Friday, May 12, 2006

YOU JUST MIGHT BE A WORKAHOLIC

YOU JUST MIGHT BE A WORKAHOLIC

By: Dr. Donald E. Wetmore

Many wonder what it takes to be a workaholic. Now I’m not suggesting
that being a workaholic is either a good thing or a bad thing but maybe
it’s useful to determine if we are. There is really no one thing that
would make one automatically qualify but after twenty years as a
full-time Professional Speaker I have been able to unearth some of the
symptoms.

If it frustrates you that they don’t allow laptops on a Ferris wheel,
you may be a workaholic.

If you are looking forward to Christmas this year because you’ll decide
to take that afternoon off, you might be a workaholic.

If you don’t drink any beverages during the day because you’ll lose time
having to go to the bathroom, you might be a workaholic.

If a Pay-Per-View movie is your idea of a vacation, then you just might
be a workaholic.

If twenty minutes is too long for a lunch “hour”, you might be a
workaholic.

If hobbies are something you will get into when you “get the time”, you
may be a workaholic.

If the only time you’ve had off in the last three years was to attend
your favorite uncle’s funeral, you might be a workaholic.

If you wish you weren’t so stressed but know that you will feel better
as soon as you “get over the hump”, you might be a workaholic.

If the color of one side of your golf bag has faded and is different
from the other side of the bag, you might be a workaholic.

If you promised your spouse “this is the only Sunday I’ll work” more
than three times in the last year, you might just be a workaholic.

If you bring your spreadsheets to your son’s football game, you may be a
workaholic.

If you sense that the smiles from those around you are somewhat
synthetic, you might be a workaholic.

If you’ve told yourself, “I can cut back of my hours anytime, if I
wanted to” more than three times in the last six months, you might be a
workaholic.

If you use your cell phone in the shower to return business calls in the
morning before work, you might just be a workaholic.

If you don’t have a tan by July 15 each year, you may be a workaholic.

If it’s difficult to remember the last time you heard background music
at a restaurant, you might be a workaholic.

If you set your alarm for 2:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. so you can check your
voicemail, well, you just might be a workaholic.

If it bothers you that you are always at work before and after everyone
else, you might be a workaholic.

If you can’t name your daughter’s favorite rock band, you just might be
a workaholic.

If elderly people tend to make you impatient, you might just be a
workaholic.

If people at cocktail parties seem to want to leave your conversation
and “get another glass of wine” just when you were really getting into
telling them about your job, well, you just might be a workaholic.

If it’s been a while since you felt guilty about missing yet another
family dinner, you might be a workaholic.

If you carry family pictures in your wallet only to remind you what they
look like, you might be a workaholic.

If you’re drinking your coffee in a dirty cup from yesterday, you just
might be a workaholic.

If you haven’t gone home early in the last six months, you might be a
workaholic.

If your idea of an intimate anniversary celebration is to take your
spouse to a formal business dinner, you might be a workaholic.

If a clown is not so funny, an owl is not so wise, and you think that
Peter Pan cannot really fly, you might be a workaholic.

If the last outrageous thing you did was over ten years ago, you might
be a workaholic.

If a three-year-old girl holding a fluffy bunny under her arm doesn’t
cause you to stop and watch, well, you just might be a workaholic.