I once had as an account manager for a dotcom company, back when dotcoms were still new, and just before the bubble burst. I was single at the time, and I worked close to 12-hour days, seven days a week, by choice. I was on a steady diet caffeine, and fast food. I had no time to exercise, and spent most of my free time in front of a television set. I was exhausted all the time, and I never felt fully rested. And even though I was making a decent living, I never felt fulfilled. I became a workaholic.
One day, I decided that I had enough, and I decided to start living a healthy life. I cut back my work hours, started eating healthy foods, and started exercising. As a result, I actually got more sleep at night, and I also accomplished more throughout my day. I actually had extra time to think and to socialize with my friends.
I realized that the company I worked for encouraged workaholic behavior. I decided that my health was more important than my paycheck and switched companies. The employees at the new company were all athletes in some sense, and they all ate organic food. I didn't make as much money, but I felt fulfilled and rested at the end of the day.
Regardless of what field you are in, it is important to maintain good health to succeed. If you have a job that does not allow you to maintain a healthy lifestyle, I would seriously consider switching jobs. No job is worth killing yourself over.
Young B. Kim is a writer, artist, serial entrepreneur, and the creator of ideavist™. Young's mission is to help people make their ideas happen through his writing, coaching, consultations, and through speaking engagements on ideation, creativity, and entrepreneurship.
Read more of his articles, visit www.ideavist.com