In the first part of this series we explored how personalities, including Bloomberg’s Wooldridge, frame overworking as the path to success, often romanticizing relentless dedication as the necessary ingredient for achievement. However, as we move deeper into the 21st century, a growing body of research and firsthand experiences paint a different picture. The global rise of burnout shown in the mentioned part, the shifting attitudes towards work-life balance, and even the COVID-19 pandemic’s reshaping of our professional lives challenge the long-standing belief that excessive work is the only path to success.
In this second part, we turn our attention to how modern work culture is evolving, while addressing the widespread issue of workaholism and its detrimental effects on both mental and physical health. We’ll explore perspectives from different parts of the world, to demonstrate how societal and cultural factors play a role in redefining success. By examining these global viewpoints, we aim to uncover more sustainable pathways to achievement, where balance, mental health, and well-being are just as crucial as hard work. This article is designed to respond to “What enables people to be workaholics, while avoiding burnout?” This article is organized into the following sections:
- Two types of an enabling environment for a person to be a workaholic in a healthy way
- Aligning all your actions to maximize productivity
- Some other attributes, supporting Mbappé, on which all others have to capitalize
Two types of an enabling environment for a person to be a workaholic in a healthy way
There occur two major types forming an enabling environment for a person to turn into a workaholic. The first type is that which permits you to be a workaholic, while feeling no burden. This happens, if you work in a field perfectly matching your innate capabilities. The second type entails working in a motivating or inspiring environment.
“To be one of the best in the world at something, you have to work hard. Malcolm Gladwell theorizes that it takes 10 000 hours of deliberate practice to become a master at something,” says the blog, Summation, belonging to Auren Raphael Hoffman. Hoffman is an American entrepreneur and CEO of SafeGraph, a firm tracking people’s GPS locations.
Those hours equal around 416.6 days which correspond to about 13.8 months. It means that you can master a field, if you combine all the hours for which you’ve practiced it, and reach those months. “But it is not just the hours, it is obsession that matters,” this blog additionally writes. “You cannot be great at something, unless you are obsessed with it, you need to be thinking about it all the time.” “That obsession may consume you, it may not be healthy for you, but that is the difference between the great and the merely good.”
The blog adds that people who have changed the world are those who were workaholics. Workaholic is a person who feels compelled to work excessively. “Look at Martin Luther King Jr., or Mahatma Gandhi, or Alexander Hamilton. They all put in many hours more than a standard 40-hour week. The difference though is that their work is an extension of who and what they are, they worked hard because it did not feel like work.”
It additionally says that even today great achievers are workaholics, providing an example of remarkable players and musicians. “Think about those professional athletes who have achieved remarkable accomplishments. Consider the way they take care of their eating and sleeping habits. Is this separate from their ‘work’ day?”
What about the time they spend in gym? Or cryotherapy, and massage therapy they spend hours undergoing? Each hour of the day becomes an extension of what they are at their core: athletes who want to sweat, improve, and win. Hard work is not an option for these high achievers, it’s their default.”
This reminds us of how a workaholic the football star Kylian Mbappé is. In 2018 Vadim Vasilyev, thenAS Monaco’s Vice-President told CNN Sport “Kylian Mbappé: the phenomenon that breathes and sleeps football, actually nothing else is on his mind. He played against Manchester City on an amazing level in front of the whole football world. It just confirmed what we knew all along, it’s an amazing talent and this boy will become one of the best — if he isn’t already — one of the best in world.”
“He didn’t even go out when we won the title two years ago. All the boys went celebrating and he was so tired he just went home. He is really dedicated and he has a very competitive spirit, he wants to break all the records,” he said before adding “I spoke to him, we spent some time together after we won the French title, he always had it in him. He knew this would happen, he didn’t know how and when but he believed in himself and he knew his destiny is to become a big, big, big player and he’s very sure of himself.”
Vasilyev further said that Mbappe makes him remember the other extraordinary football star, Christiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo is known to work a lot harder than any other footballer on this planet. The rewards for him have been amazing. He has won Golden Ball five times. “He reminds me a bit of Cristiano Ronaldo, because I also know him well, because he knows all the records and he always wants to be the youngest player on the pitch to score, the youngest player to win this cup, to win the title. So he’s a good competitor, he’s also stubborn and if he doesn’t play he feels bad. He’s, like, sick if he doesn’t play.”
Yet, besides his obsession with football, according to Vasilyev, Mbappe enjoys amazing support especially from his family. “He also has a great family, I know the mother and father well, I saw the father yesterday. They’re an amazing family supporting him. They’re next to him, are very intelligent people and are a really good healthy family, so all the ingredients (are there).”
