Week 10, Day 3 of The Artist's Way

Today, let's rewire draining workaholic tendencies so that we can allow even more zestful creative energy into our “work”.

WORKAHOLISM

Workaholism is an addiction, and like all addictions, it blocks creative energy. 

In fact, it could be argued that the desire to block the fierce flow of creative energy is an underlying reason for addiction. If people are too busy to write morning pages, or too busy to take an artist date, they are probably too busy to hear the voice of authentic creative urges. To return to the concept of a radio set, the workaholic jams the signals with self-induced static.

In order to recover our creativity, we must learn to see workaholism as a block instead of a building block.

Work abuse creates in our artist a CinderellaComplex. We are always dreaming of the ball and always experiencing the ball and chain.

There is a difference between zestful work toward a cherished goal and workaholism.

That difference lies less in the hours than it does in the emotional quality of the hours spent. There is a treadmill quality to workaholism. We depend on our addiction and we resent it. For a workaholic, work is synonymous with worth, and so we are hesitant to jettison any part of it.

(The Artist's Way, 2016, p. 166 – 169)

Read the following out loud with purpose and intent:

I embrace my intuitive inspiration and authentic creative urges.

I am breaking free from the addiction of workaholism to be more receptive to my creative energy. I see workaholism as a block, not a building block and I am able to distinguish between zestful work and addiction. I am no longer dependent on work for my worth.

download printable affirmation card

✅ Keep a checklist and record of time spent today. 

Even an hour of creative work/play can go a long way toward offsetting the sense of workaholic desperation that keeps our dreams at bay.

Because workaholism is a process addiction (an addiction to a behavior rather than a substance), it is difficult to tell when we are indulging in it. An alcoholic gets sober by abstaining from alcohol. A workaholic gets sober by abstaining from overwork. The trick is to define overwork—and this is where we often lie to ourselves, bargaining to hold on to those abusive behaviors that still serve us.

🪧 One very simple but effective way to check your own recovery progress is to post a sign in your work area.

The sign reads: 

WORKAHOLISM IS A BLOCK, NOT A BUILDING BLOCK.

Also post this sign wherever you will read it: one on the bathroom mirror and one on the refrigerator, one on the nightstand, one in the car …

“The life which is not examined is not worth living.”

– Plato

What is one way you will improve the emotional quality of your time spent today?

Share in the comments below👇