I'm not a workaholic, but I sometimes behave like one. Arriving early and making up for it by leaving late. Weekend work and missed vacation opportunities. My blog posts have been infrequent and sometimes not engaging. I've become one dimensional. My brain is full of things that aren't interesting to other people. Or it's a matter of nothing left to give.
Sounds like something we should explore in greater detail -- this concept of managing work and life. Some folks don't like us to use the word balance anymore. Like that would be expecting too much. Maybe I'll come up with my own term -- work/life perspective.
To be honest, I don't expect balance, do you? I want a full and interesting life that extends beyond the walls of the workplace. It does not necessarily come naturally when you are working hard regardless of your motivation. Gaining perspective requires deliberation.
I consulted with a career counselor -- not to get a new job -- but to help me define my needs and expectations going forward. I'm all about asking for help when you need it. We agreed that I like a little time off now and again. So why don't I take it? Poor planning. It's like sex after 30 years of marriage. You think it will happen by itself, but most of the time it doesn't.
My husband and I decided we would plan one big vacation every year, one mini-vacation of three to four days every quarter and one camping trip a month. We just got back from our first mini-vacation of the year, a road trip to Albuquerque. We had a fantasic time, and just four days off made a huge difference in my perspective. I'm charged up again. My husband, who is retired, also came back re-engergized and actually started cleaning the garage!
Mid-life sex and vacations have more in common than I thought. A little planning goes a long way, and gee, once you get going, you start to think about when you can do it again.
