instead of trying to find an outfit to wear to my friend’s New Year’s Eve party or find time to relax, I was making endless phone calls to travel agents, trying to find a nonstop flight from Bali to London, then London to LAX. My evening progressed as I starting pulling out my hairs and trying to call in favors because as everyone knows this type of request is almost impossible on New Year’s eve. Even though I eventually did find her a flight and got paid double time for the evening, I had to cancel my dinner plans and was late to my friend’s party. Time was wasted.

Like any other “good worker” dedicated to my career and getting the job done, I put all of my plans on hold, because I had to fix this crisis. Yet, this was an all too familiar site to see in my life as an executive assistant. I was always late to personal appointments, missed many friends’ birthday parties, and didn’t really get to see friends and family much. Eventually working 12 hour work days and weekends took the best of me and physically, I fell apart. So I consider this era in my life as hard lesson learned.

Recently, at my current job, my boss has started to make similar ludicrous demands. Yet, these demands are all too familiar to me and remind me of my past life as a workaholic. Yet even though I am still a “dedicated good worker” I already know the symptoms of a workaholic; you slowly start to fall into your boss’s mold, take on more projects since they are all urgent and need to be done right away, which leads to working long hours and before you know it you are stressed, tired, and unhappy. Perhaps to some this might not seem like an issue, but if these demands come from someone with their own agenda and you’re just the “working bee” in their get rich strategy, I think this is unfair to you the “good worker”. I have learned to say no and require a priority list that can be done within the 8 hour work day. Never again will I let a power money hungry individual run my life.

My rundown is that everyone has different goals in life and while I too want money and success, I will only do it if I enjoy my life along the way. I will not work 12 hour workdays just for the overtime money anymore, since there are so many other things to do in life, like having FUN and spending time with those that you love. So to all the workaholics out there, I wish you the best and I envy every minute of your dedication, because I too used to be like you.