You Can Not Be A Successful You By Copying Someone Else

Ever feel like you need to take on pieces of other people's personalities, traits, or characteristics in order to be successful? Not only is that border-line schizophrenic, but it just doesn't work.

Trust me I know!

I used to think that everyone had some star quality that could make them successful. Everyone except me that is. I didn't think I had ANY that would make me successful. So I tried to copy and paste other people's drive, passion, determination, and whatever else I thought was just so cool, onto my self. What resulted was a Pablo Picasso cubism type picture of myself.

The Weeping Lady by Pablo Picasso

photo credit Wikipedia

My self image was like this painting--distorted, hard to understand, yet intriguing. Like many women, I had a hard time listing my strengths and an easy time listing my weaknesses. I was lopsided and unbalanced. 

Of course, I have strengths and weaknesses; I just needed to objectively see them both.

Are you that way? Do you worry that one day someone is going to figure out that you don't have it all together? Do you feel like you are fighting to measure up, not to an external expectation, but to your internal ones? Do you feel like there is no derogatory comment someone can make that you haven't already thought of yourself?

If that is you, then you are not alone. I was there too. I was hard on myself... and the harder the better. I thought being hard on myself would push me to be better. I thought it would give me the drive to charge forward. But it didn't. It hurt me. It curtailed my success. It kept me from going after the big job. It keep me from taking the lead. 

You can't be the best you trying to be like someone else.

Question; If you have spent your life copying and pasting parts of other people onto yourself, then who is the original you? 

Workaholics Beware: You Could Get Fired For Working Too Much

Being Punished for Being a Workaholic?

That is exactly the case for the employees at an HR Software company in Utah according to this article. The founders of the company have a strict "No Workaholics" policy that they enforce...complete with sanctions.

One worker was almost fired for regularly working more than 40 hrs a week. The company founders experienced first hand the havoc working too much can have on an employee. Work/Life balance isn't just a saying for this company but a priority.

The article is complete with research data to back it up.

Studies show that it is hazardous to you health.

67% increase in the risk of developing heart disease for people who work 11 hrs a day versus 8 hrs a day.

Those who work 50 hrs a week or more are three times as likely to develop an alcohol abuse problem

It is not productive

50% of employees are less effective because of the stress of their jobs.

I liked this article.

It defies the status quo. I love finding articles on how to do work better that challenge the conventional thinking. I have never been a 9-5 job person and for years I thought something was wrong with me. I am fine. I just prefer a different work environment. Taking a stand like these entrepreneurs let's me know that you can create a work culture that is based on valuing employees and their sanity as a strategic business decision.

It is a short article. Read it and tell me what you think?

Would you want to be sanctioned for working too much?

Would you feel better about your company if they had (and enforced) such a policy?