Slogging it on the 9-5

The massive amount of time required to improve at your craft is one aspect of creative work that is hard for outsiders to understand. When you stake your career and reputation on everything you do, it’s not a job that you work at from 9 to 5, “put in” your hours, then shut off and go home. Your entire existence is invested in succeeding and improving, not just for the paycheque (although, let’s be honest, a great salary is a definite motivator).

For someone who is content to just punch the clock, our world is the domain of work-aholics, people who don’t understand the need for balance in our lives - or the inclusion of family. We see it much differently, of course. To us, making an impact is more important than making a day.

Take a minute to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit that drives you to keep pushing through and ultimately succeed where others would fail by giving up long ago. There’s only one way to push the limits and that is by continually pushing.

Now take a step back and try to consider the other side of it. The family side outside of work and its struggle against the career that seems to require your entire being. You may have a hard time trying to explain that you need to feed the career to feed your soul, but you need to understand that your family needs to occupy an equally important part of your attention.

Let’s stay focused: Work is important, but if it comes at the cost of ourselves is it worth the effort?