There's a good chance you spend more time working at your career than working on your romantic relationship.
Oddly enough, many pitfalls in your career are quite similar to those mistakes made in your love life. Pitfalls that are bound to human nature often result in actions for which there are no undo keys. In a post discussing career choice regrets, noted author and speaker Bernard Marr brings up several of these bad decisions, and the similarity to romantic blunders should be clear: Pretending to be someone you're not; Thinking you can change something about the job; Settling; Putting friends and family last; Thinking only of yourself; and Not valuing your own happiness. Wishful thinking, not putting things in perspective, not being realistic, and being either too selfish or too selfless will not make you truly happy in life, let alone in your career.
Tina Williamson compiled a wonderful list of life regrets. While her advice does not deal directly with the workplace, these potential regrets can stem from spending too much time focused on work and not putting what matters most in life in proper perspective. Although these things may sound extremely familiar, it's a list that occasionally bears repeating: Take care of your health; Make time to do the things you love, work less, laugh and play; Say what you need to say; Practice mindfulness; Change your perspective; Let go of the past; Accept the things you can not change; Stop thinking happiness is a future event; Stop chasing money and material wealth; Live authentically; Take off the mask; Follow your instincts; Practice gratitude; Don’t make your decisions based on fear; and (John Lennon was right)… Love, love love! Take time to read her post for greater insight.
Work gets frantic and it's an easy excuse to say you don't have time to reflect on things like these. But if there's time to discuss last night's game, gossip about who said what, or leveling up in your favorite game app, then there's time to ponder what matters most in life and work… and make the right choices.
Remember to Take Time for Living. May you live long and prosper… and have no regrets along the way.
Chris McDonough is a freelance art director, illustrator and copywriter in Northern New Jersey. His work can be seen at Chris McDonough Design.