Workaholism and Success
A friend commented to me the other day that he thought I was a workaholic and it prompted me to think about the veracity of that statement. I do certainly work many many hours so I was very curious to see if I actually fall into the category of having an addiction to work. I looked up the definition of “workaholism”. I found two definitions.
Workaholism is a compulsiveness to work.
Workaholism is an obsessive need to work.
Now, I look at these two definitions and try to be as objective as anyone can be about themselves (that’s a challenge) and weigh whether or not I fall into the dreaded “workaholic” category. I will admit that I am compulsive about work, therefore, the first definition fits. However, I don’t feel an obsessive need to work, just for the sake of working.
My question is this. When you are an entrepreneur or trying to advance your career is it necessary to be a workaholic to be successful?
As an entrepreneur, my passion and drive propels me to work and build my business. Most of the time, it does not even feel like work. I am in a creative zone and the adrenaline takes over. Hours go by and I actually lose track of time. I am very fortunate that my work is stimulating and aligned with my passion to assist professional women to be successful. It is true that I end up working many extra hours each week, but it doesn’t feel obsessive to me. The primary force behind the long hours is my love for my business.
There is nothing wrong in having the drive to succeed. One would be foolish to think that you can start a business or advance your career without putting in much time and effort. Successful careers and businesses don’t happen by chance. The danger is perhaps in consistently choosing work over other options such as family, friends, exercise, recreational activities. It is easy to lose track of how important it is to balance your life. In fact, stepping away from work every so often can also contribute to your success. The break allows you to be even more creative and productive and gives you a new perspective on your business and career path.
Here is my answer to the above question on whether you need to be a workaholic to be successful. Hard work is unquestionably an important factor in success. Yes, you need to work hard and work smart to be successful. Smart working habits that include time well spent in other activities that nourish your body and soul are other important components for a successful life and career. When you recognize that you are consistently choosing work over everything else in your life, beware. An obsession with work can be as dysfunctional as other types of addiction and just as unhealthy.
I am interested in hearing your comments. How much time do you feel you need to devote to work to be successful?
Check out Women’s Success Coaching monthly teleclasses and register online.
http://womenssuccesscoaching.com/services/group-coaching/
February: Selling Yourself and Your Services. How to Feel Comfortable with Self-Promotion
March: Grow Your Business. No Cold Calls Necessary.
Fear of Failure
Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish—-Ovid
What great wisdom from a Roman poet. But how often are we willing to take risks and take chances? It’s pretty scary, right?
Have you thought about what your business would look like if you had NO fear of failure and rejection? Fear is such a powerful obstacle for most of us and the reality is that this fear constantly holds us back from success.
In theory, the solution seems so simple. Just put your fears aside and march gallantly out into the world with your message. We all know that it is simply not that simple. Many of us are terrified. If we all had the ability to overcome our fears, success would be achievable for everyone who seeks it.
We cannot escape fear. We can only transform it into a companion that accompanies us on all our exciting adventures….Take a risk a day-one small or bold stroke that will make you feel great once you have done it.—Susan Jeffers.
I love this quote because the goal of completely eliminating all our fears is daunting. Why not make fear a friend who accompanies us through life but never holds us back? It’s OK to acknowledge that you are frightened, but when you let fear control the accelerator, it is very difficult to move forward.
What are some of your fears about promoting yourself and your business or your current job position?
- fear of rejection
- fear of making a fool of yourself
- fear that someone will find out you’re really not that good
- perfectionism
- fear that people won’t like you
- fear of success
Let’s recognize that we all have some of these fears and let’s recognize that these fears are preventing us from getting out there and promoting ourselves effectively.
What would your business look like if you were willing to make fear your companion and not your gatekeeper?
Can you take one small risk each day to promote yourself?
What is the worst thing that can happen? You might just catch that fish!!!
Check out my February Group Teleclass on Self-Promotion.
Sell Yourself and Your Services: How to Feel Comfortable with Self Promotion.
http://www.womenssuccesscoaching.com/services/group-coaching/
4 one hour sessions starting Tuesday, February 3rd at 7-8pm EST.
