Balance

I come from a family of workaholics. There is this crazy drive in me to work harder and do better than everyone else…and its so strong it could kill a person. I’ve watched it exhaust my family. From health problems, to heartache, my clan has a way of working themselves into the ground.

Not me. I don’t want it.

To a point, having a strong work ethic certainly is a great characteristic to have. I respect people who have this attribute and feel disappointed in myself when I lack it.

Just after college I lived with a family member who worked an insane amount of hours. I watched as their life whizzed by. Beautiful summer days, date nights, kids growing up–it all passed her by and she barely noticed. There was constant stress in the home. Buying the newest and the best was a priority. And it made me sad.

At that point I decided that I couldn’t live my life like that. I’m prone to striving for achievements. That’s fine, but it really has to stay in check. These days, I find myself wishing I was hiking a mountain or building a campsite instead of checking off boxes on the career ladder.

I’ll continue to work hard while I do it. But I’m realizing that I have to take advantage of the days I can leave work an hour early or come in an hour late, to actually enjoy my weekends instead of working through them. And when we’ve reached the point of financial freedom, I will not be living to work…I’ll be working just to enjoy stretching my brain and for the love of my craft. Can’t wait!

*The featured image of this post is in my hometown of Lake Geneva, WI. I was a beach baby who grew up on the lake. The pace of life was so much slower. When I think of what I want life to be like for me and my family, I think of mornings at the beach. 🙂