Do you have a work-life balance? I've learned that passion affects my ability to practise mindfulness and reduce the 'Drive-By Life' lifestyle.
Navigating Life in the Fast Lane: Unraveling the Drive-By Life Addiction
To begin, I must share that my passion for work is remarkable. I often have to redirect my thoughts from work in unrelated social settings. While my work stimulates me, I fully recognize the benefits of mindfulness and living a balanced life.
Lately, I am finding a strong daily pull to do more, to complete just one more task, or to make one more call, even after I've completed an exceptionally productive workday. This constant drive to work more seems wrong - I feel like I have fallen into a drive-by lifestyle.
Does Too Much Passion Negatively Affect Work and Life Balance?
What's a Drive-by Life?
In my book Giving Back, How To Find Your Personal Joy and Make a Difference to Others, I discuss the challenges of living a drive-by life and how it robs us of mindfulness - living in the moment. It's easy to form the habit of simply going through the motions of everyday life, and it begins to be a blur. It's easy to lose balance when we aren't mindful of the journey.
Am I Getting the Most Out of Life?
Living without regrets is very important, especially concerning things I can control. So, I ask myself: am I getting the most out of life? I continue to struggle with this dilemma and ask myself these questions.
Are work and life balance a challenge because:
- I don't want to change my work patterns.
- I love the high I get from working so much each day.
- I have more passion for my work than my family life.
After much thought, passion seems to be a driving force for me. Without question, passion is behind so much of my success. It drives me, and I'm passionate when I'm working hard and feeling accomplished. Is that a bad thing? I think it's hard to say, but it begs the question: Does too much passion fuel a drive-by life?
Can I Achieve a Work and Life Balance with Passion?
I believe it is possible to allow passion to drive a balanced life. You can achieve this lifestyle by focussing on these four strategies:
- Setting limits – Manage your time realistically by setting enough time aside to complete tasks. Learn to say "no" when requests compete with your priorities. Detach yourself from work at the end of your workday.
- Self-care – Ensure you prioritize yourself by eating healthy, exercising at least 30 minutes daily, and getting the proper amount of sleep for your body. Self-care is a remarkable gift that keeps on giving.
- Self-awareness – As you become more self-aware, you learn what makes you tick. This information can positively impact the way you manage yourself and your life.
- Mindfulness - Practising mindfulness is a powerful antidote to unwanted side effects of a drive-by life. It is also an emotional intelligence competency.
Almost certainly, I can change my addiction to a drive-by life. Why not use passion to be a catalyst to balance work and life by following the strategies listed, including mindfulness? Please review the links in this blog to give you the support you need to move forward. Marshall Connects offers Emotional Intelligence Assessments and Coaching to enhance skill development in all areas, including self-management techniques like self-care and many more.
This article was originally published on September 16, 2017, and has been updated (January 2024).
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