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Finding a balance is key
Why do people overwork themselves? It could be for a plethora of reasons, including money, success, or to mask other issues we don’t want to face. The path to success can be lonely, but it doesn’t have to be.
When we’re overworking, we’re often compromising, giving ourselves to other things that might be important in our lives. If you catch yourself early enough, you’ll save yourself from losing things that matter, like your health, relationships, happiness, and thirst for life.
A good friend told me to be careful of overwork, for overwork can lead to stagnation, which ultimately happened to me.
I have tended to overwork in my life. It’s normal for me to constantly juggle ten things at a time. I prefer it. But now, I have to check myself and ask constantly:
What is my goal?
Do my goals align with my values?
What does success look like for me?
What are my intentions with this work?
What am I getting in return for this work?
What am I sacrificing to take on this additional work?
What I’ve Learned From Overworking
I still work a lot and probably always will because I enjoy what I do. However, the questions above help me remain aligned so I don’t veer off track or compromise too much in the process.
As we make our way towards our financial goals and definition of success, keep a close eye on your health, the relationship you carry with yourself, your relationships with others, your holistic personal development, and if our goal-oriented actions still make sense to continue.
We’re humans, and humans constantly evolve. As we evolve, so do our goals, passions, hobbies, relationships, interests, personalities, minds, and bodies.
There will be times we need to switch up our goals because they no longer make sense.
The money, the wealth, and the success will always be there, but you won’t, and neither will the things and people you care about most. Find a way to manage both so you’re surrounded and not alone when you have all the wealth.
Find People Who Align With Your Values
At the same time, mission-driven people need to be surrounded by people who understand this and are okay with who we are. Not everyone is meant to be on a journey with us, and we can sometimes be challenging to understand.
However, we tend to find more fulfillment in purposeful work than in other traditional activities. There will be relationships we must let go of because of misaligned values, which is okay! The remedy is to surround ourselves with like-minded people and explain to the people we love what your goals are in a loving way.
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.