workaholics anonymous

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 3:18 am

I'm a cured workaholic. I feel no guilt whatsoever about skiving off work, putting off things I don't want to do. Doing as little as I need to to get by. I can't be bothered with all those go getters who boast about how hard they work and what they are going to achieve. The last time some go getter wanting my business tried the line that they would be committed to providing me with a service 24 hours a day seven days a week I told him to F--k off I would rather deal with someone normal that could go home at night and forget about work.

I'm skiving now because I don't want to do what I should be doing but I need to eat so I'll do it anyway-and very well I might add- but it seems only right you should stop every now and then and rebel against the work ethic. It's when you have few days holiday that you realise how unnatural working all the time really is.

So I would encourage you all the next time one of those tossers brays on about the virtues of hard work and how they work all the days god sends (or whatever you believe in) to stand up for humanity and tell them to F__K off and get a life and stop taking things so seriously.

Stand with me and have the courage to say I am a cured workaholic.

Raven · Post by **Raven** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 3:28 am

I'm still a commited workaholic. :yh_rotfl If I skive, someone stays sick, dies, etc.

You see I am one of those workaholics that also suffers from co-dependency. Have to be needed. My case is terminal I'm afraid. :p

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 3:39 am

gmc;1249079 wrote: I'm a cured workaholic. I feel no guilt whatsoever about skiving off work, putting off things I don't want to do. Doing as little as I need to to get by. I can't be bothered with all those go getters who boast about how hard they work and what they are going to achieve. The last time some go getter wanting my business tried the line that they would be committed to providing me with a service 24 hours a day seven days a week I told him to F--k off I would rather deal with someone normal that could go home at night and forget about work.

I'm skiving now because I don't want to do what I should be doing but I need to eat so I'll do it anyway-and very well I might add- but it seems only right you should stop every now and then and rebel against the work ethic. It's when you have few days holiday that you realise how unnatural working all the time really is.

So I would encourage you all the next time one of those tossers brays on about the virtues of hard work and how they work all the days god sends (or whatever you believe in) to stand up for humanity and tell them to F__K off and get a life and stop taking things so seriously.

Stand with me and have the courage to say I am a cured workaholic.

First of all... my Father used to say that hard work never hurt anyone until he had a brain aneurysm.

My husband and i were both the same up to 10 years ago. We were both is sales in a company of 42 branches in London and the South Coast. Everything we did was for sales targets and bonuses. Once a week we had a magazine come out lisitng the top sales people for the week. If I was not top.... I'd have a fit for the day.

We both worked 14 hours a day 7 days a week. I was supposed to have sundays off but I just had to go into my office to make sure my assistent was doing the job.

10 years ago, our joint income weekly was Â£1,800. Imagine the tax on that !!!

We had a huge 3 bedroomed house and even paid for a cleaner to come in every day and a dog walker to come in 3 times a day. One of my bosses once said that If they cut me in half, I'd have the name of the company written through me like a stick of rock.

I had to have emergency major surgery and three days after my surgery I had a pulmery embolism ( Clot on the lung) and nearly died. As I recovered, my husband became more and more ill until they found he had advanced cancer. During that time, my Father, Mother, Sister, Aunt and Mother -in law died within 18 months of each other.

Suddenly my whole outlook on life changed.

Hugh Janus · Post by **Hugh Janus** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 3:52 am

Being the richest corpse in the graveyard is never a good thing, especially if you got there too early...

Work is a dirty four letter word...

Raven · Post by **Raven** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 4:05 am

oscar;1249087 wrote: First of all... my Father used to say that hard work never hurt anyone until he had a brain aneurysm.

My husband and i were both the same up to 10 years ago. We were both is sales in a company of 42 branches in London and the South Coast. Everything we did was for sales targets and bonuses. Once a week we had a magazine come out lisitng the top sales people for the week. If I was not top.... I'd have a fit for the day.

We both worked 14 hours a day 7 days a week. I was supposed to have sundays off but I just had to go into my office to make sure my assistent was doing the job.

10 years ago, our joint income weekly was Â£1,800. Imagine the tax on that !!!

We had a huge 3 bedroomed house and even paid for a cleaner to come in every day and a dog walker to come in 3 times a day. One of my bosses once said that If they cut me in half, I'd have the name of the company written through me like a stick of rock.

I had to have emergency major surgery and three days after my surgery I had a pulmery embolism ( Clot on the lung) and nearly died. As I recovered, my husband became more and more ill until they found he had advanced cancer. During that time, my Father, Mother, Sister, Aunt and Mother -in law died within 18 months of each other.

