For most of us, work days filled with super-charged stress and pressure give way to fantasies about not working at all. Perhaps we imagine ourselves running a canoe shop in Hawaii or traveling around Europe—permanently. When it all seems like too much, we long to escape, slow down, be more present and feel less crazed.

We are conditioned to think that there is life, and then there is work—and one must be sacrificed for the other.

I recently had the very unfortunate experience of attending the funerals of two different friends who died unexpectedly. Both had been hardworking, admirable men who worked in competitive, results-driven industries. I mention this awful thing only because a large part of their memorial events were focused on the impact their work had on their lives and the lives of others. Their families were proud of their work and work ethic; their contribution and their commitment.

As odd as it may sound, hearing about the career accomplishments of these men inspired many others toward excellence at work-as opposed to daydreams about taking a permanent vacation to Disney World or Miraval Spa (although I highly recommend both).

What makes work bad?

Work itself might not be inherently bad. Like chocolate-a little is good, even a lot is good, but consuming a bucket of it will bring about some very unpleasant side effects. It is possible that some of our own habits around work actually bring about more stress. These habits may include allowing perfectionism to dominate our projects far beyond what is necessary; wasting time on political maneuvers at work instead of actually working; or procrastinating all day and then spending precious family time making up work that could have been completed earlier. We may not have control over many aspects of our work-but there are many, many areas we do have the power to improve. Take some time in the next week or so to think about your approach and your attitude toward work. See if there are a few tweaks you can make that might mean the difference between seeing work as drudgery vs. seeing work as an important part of your life.

“Imperfection is not our personal problem; it is a natural part of existing.” – Annie Dillard

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