Compliments of Leonhard_Niederwimmer via Pixabay

Penny wise and pound foolish, powering through when we do not feel up to par occurs when amassing wealth, power, and fortune are top priorities. We are stingy with our down time—with at least half of surveyed employees each year leaving unused vacation time on the table (Zucker, 2023).

When we fail to take a break we become irritable, suffering increased susceptibility to illness. We become unable to experience the creativity and sense of well-being (Zucker, 2023) that might occur in a more relaxed, rested, peaceful state of mind. Few of us schedule respites. Burnout occurs when we never give ourselves a break, with karoshi, “death from overwork,” an extreme, fatal consequence.

The tragedy of working too hard is that we can experience health issues caused by an unrelenting pace. Meaningfulness is decoupled from money. “Success without significance—purpose, service, meaningful relationships—is not really success at all” (Coleman, 2022).

What we will remember is not a bag of money or achievements, but how we contributed to the lives of other people— how we cultivated relationships, spent time with friends, and took time off.

Experiences will be what resonate within our memories.

References

Coleman, J. (2022). Finding success starts with finding your purpose. Harvard Business Review.

Zucker, R. (2003). How taking a vacation improves your well-being. Harvard Business Review. Digital article.