The naked truth of work addiction
You’re wildly addicted to 1 drug without a question (and so was I):
WORK.
It’s not the actual work you’re addicted to, it’s the stress that comes with it.
You don’t even question it anymore, because you felt like this for a long time.
Picture this: you can’t even recall the last time you felt truly relaxed, able to completely let go. It’s like that worn-out winter coat, worn year after year, adorned with holes. Yet, it clings to you, fitting so snugly that it becomes a part of your identity. You know it’s time for a new jacket, but the comfort it brings seems irreplaceable.
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This is exactly what happens with addiction. You tell yourself that you’ll change. That you’ll slow down. That you’ll take time to breathe. But as soon as the first fog clears up, you’re back on the treadmill of stress.
Convinced that slowing down means falling behind.
I call it the “fear of everything falling apart”. The fear that success, money, and recognition are fragile threads that could easily disintegrate when I slow it down a bit.
But you know what actually happens when you stay addicted?
Stress paves the way for burnout, and then your fear will be proven right.
Burnout will make it all fall apart. And there is only one person that can decide between sustainable success and your favorite drug.
YOU.
Ask yourself this: If you would let go of the idea that stress leads to success — how would your business and life change?
