LEARNINGS FROM A WORKAHOLIC LIFESTYLE

It is not easy being a workaholic. It can hamper your physical health, your mental peace and ruin relationships. Without even knowing it, I became one. But was it all that bad? No. Was it all worth it? Yes.
I was in my early 20s when this phase of fast life came upon me. I was working part time with All India Radio as an international radio jockey, doing live shows for regions including Australia, New Zealand, Europe and some parts of Asia. This meant I was given shows starting at midnight and sometimes starting at 4 am, depending on what region I was hosting for that day.

At the same time, I had just got my first fixed show with DD National as anchor for ‘Youth Express’ and occasional hosting of the country’s first most loved show, ‘Chitrahar’. This required three hours of make-up and two hours of shoots twice a week. To top it off, I was also doing a full time job with a public relations firm as a media strategist.
I was running high on caffeine and money.
It did exhaust me, I didn’t meet my friends and family for months, I worked 60 hours sometimes without hitting the bed, but I loved every single bit of it. The adrenaline rush of being able to do so much, the sense of accomplishment, and the pride of seeing my name flash on the TV after all the hard work I put in to be able to achieve that….. There was nothing in the world to compare to that feeling. I was blinded by the glamorous side of being a workaholic.
I lived the life of a workaholic for almost 5 years – the bigger the fire, faster the fuel burns. I eventually decided to quit my job, and set up my first business, which gave me the privilege of managing my time better.
But if you ask me if I ever regretted being a workaholic, I would say no. It’s a phase of life, and it taught me so much, and it showed me that humans are capable of so much more. We can have more than 24 hours in a day. But, we need to realise that being a workaholic should not become one’s lifestyle, since there’s much more to lose in this than gain.