Why is to “sell” a four letter word?
I am always amazed at how many people are traumatized when it comes to selling. When I looked up “to sell” in the dictionary, I found these definitions.
- to transfer services to another in exchange for money. (OK. I can live with this one.)
- to persuade or induce someone to buy something. (Used car salesman approach?)
- to convince (hmmm. Still a bit negative.)
- informal definition: to cheat, betray,or hoax. (OMG!)
Yikes! No wonder those of us in sales often fight the negative public perception of sales people and NO WONDER no one likes to sell. It’s because they don’t like being SOLD TO.
There are many negative beliefs about sales. For those of you who think that you need to be born as a salesperson or need to be a certain personality type, I challenge you. You are hiding behind this limiting belief and assuming that only certain people can sell well. It’s too easy to take on this belief and the consequences are far reaching if you have your own business. After all, who can sell your business with more passion than you?
Sales does not have to be a daunting task. It’s about having basic conversations and dialogues with people. I emphasize dialogue because good selling is more about asking good open ended questions and listening. Don’t be intimidated into believing that you need to make spectacular slick presentations. Sales is more about building rapport and relationships, gaining trust, and educating others about your product or service. Even sales professionals know that these are the basic skills they need to be successful.
You can have the best business concept in the world, but if you don’t get out there and acquaint people with your product/services, you will not be successful. Talk with people about what you do. Connect with the passion you had when you first started your business. Make your message personal and interesting and just get out and sell!
Women’s Success Coaching is offering a teleclass on Self-Promotion in February. Four one hour sessions for $199. Check out Group Coaching to access more information or to register. First class is Tuesday evening, February 3rd from 7-8pm EST.
Taking a Break
Many of us are just coming off the holiday season refreshed because we have had some time off from work and time to be with our family and friends. Although the holidays can be an exhausting whirlwind of activity, the break from our normal daily routine is a good thing. Often this short break gives us a new perspective on our jobs, our relationships, and our lives, and we are able to then approach 2009 with gusto and sometimes a new direction.
Taking a break from our normal routine is important to re-fuel our passion and purpose in life. The holidays create a natural break, but how many of us recognize when we need to take a break other times in our lives? The drive to succeed can wear us down over time and giving ourselves permission to take some time to reflect and rejuvenate can be just what the doctor ordered.
The advantages of taking some time for ourselves are many.
- We nurture ourselves by catching up on sleep, eating well, and exercising. The importance of a good sound sleep cannot be over emphasized for our health and well-being. When we get off the merry-go-round of life for a while, we are once again in touch with our physical being and more mindful of how we fuel our bodies. It’s a physical tune up.
- We spend time meditating, reflecting, relaxing, and nurturing our mental and emotional health. Writing in a journal, creating a gratitude list, morning pages are all excellent ways to re-connect with your spiritual side and your creativity. Take long walks and re-connect with nature. Feel your presence in the universe.
- For those of us who are Type “A” personalities, just “being” gives us time to think about what direction we are taking in our lives and if, perhaps, we need to alter our focus and our path. Often, we are so focused on the goal, we can’t see the forest for the trees. This is a great time to re-think where we are headed with our businesses and our careers. Taking a break brings great clarity. If we re-connect with our original intentions, we have more energy to move forward. If we create a new path and new intentions, we also come away with renewed energy and a fresh start.
Of course, in the perfect world, we would do all of these activities to
nurture ourselves everyday. But the reality is that many of us do not
routinely do this and we simply need to take a break to catch up with
ourselves every so often.
How do you know when you need to take a break?
- You are mentally and physically exhausted. Maybe you are physically out of shape and gaining weight, getting sick too often.
- You don’t have your normal energy and passion for your job and your business.
- You are stuck or blocked in some way from moving forward in your business and your life.
- You are feeling unusually down about yourself and are looking for a new direction.
When you recognize the need to take a break, give yourself permission to do so. Hop off the merry-go-round for a quick tune up and you’ll emerge refreshed, energized, and ready to take on the challenges that life has to offer with a renewed purpose.
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