All my life I have heard people talking about how one needs to have a balance between work and life. I have constantly been told the old worn saying that you won’t wish you had spent more time at the office on your death bed. That all work and no play makes John a dull boy. Shut the hell up.

We work because we love it!

I grew up with a father who loved to work. Seven days a week and as many hours a day as possible. To be honest I was well into my teens before I realized that this is not how everyone in the world worked. Mostly because work was never a burden for my father. I would say he approaches going to work every day the same way that an avid golfer can’t wait to hit the course every day. Isn’t it amazing we curse and admonish the productive workaholic for not being more like the obsessive golfer? Seriously think about how ridiculous that is. What if I told you that someone who truly enjoys their work is most likely as happy or happier than his golfer counterpart? The workaholic can go to their passion each day and produce. Their ideas and skill is being put to use to its fullest which creates products, services, and more often than not jobs for those around him. The reward is the transference of vision laid out by a productive mind into tangible achievement.

It’s The Best and Worst Time Ever to Be a Workaholic

So what is it that makes one forsake all the “normal” work/life balance expectations and become a workaholic? (yes, I think being a workaholic is a good thing in case you haven’t gotten that yet) I don’t think you need to be an entrepreneur to understand and feel this, but it is a complete love for what you are doing. And when you get to do your passion every single day it’s nearly impossible to shut your mind off after you leave the office at the end of the day.

With the technology available today this is a blessing and a curse. The endless flood of emails, texts, phone calls, and solutions for being productive nearly everywhere can overwhelm those who are always “on”. For example when I was getting ready this morning at 6:30 my day had already started by reading emails and daily schedules on my phone. At the office at 7:30 and called it quits at 7:00. Ate dinner and spent time with the family then back to work at 9:00 on the laptop. It’s now just past twelve and the thought of this blog post popped up so off I went. Never before in history has technology so empowered the workaholic.

So Think Twice Before Giving a Life Lesson to a Workaholic

While I understand that not everyone is wired for the 70+ hour a week grind, let those who are alone. The best analogy I can give is that it would be exactly like marching out on to the golf course to tell our golfer friend that he will not wish he had spent more time on the course when he reaches his death bed. You would be telling him that he spends too much time enjoying the outdoors, the company of people who understand his passion, and the challenge of beating his best score.

The motivation is not to beat or be better than others. We do not think of you at all as competition. Only as a potential customer we can serve with our superb product or service. It is to beat our own best from yesterday. The motivation of our work isn’t money. It is just a way to measure our production. The motivation is only to immerse ourselves in that which we love. To get the bursting mindful of ideas and solutions out and in motion. The goal is the completion of the vision these ideas lay out.

Where some people get tripped up is that think that the vision that propels a workaholic is growing some sort of world order size company and stacks of money. It’s usually as simple as being the best mechanic with the best tools. Writing the best novel anyone has ever read. Delivering a truck loads of freight on time every time. Anything that brings achievement from hard work. Having a great company that employs the best people even.

I’m not saying that everyone should be a workaholic. I only hope that every last person is able to find a profession that lets them feel like they could work like that and it’s a joy. We spend more time at work than any other activity. Why shouldn’t it be one of the things we love the most?