Aligning all your actions to maximize productivity
Hoffman’s blog clearly says that even today’s high achievers are workaholics who are obsessed with their work where they always think about their work or careers. Vasilyev even indicates it, while contending that nothing else than football inhabits Mbappé’s mind. Does this mean that Mbappé even while he is shopping, eating, exercising and in church, he is only thinking about football? Or it signifies that he cares about football to the extent that all that he accomplishes in his life is geared to helping him shine in this field?
True is the second interpretation. Rather than implying that Mbappé literally thinks about football every moment, even in non-related activities, his life is structured in a way that everything bolsters his football career. For instance, his diet, exercise routine, mental approach and even discipline are designed to enhance his football performance. It however highlights a level of commitment where football is the central focus of his life, shaping his decisions and actions. This is confirmed by a number of sources.
In its 19 December 2023 article “What are Kylian Mbappé’s diet, workout and fitness secrets?” by the website, Goal, reports “It is not just a searing pace Mbappe is blessed with but sublime skill, quick thinking, two clever feet, a cool head, bravery, belief, and a brutal eye for goal. Despite his relatively lean build, he possesses a rare combination of speed, agility, and explosive power that makes him stand out on the pitch. His lightning-fast speed, agility, and ability to change direction effortlessly and accelerate quickly make him a nightmare for defenders.
His explosive power that allows him to burst past defenders with ease and leave them in his wake is a result of his low body fat percentage and well-structured workout routine, focusing on enhancing his lower-body strength. A typical Mbappe training day starts off with basic stretching followed by cycling or running to maintain high stamina levels. After that, footballers usually engage in agility and speed drills, and the same goes for Mbappe. This is organised into parts that each contain multiple exercises.”
All this conspires for Mbappé to maintain his lightning-fast speed, agility and ability to change direction effortlessly and accelerate rapidly. It transforms him into one of the quickest footballers in the world and a nightmare for defenders.
Some other attributes, supporting Mbappé, on which all others have to capitalize
Two other important features allowing people to be incredibly successful involve discipline and commitment to their set goals, as we can also notice it in Mbappé. Goal in its other article says that as a kid from a humble background, he was quick to cling to advice from his parents, especially when it came to sporting achievements. In 2018 he told Time magazine “My mother always told me that before being a great player I have to be a great man. I have learned that the biggest stars and the greatest players are the most humble ones, the ones who respect people the most.”
In an interview with Goal, the former Toulouse defender Issa Diop said that he first met Mbappé during a game between Toulouse and Monaco. In the game in the under-19 category Mbappé was only aged16. But he incredibly impressed Diop who said to himself “Who is this phenomenon?” What Diop narrated to Goal shows that Mbappé applies the principle of concentration instead of always thinking about football. “He laughs with everyone, he makes fun of others, he provides a great atmosphere in the dressing room. He is very serious as soon as the ball is on the field but in life he is not so calm. He loves to do daft things, even if he was never one of those who liked to party at night or that sort of thing.”
That’s what late Theron Q. Dumont in his book “The Power of Concentration” recommends. In order to be successful today, you must concentrate, argued the former author, but don’t become a slave to concentration, and carry your work everywhere you go. “Many men become so absorbed in their business that when they go to church they do not hear the preacher because their minds are on their business. If they go to the theater they do not enjoy it because their business is on their minds.
When they go to bed, they think about business instead of sleep and wonder why they don’t sleep. This is the wrong kind of concentration and is dangerous. It is involuntary. When you are unable to get anything out of your mind it becomes unwholesome as any thought held continuously causes weariness of the flesh. If you cannot control your concentration, your health will suffer. So never become so absorbed with anything that you cannot lay it aside and take up another.”
Theron Q. Dumont is the pseudonym of late William Walker Atkinson who was an attorney, merchant, publisher, and author, and an American pioneer of the New Thought Movement. The New Thought Movement represents a spiritual and philosophical movement which emerged in the late 19th century in the United States. It emphasizes the power of the mind and positive thinking to influence personal well-being and life circumstances.
It means that being enslaved by work is detrimental to your health and when your health is harmed, you cannot be productive at work too. Being a workaholic without maintaining health engenders serious consequences. Prolonged stress, lack of rest, and neglect of self-care can lead to burnout, anxiety, depression, cardiovascular issues, and weakened immune function.
Over time, this can increase the risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, or even life-threatening events like heart attacks or strokes. In extreme cases, the physical and mental toll of workaholism can lead to death. That is why it remains wise to ensure the balance between workaholism and health, by applying the principle.
Meanwhile, Summation advises employees unhappy with their jobs to take time to consider two important issues. They first have to assess whether they are in the right industries. If they are in the fit ones, it’s then time to check whether they are working with the right people. “If someone finds their job hard and exhausting though, the idea of working 60-80 hours per week will sound like torture. But it means they are working on the wrong things or working with the wrong people.
