The workplace is where you spend most of the important hours of the day. It is where you work, chat, unwind, work, work, and work till mama calls. Some people have grown so used to the workplace that they have made it their permanent homes. They look forward to going back there every single day not because the pay is good or the environment too conducive, but because they have formed the habit of being too attached to their place of work.
There are people who are natural workaholics, who even go to work on weekends. They always have something to do or they simply create a task for themselves. However, this habit has not earned them a raise in paycheck in the past few years. Yes, they sometimes win the award of the ‘most dedicated staff in the company’ sha, but that’s it.
I have met guys who sleepover at their place of work. Not because they have any particular important task assigned, but because they are used to their office space and see no need to going home every day.
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I used to have a boss who slept on the office hard tiles floor with his shirt and trousers on. Janitors always met him very early in the morning still sleeping. He soon became an object of gossip and ridicule at the office. Interestingly, the management never even knew he was passing the night at his office. It was that bad.
This senior colleague spoke glowingly about his kids and spoke on phone very often with his wife. But he always missed important milestones in his children’s life because of this. He went to work most Saturdays too so I wonder if he ever spent alone time with his kids.
He was not favourably disposed to ‘school run’, neither did he attend PTA meetings. But he always spoke about it in the office. His work was his life. He believed he was doing the best thing by working hard to put food on the table. No, he had no problem with his wife at home either. He just loved the workplace more than his home out of routine and habit.
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Are you like this man? Have you forgotten what it means to properly unwind in a place outside the work environment? Have you lost your friends and family because of work? As bad as it is, some don’t even visit their parents but they always give the excuse of work. Some men have lost important relationships that could have earned them good marriages all because of the habitual ritual of unnecessary hanging around at the workplace.
Personally, I am an advocate for hard work. But above all, I believe in having a balance. I have written extensively in the past about creating this much-needed balance. Yes, I don’t believe your life should revolve around the workplace, and here is why:
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No condition in life is permanent
So is your job. It isn’t permanent at all. If you have the advantage of gazing into a crystal ball and could see that you wouldn’t be working at that same place in a few years, or that you were dis-engaged involuntarily, wouldn’t you do things differently?
Your job is likely not your life’s primary assignment
Your original God-given assignment on earth if truly discovered on time is what brings happiness and fulfilment. You may discover that your assignment most times is different from your day job. Doing little but meaningful things to put smiles on the faces of other people is how to truly live. Your fulfilment and blessing would most times come through those good deeds. So get over your job addiction, and create space to actually live life.
Okay, this is not entirely true, and there are lots of exceptions. But most of the time, it’s true. You are simply helping your boss to achieve his dreams. So when you live from paycheck to paycheck, you are literally eating out of his fingers. He will most likely replace you if anything happens to you.
Ok, what if he downsizes or cannot pay very well again, what then becomes of you?
In conclusion, true happiness lies in doing things that really matter. Yeah, that’s why my ultimate message is for you to live your best life now. So stay with loved ones and keep your family close. Have fun, play hard, and learn to enjoy your weekends. Your joy should never revolve around your workplace. Do not become too addicted to your workspace.
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