During an email exchange, a very close friend raised a fascinating question. “Do you think it’s beneficial to us that we constantly keep ourselves busy?”
I struggle with such an existential conversation. Oddly enough, I can always go to my friend Irina when I need an empathic sounding board. Ironically, she’s one of the busiest women in the Beltway.
While working remotely as a paralegal, she squeezes in a running routine before or after work. When she isn’t running, she goes to the gym. After the gym, she takes dance lessons from a studio based in Silver Spring. Heck, I’m mentally exhausted capturing her daily schedule on paper. Did I mention that she has a husband and family with four children? She logs countless miles as a hockey mom on the road and in the air.
There’s something that resonates within American culture that’s embodied by the expression, “early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” Parents raise their children to make the most of every moment. Essentially, families want the next generation to be productive in school and eventually the workplace.
When we focus and engage in an activity, there’s no room for distractions or introspection. When an individual achieves a goal or pursues a worthwhile activity, it feels rewarding and invigorating to finish the work
According to the seminal English author Samuel Johnson, work remedies melancholy:
The safe and general antidote against sorrow is employment.
It is commonly observed, that among soldiers and seamen,
though there is much kindness, there is little grief; they see
their friend fall without any of that lamentation which is
indulged in security and idleness, because they have no
leisure to spare from the care of themselves; and whoever
shall keep his thoughts equally busy will find himself equally
unaffected with irretrievable losses.”
Is all this effort causing anxiety, frustration, and burnout? We must make a living because bills don’t care about such philosophical concerns. But I wonder about the cost paid by every worker in the American workforce. There’s an expectation to stay active, regardless of our levels of exhaustion. And there are few opportunities to relieve stress, restore and renew energy, and engage in the process of self-care.
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives,” says Anne Dillard. According to Gettysburg College, the average person will spend 90,000 hours at work over the course of a lifetime. The American commuter devotes 25.4 minutes each day traveling to work and 51 minutes round-trip. In addition, Americans spend 43 hours each year trapped in traffic. When we arrive, we invest 11.3 hours per week in meetings.
We’re built for more than paying bills and sitting in cubicles.
However, I can never take any professional opportunity for granted. I recently began realizing that I am professionally expendable. If something fatal happens to me, my company will place a post online regarding my job within 48 hours after my demise. This is not an indictment regarding my skill set or the cruelty of my organization. For any firm to flourish, the company must make a profit. This is how American capitalism must thrive to provide prosperity for everyone.
Some workers find purpose in their profession. Yet, I must assess my situation with some facts on the ground.
In some ways, I envy Generation Z workers. Generation Z emphasizes having a work-life balance. However, in my case, my family shapes my work ethic. Our generation is made up of Type A personalities, workhorses, and overachievers. There’s a drive to make your family and friends proud.
When my supervisor asks me to jump, I ask how high. If I must prepare for a meeting, I arrive an hour early to ensure my readiness. There are endless hours of pointless meetings and boring tasks. It’s necessary to get things done. We strive to go above and beyond to ensure our success.
I participate in seminars and workshops that offer opportunities. During my efforts to hustle, I meet politicians, powerbrokers, and pundits. I do my best to network with colleagues for our mutual advancement in our respective fields.
And yet, I don’t want to think about such efforts at the end of my life. In the end, I hope younger members of my family will find a way to flourish, in their own ways and on their own terms. Hopefully, I’m striving to serve God, express my gratitude, and be there for my family and friends. Ultimately, this is productivity with a purpose.
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This Post is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: iStock
