If you’re a high achiever, you know there’s always something you could be doing for your career at any given moment of the day or night. Whether it’s making a phone call or finishing a report, you could literally keep at it 24/7 and still have plenty to do.
Sure, there are times when a project requires you to be on call, or to put in extra weekend hours. But a choice to keep working even when there are no compelling deadlines takes over slowly and quietly until you realize that you haven’t spent any quality time with your mate in three weeks. Here’s how to stop the unnecessary habits that eat away at your time.
1. Unplug at night.
It’s not uncommon to log on to the office server to “clean up” some emails at night and have two or three people actually respond immediately. Seems like everyone is having trouble unplugging. This is a bad, bad habit. You’re telling yourself that you’re making your day easier tomorrow by doing this tonight, but nothing of consequence will be decided tonight. Leave it for tomorrow and go cuddle with that person on the couch watching TV. You know, the person you won’t be seeing tomorrow during the day.
2. Put it in your calendar
Remember date night? it’s still a great way to ensure you aren’t letting weeks go by without sitting across from your beloved and enjoying their company.
3. Choose wisely
Everyone knows that one of the secrets of climbing the ladder is to volunteer for absolutely everything. We’ve all heard about the amazing opportunities that changed a career path because someone just happened to be working on a marginal deal. Visibility and connections are a big thing, but you could probably be a little more discerning and say no every once in a while. Or, at the very least, show yourself to be even more of a leader and delegate absolutely everything you can. There are still only so many hours in a day. Don’t fill them indiscriminately.
4. Your work colleagues are NOT your family
Ever leave a job? How often do you still see those people? You may have one or two buddies you’ve continued to hang with along the way, but the strange, artificial intimacy that is the office environment is just that. Strange and artificial. It’s a convenient camaraderie that has very few personal expectations and it’s casual and loose. But it’s not family. Your real family, on the other hand, requires more maintenance, but they won’t disappear when you change jobs. Don’t ignore the time you should be spending there.
In some ways, it’s easier to stay in the work environment. But some people project more meaning there than what really exists. The return on investment is paltry at the end of the road, compared to what you could have developed with personal relationships. Use whatever mental stamina is necessary and keep that balance in your life. In the end, success is a bittersweet reward if there’s no one to share it with.
