Don’t Work Harder, or Smarter; Commit to These 3 Things & Watch Your Life Improve

Many of us put off taking pleasure in our everyday lives to some time in the future. We’ll work super duper hard … and maybe by next vacation, maybe when the kids move out, maybe when I retire, we can do those pleasurable things that we love.

But not before all of the work is done, good and faithful servant, and you have earned your blessed rest. (Cue: a string symphony and your personal martyrdom.)

Is this you? Or are you dating a workaholic? Are you married to a workaholic?

I used to work myself pretty hard. I worked hard to get what I thought was success in my life, including my own office, a job that included lots of travel, my Master’s degree, a handsome husband, a baby, a specific time in a running race, a number on the scale.

But as soon as I achieved a goal, I’d stop working on it. I’d sit in my office in a daze. This was before social media was really a “thing,” so I’d get into long email conversations with my friends or look out the window.

After the hard work of bringing a baby into the world (pregnancy and round-the-clock infant care), I’d try to escape the responsibilities of motherhood with an alcohol buzz or excessive social activities.