Suddenly my whole outlook on life changed.

BLIMEY! Makes my case nicely for being a workaholic tho.:-2

I am positive you need to change some karma mate! Thats too much bad juju for any one person to take and stay sane! You okay?:(

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 2:16 pm

Workaholics are so over-rated.

:D

Barman · Post by **Barman** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 2:29 pm

I used to be a workaholic, nothing unusual in working 16 hours a day 7 days a week. I know i was a lot younger then but i reckon it did me no good at all.

Used to work what we called "Ghosters" start work at 8 am on a Monday and finish 8pm on Tuesday, very hard and used to have visions and all sorts, plenty of coffee. Would then just do a 12 hour shift on the Wednesday.

Missed a lot of my kids young lives and time with the wife, eventually cracked and walked out in the middle of the day, best thing i ever did.

I found i could still earn 5 times the amount by working for myself and being home at 5 every night and not working weekends so that is what i did for the next 20 years.

Kathy Ellen · Post by **Kathy Ellen** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 2:46 pm

I have to work hard.....I live at the beach and the taxes and insurances are ridiculously high.....I'm house poor but happy. I love living here and also love my teaching job.....so it's worth it for a few more years. Then, I'll move to a lovely beach in Florida.....That's the plan....hope I can do it;)

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 2:58 pm

There is actually life after workaholism, I've found, Kathy!! Grin. One of the hardest things for workaholics, reformed or still ploughing on, is that we tend to define ourselves in terms of our work - and learn to love our chains. I hear there's bargains to be had in real estate round the Sarasota area of Florida right now... :sneaky:

Kathy Ellen · Post by **Kathy Ellen** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 3:10 pm

AussiePam;1249260 wrote: There is actually life after workaholism, I've found, Kathy!! Grin. One of the hardest things for workaholics, reformed or still ploughing on, is that we tend to define ourselves in terms of our work - and learn to love our chains. I hear there's bargains to be had in real estate round the Sarasota area of Florida right now... :sneaky:

It's very difficult teaching today due to the testing standards. If you wish to continue teaching you better be perfect in my district or else you'll be fired.

I am very anal about making everything correct when I teach Pam and spend too much time being a perfectionist:(. I'm trying to make this year a bit easier by getting some work done during the day and before I go home.

It's hard though with the wee ones. They need you every second of the day, but my group is becoming more independent with each passing day:-6. I am definitely going to have a good year with my new class:-4

minks · Post by **minks** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 3:30 pm

I have never been a workaholic, was married to one mind you. But yes "downtime" is very important to a body. I have a ton of stuff piled up in my life at the moment (funny I just dumped that all in my journal) and it's feeling less painful since I got back from my holidays. I needed the time off.

Reminder to self, pay bills ahahahahahaha

Chookie · Post by **Chookie** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 3:43 pm

At one time I lived to work.

Nowadays I work to live. I don't have nearly as much stress or tension and I'm a helluva lot happier, plus I have time to do what I want.

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 4:54 pm

WORK TO LIVE, NOT LIVE TO WORK

April 1, 2002

It's 5:00 o'clock in the morning; the alarm sets off. You get out of bed. You take a bath. You have your breakfast. You leave the house. You're ready to face another working day. Or are you?

When I was a kid, I would ask my mom why she and my father had to work. She would always tell me that they had to, so we could have the money to buy food, to pay for the bills, to pay for our schooling (we come from a middle income family). Both my parents worked but I'm really grateful to God; that in spite of that, we were never lacking in love, time, nor care from our parents.

As a matter of fact, my brothers and I grew up to be responsible individuals because our parents really took care of us. Although they were at the office 5 days a week from 8:00am to 5:00pm, they still found time to look after us, and teach us our lessons in the evening.

They made sure that we did our homework. They didn't pressure us to aspire for honors, but we were motivated enough to study hard so we'd get good grades. It was our way of repaying our parents who never complained about working. I guess fate has been really good to my brothers and me because, modesty aside, all of us managed to land in the top of our respective classes.

My parents taught me that one has to work in order for him to live a good life. They stressed, however, that this should not be taken as having to live just to work! They said that work should only be a part of life and it should not occupy one's whole existence.

And they lived this philosophy. At the end of the work day, they would leave all their work-related problems in the office so that at home they could be devoted to us 100%, no less.

