Are You a Workaholic?

by Neil Fiore, PhD

To discover if you may be overly focused on simply working while missing out on top priorities and doing the right work, rate yourself on the following 24 statements. Write in the number that best describes the frequency of your behavior:

How true are the following statements for you?

1 -Not at all true;  2 - Somewhat true;  3 - 50-50;  4 - Quite a Bit;  5 - Mostly True

(Please Print This Sheet)

1. No Play  
  • you have little or no time scheduled for play, friends / family, relaxing
 _____
  • you feel guilty if you goof off
 _____
  • you find it difficult to take a vacation
 _____
  • you never shut off your beeper / cell phone
 _____
-  
2. Trying Too Hard  
  • you become anxious when starting to work
 _____
  • you see your work as seldom being good enough
 _____
  • you continually keep revising and polishing
 _____
  • you are devastated by mistakes and criticism
 _____
-  
3. Body Rebellion  
  • you feel fatigued but cannot relax
 _____
  • you find it difficult to stay asleep
 _____
  • you have weekly headaches and stomachaches
 _____
  • you have at least one serious symptom
    (high blood pressure; food, alcohol or drug abuse)
 _____
-  
4. One-Track Life  
  • you do not have a social or love life
 _____
  • you socialize mostly with co-workers and clients
 _____
  • you seldom read outside your field
 _____
  • you get most of your satisfaction from work
 _____
-  
5. One-Track Mind  
  • you spend most of your time thinking, talking or reading about work
 _____
  • you work longer and do more work than any one else
 _____
  • your family feels jealous of your time at work
 _____
  • you resent that others don’t work as hard as you do
 _____
-  
6. Martyrdom  
  • you are sacrificing fun and health in order to work
 _____
  • you feel your work is a torture you cannot escape
 _____
  • you are not doing what you would love to do
 _____
  • you want to slow down but fear losing your job
 _____
-
TOTAL   _____
 

Scoring:

(97 - 120) Make changes immediately! You're a workaholic. You can learn to focus on top priorities and become much more effective, healthier and have a balanced life. But first, you must commit to having a life beyond the job;

(73 - 96) Change is needed - you can achieve greater satisfaction doing more of the projects that really matter to you and to the bottom line;

(49 - 72) With minimal effort you be even more effective and less distracted;

(24 - 48) EXCELLENT! - Your life is balanced.

Back to More Articles and Tips

* Adapted from Denise Topolnicki, Psychology Today, July, 1989.

Burke, Ronald (2000) Workaholism in organizations: The role of personal beliefs and fears. Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, 13, 53-64. Schulich School of Business, York U., Ontario, Canada M3J 1P3

Marilyn Machlowitz, Workaholics: Living with Them, Working with Them. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

Seybold, K.C. and Salomone, P.R. (1994) Understanding workaholism: A view of causes and counseling approaches. Journal of Counseling and Development, 73, 4-9.

References:

Beverly Potter, Preventing Job Burnout;

Herbert Freudenberger, The High Cost of High Achievement;

© Neil Fiore, Ph.D., 1998-2008. All rights reserved.

Permission is granted to reproduce, copy or distribute so long as this copyright notice and this contact information is included:

Neil Fiore, SELF-LEADERSHIP SEMINARS™, Voice: 510/ 525 - 2673
Website: www.neilfiore.com | www.yourstrongestself.com
E-mail: neil@neilfiore.com
Self-Leadership Seminars • California • neil@neilfiore.com • Phone: (510) 525-2673