Have you ever noticed yourself becoming obsessed with your work? You work tons of overtime and never get tired of it because you are learning so much. Workaholism is a real and prevalent issue in today's job market and we all hear about how important it is to have a healthy work/life balance. But what if you cannot simply turn it off in your brain? I believe the "go-getter" habits you have ingrained in 16+ years of schooling can influence how you approach work life. If you were always the one to strive for A's in college, naturally you want to excel at work as well. Is there any profit to continuing your "schoolaholism," as I call it?
Some people think that work is a silent competition. Everyone is trying to perform and impress the boss, instead of the professor. I'm not so sure. When you are all the cream of the crop is there a need to be nasty toward each other? No. You are all learning to perform at job at your own pace and you can even build a friendliness toward your co-workers. Working itself can be stressful enough, that good comradery is almost necessary to be successful. As my boss says, "If you are successful, I am successful as well."
Secondly, there's the problem of always having to stay busy. You almost feel unsettled when you are on break or vacation. Not that any of this is new, but I think this stems from the intense pressure we receive in our education. I think education today is more about the overall system instead of the individual. Which is fine in certain circumstances, but it discourages students/workers from working at their own pace.
If I ever become a supervisor one day, I hope I can reconcile these differences. I hope that I never forget how difficult college got sometimes, how I would throw my head down in my hands in exhaustion, just to rinse and repeat day after day. Is there really a difference in the work world? People work day after day for a pay check and without some kind of a degree it is very difficult to "get anywhere." People in Lower and Middle Class America are just doomed to be perfectionists for the rest of their lives... working until they are lying in their grave.
There has to be more to life. For me, it is being a part of the Church of Christ and helping those who do not have the same luxuries I have. It seeing an lady who's barefoot find a pair of black boots to match her black skirt. It is the little things that warm my heart and cause me to take a step back from the work rush – the school rush – Life. It comes down to: where do your priorities lie?