I must say that agree with them. To this day, I still hear their message that work should be just a part of life and not life itself. I pity those people who have their way in this game called life. They have forgotten how to really live because they work too hard.

There' nothing wrong with striving at work, but people must watch out for signs that they have begun to work themselves to death. Remember that anything in excess is bad. Maybe, they want to achieve something badly, that's why they work so hard. But I believe that success in the workplace doesn't always bring happiness.

To be successful means that you have to sacrifice some things and sometimes, you end up sacrificing your family, your friends, your life; you achieve your professional goals, but you lose yourself. Then you wonder if the loss is worth the gain.

Everybody's wish, in this world, is happiness and there are many ways to be happy. But when we work too hard or worry too much, we often forget that the simple things in life are those that make us happyâ€¦. a call from a friend, a smile from a stranger, the sight of a lovely flower, a surprise gift, a filling meal, a pat on the back, etc. It doesn't require much to get these gifts. These gifts are for free, but they provide immeasurable happiness.

Work to live and not live to work. Find time for yourself, for your family, for your friends. Keep in mind that your priority is your loved ones, and not your work. Everybody deserves to be happy and I hope that everyone grows old without any regret in life.

I hope each of us will have a smile on our faces when we reminisce the old times, I hope that everyone finds living exciting, wonderful. It is my wish that we would all find the time to do the things that really matter most.

Let us work hard, not purely for our professional goals, but for a better life.

--- Author Unknown --- Submitted by Jenny Santos --- Manila, Philippines

weeder · Post by **weeder** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 4:23 am

Just had some of the same thoughts as GMC wrote just the other day.

I have lost more and more interest in work this past year. I used to love what I did, was obsessed with drumming up new business, socializing to network.

This past year I kept thinking " Whats wrong with you?" You never want to work.

Well firstly, I am getting too old to push myself the way I have for 40 years.

Secondly, it is abnormal to spend every waking moment working.

Ive spent my life chasing the carrott($$$$$) the job that would bring me the big reward. It never happened. My father raised me to think that the only worth I had was how long and how hard I could work. My family didnt promote any of our interests in art or music or writing. Avenues of work that could have been rewarding, while earning us a living. My work has required physical endurance.

Now, I am paying the price with arthritis, and a million other aches and pains.

I would be willing to live in a tent in the woods, if I could get up everyday and do exactly what I want to do, or do nothing at all. When you live to work, your work becomes your identity, and then without the work you are nothing. This recession is teaching people that they can live with a lot less, and hopefully when it is over,

people will continue to work less,and enjoy life more.

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 6:22 am

You'll be voting for a National Health next! What's come over you Americans? :p

I stepped sideways a few years back due to an unforeseen collection of unlikely circumstances and now live by renting out a couple of rooms and having very low costs. So far it seems to be working. If only just.

But I really don't want to go back into the rat race to work to allow myself nice things I wouldn't appreciate anyway because I'd be working to pay for more of them to show how successful I was.

Time isn't money. It's far more valuable than that.

minks · Post by **minks** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 8:00 am

Life is to be enjoyed and so many people think working hard for all their "toys" is enjoyable. Well hades by the time you make enough money to buy them you are too old to enjoy them....

case in point,

watch the bikes on the road, who owns those big fancy fully loaded Harleys et al? Old Men ahahahahahaha

minks · Post by **minks** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 8:24 am

Here Gang something to think on.

In April, Maya Angelou was interviewed by Oprah on her 70+ birthday.. Oprah asked her what she thought of growing older.

And, there on television, she said it was 'exciting...'

Regarding body changes, she said there were many, occurring every day.....like her breasts. They seem to be in a race to see which will reach her waist, first.

The audience laughed so hard they cried. She is such a simple and honest woman, with so much wisdom in her words!

Maya Angelou said this:

'I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.'

'I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.'

'I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.'

'I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a life.'

'I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.'

'I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back..'

'I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.'

'I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.'

'I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.'

'I've learned that I still have a lot to learn..'

'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 8:33 am

Raven;1249097 wrote: BLIMEY! Makes my case nicely for being a workaholic tho.:-2

I am positive you need to change some karma mate! Thats too much bad juju for any one person to take and stay sane! You okay?:(
Thanks Raven... how I did stay sane through those times I will never know :wah: I concentrate on what I have now and am very happy. I owe my life to paramedics and the hospital who cared for me. However, now, I am about to start a new path in life that will see me out all hours of the day again. I've learnt by previous mistakes and know that I have to pace myself this time.