If you are going to put in enough time to change the world with your work, it has to be fun for you. It has to be joyful and filled with meaning. Otherwise, you won’t stick around long enough or move fast enough to make a lasting impact on your industry.” The blog adds that massive success requires massive sacrifice, delayed gratification, and focus on work. “To those in the right industry, hard work feels like play. If you are one of the best at what you do, your work probably feels like play. Find something you love to do- that you are good at.”
Wooldrige himself defends this point too. “For some all this work (hard work/ working long hours) may be a terrible burden. Yet for many others it is a pleasure: the more work becomes a vocation rather than a chore, the more people will be inclined to work long hours not because they are forced to but because they want to. Most academics choose their profession because they enjoy what they are doing.
The same may be true of plenty of professionals, not least journalists, artists and other creatives. The innumerable hours they work often fly past because they get into the “flow” of intense concentration (another reason why all those emails and instant messages are a problem). And the more they work over the years, the more they gain a sense of mastering difficult subjects or creating something unique. Entrepreneurs also have no choice but to work harder than regular salarymen and women.”
We call upon employees to emulate the behavior of remarkable achievers, such as the most successful football stars, musicians, and business people, who often exhibit workaholic tendencies. Their work is deeply intertwined with their identity. These individuals rarely experience the burden of exhaustion in the conventional sense. Instead, when they feel tired, they switch to different tasks, allowing them to rest while still indirectly or directly supporting their careers. Each hour of their time seems to align with and reinforce their work.
We also urge leaders/executives/managers or organizations to act like football fans. The latter ones extraordinarily support their team players. They even admire them publicly. They exhibit ecstasy, when their teams win. That’s remarkable support. Even high-ranking officials don’t fear to express such strong emotions to their teams. A recent example is Senegal’s former president, Macky Sall. He was overjoyed and showed it when the Senegal National Team had just won the AFCON Title. “Congratulations, our heroes,” he tweeted. I saw a short video on the YouTube channel, Football NEWZ. To view it, you can type on YouTube ‘Senegal President Amazing Reaction When Sadio Mane Missed & Scored Winning Penalty’.
It featured him both after Sadio Mane missed a penalty and won another one which sealed the first historic trophy for Senegal. After the penalty which won the trophy to Senegal, Sall celebrated, dancing wildly. This forms an outstanding sign of support for the team. Initially, I questioned the video. But eventually I somehow believed it, after I saw how he was delighted when he was welcoming the team and the cup at an airport. Even there is another YouTube amazing video that has also confirmed it.
To view it, type or click on Le saut de Macky Sall sur le but de Sadio Mané dans Kouthia Show .They left the airport for his office, to officially receive them. The video is in French and another or other local Senegalese languages. This means it contains some points I’ve not captured. Yet the body language itself is enough for anyone to fully understand the content, provided they have first been informed that the video is about Senegal victory. I encourage you to listen to it, even if you don’t know any of the languages used in it. You’ll comprehend the message.
Sall had to travel to Comoros at the end of a trip that took him to Egypt and Ethiopia. Yet, he cancelled the trip, to welcome the triumphant Lions on their return to Dakar. He declared a national holiday to celebrate the victory. Imagine how hard an employee would work, if they knew their organizations would celebrate highly passionately as the president Sall has displayed it. I assure you that they would work extremely hard. That’s among key factors motivating players to work hard, since they’re sure they will be highly praised. Organizations’ leaders need to be like Sall. He has mesmerized and delighted us intensely. They must celebrate any employees’ great achievements in such or similar way. They have to congratulate their subordinates on any work well performed.
However, this needs to coincide with assigning manageable workloads to the workforce. Too much work is one of primary causes of burnout throughout the world. BBC, in its 14 March 2023 article, also points it out. “With reports of long hours, chronic stress and exhaustion rising among sections of the workforce, it might be time to reframe the burnout narrative. Many employees thrive in high-pressure work environments. But ruthless cultures can poison the well, eroding wellbeing and ultimately driving out workers. Major causes of burnout include prolonged heavy workloads, sustained overworking and toxic cultures.”
This narrative from a Rwandan employee but whom we have decided not reveal the identity for their security reasons also assists us to understand the issue. He told us last week “I’m flooded with work to the extent that I even find no time to work on my own affairs at week-ends. I even rarely secure time to read things like articles or stories. In the recent past I dreamt of performing tasks and I was surprised to find that in the morning when I started working on the tasks in the real world, I perfectly applied techniques of which I dreamt. Today my mind is almost occupied with work-related issues.”
He argued that this is hampering his health and that the dream is a typical proof. When we seemed to challenge him that the dream instad inspired him certain techniques which proved successful in real-world situations, he counter-challenged us “Yes, the dream inspired me the techniques, but this forms an unquestionable sign that I stand in a critical situation. If I’m dreaming of work, it is not constructive but devastating for me.” Moreover, we know that he once developed burnout to the extent of developing illness and then going to a healthcare facility for treatment.