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?

1Not at all true;  2Somewhat true;  350-50;  4Quite a Bit5Mostly 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.

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* 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;

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