Why are you working so hard?

Post written by Steve Otto. Follow me on Twitter.

Some of us are very lucky to enjoy what we do for a living. A few of us loathe what we do. But many of us fall somewhere in the middle. We find ourselves in a job that pays our bills, we work with mostly good people, and the work itself is tolerable. It’s not necessarily our passion, but it’s tolerable.

At what sacrifice? If you have found what your passion is and you are able to chase after it, then kudos to you. You are very blessed and should be thankful for what you have. I am in this position with my Wedding Entertainment business. When I started, I quickly found that I absolutely love being a part of someone’s wedding day and helping couples to celebrate one of the most meaningful days of their lives. Though it is not my full time job, it is doing extremely well and has earned me more than my computer programming job the last several years.

While it is a passion of mine – it still falls below my family. Which I believe any job should, ministry included. It is far too easy to get caught up in your work or passion and sacrifice something for more important, like family, or your marriage. It is not uncommon to see a businessman’s marriage fall apart as he climbs higher up the corporate ladder. It’s very easy to become consumed by your work – and forget the very reason why you are working.

What are your Credentials? It’s just as easy to get caught up in titles or position as it is your work. Things like those little titles after your name. The position you hold. Your list of degrees. Achievements proudly displayed on your wall. These are things that are easy to chase after, but the time they take away from your family may hurt the most important credentials you may hold. Husband. Wife. Dad. Mom.

It is your work in life that is the ultimate seduction.
- Pablo Picasso

Avoiding the trap. Whether you are passionate about your work or not, it’s very easy to fall into a trap. What trap is that? The trap in thinking that if you work a little bit harder and sacrifice a little more time with your family, you’ll reach a point where you’ll have plenty of time with your family. A few years ago, I remember falling into this trap. I began devoting way too much time into my business because it was showing signs of success. My thoughts were that if I work just a little bit harder I will reach my goal more quickly of being able to leave my current full-time job and DJ full time. Then I could spend more time with my family. Do you see the problem here? I was spending less time with my family so that I could spend more time with them? I thought I could get there more quickly if I worked harder. But I was hurting the very thing I was working for.

Finding balance. The key is to give the important things in your life the time they deserve now. Whether you love your work or see working harder as a chance to get to the light at the end of the tunnel, don’t forget to take care of the other,often more important, things in your life. I’m not recommending that you stop working hard. I am recommending that you limit the amount of time you give to your job or career or ministry.

Be honest with yourself. Are you investing more into your work than you are into your marriage and your children? Are you bringing your work home, but not bringing home any flowers? Do you say no when your kids ask you to play, but say yes to every request from your boss? It’s easy to do. I find myself doing these very things all too often and I have no doubt that my family is more important than my work. What degree would your kids give you as a parent? Would you be a high-school dropout or working on your Doctorates?

Do you remember why you are working so hard? Make the changes you need to right now to put what’s important back at the top of the list.

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