“We have been bequeathed cultural legacies that could be doing us great harm, yet which we scarcely spot or question, such as a work ethic in which we consider leisure time as “time off” rather than “time on”, or the belief that the best way to use our talents is to become a specialist in a narrow field – a high achiever rather than a wide achiever”. (Roman Krznaric, “How should we live?”).
“Time on” is the time we spend with friends, on holiday, pursuing personal interests, time in the garden. “Time off” is the business of earning the money to be able to do these good things. Workaholics have it completely the wrong way round.
I know what I am talking about. I used to run a company that was effectively bankrupt when I took on the job. I worked almost seven days a week for years, wore myself to a frazzle and missed a large part of my children’s childhood. The company survived, but I nearly didn’t. Warning: don’t follow my stupid example. Believe me, it is not worth it !! I know it is a truism, but you don’t get a second life. This is all there is. Which is why I now follow Epicurus.