Home is a private territory.
Hang up a sign that says, "No trespassing" in your bedroom which doubles as your office extension.
And consider your work a wicked trespasser to that sacred altar.
An eight-year old, first-grade boy one day asked his mother why Daddy brings home a briefcase full of papers every evening. "It's because Daddy has so much to do, he can't finish them at the office and so he has to work nights," the mother replied. "Well, then," said the child, "why don't they just put Daddy in a slower group or a lower grade?"
If you are an executive, there must have been times when you had to bring your work home. I guess that's the price one pays to be an executive. But if you do it regularly, you have either taken more work than you should or you've not been managing your time well.
Another possibility is that you are afflicted with this not-so-common disease called the "martyr complex," which involves wanting to impress your colleagues and family. There is also another word for you - workaholic.
People can become addicted to work just as they can become addicted to alcohol. Here are some signs:
- A refusal to take a vacation;
- An inability to put the office out of your mind on weekends and holidays;
- A bulging briefcase full of work; and
- A son or daughter you can no longer call by name.
You need to get away from work at the end of the day, both mentally and physically. Except for rare emergencies, time spent at home doing office tasks tends to be counterproductive, draining your energies and alienating your family.
And it's bad practice that breeds on itself. The more often you bring homework, the more difficult it is to stop this nasty habit. Your drive to get things done dampens as you tell yourself, "If I don't get this finished today, there's always tonight..."
Psychologists say workaholics have a subconscious desire to be snowed under by work and stay that way. To appear indispensable, however boring his life is devoid of leisure and enjoyment.
Most of us are busy with activities, not with achievement. And between them, there's a whole lot of difference. Achievement is getting things done while activity is staying busy all the time.
Let's pause for a while here. Many things in life are more important than work. Let us take your family, for instance. Where does it rank in your order of priorities? Haven't you noticed that your son or daughter has grown up so much? You can't kid yourself and neither can you kid your family by saying, "But I'm doing all this for you." Honestly now, we might be doing this for ourselves; because we're already dedicated to it. A workaholic's enjoyment is his employment.
There are much more worthwhile things to do. Pray, study the Word of God and have a regular family gathering. Teach your children how to pray. Build up their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ every day and equipm them for life.
Don't fill up that briefcase. Try not to bring work home. One business writer drives home the point with this question: "How many people do you know, who, in their dying bed, would say this: 'I wish I had spent more time in the office?"