I'm a Hard Worker, but I'm not a Workaholic

Alternate Title: I've Got Soul, but I'm not a Soldier

I just finished a 13-hour workday. A workday that involved eating a chocolate doughnut and a hard boiled egg for lunch, having the civilian Duty Driver responsibility of taking people to the flight line for their movements, meeting a reporting deadline for one of our staff who is on leave, participating in a meeting with our implementing partner's Chief of Party, following up on action items for which I was responsible, eating a tuna sandwich for dinner at my desk, and still leaving a project that's due by COB tomorrow untouched and at least 35 unread emails in my inbox when I left the office at 9pm. This workday came on the heels of an evening spent in the combat hospital emergency room with a friend (for - don't worry - a non-combat-related issue, and she's now fine), and then when I was finally able to get to sleep, being woken at 3am and again at 5am by the rocket attack alarm, forcing me to go out to the bunker each time to wait for the "all clear" before going back to sleep. And this workday comes before my "day off" tomorrow, which will involve working at least 6 hours.

All this to say, I am a hard worker. I can do days like today and chalk it up to doing what it takes to get the job done. But days like today are honestly atypical, and I think they should be. As I said in my interview when I was asked about my strategies for stress-management, "I'm a hard worker, but I'm not a workaholic." I know how to work hard, but I also know how to rest. I know how to take breaks, and how to take care of myself. While some of my colleagues may work 13-, 14- or 15-hour days, 7 days a week, I refuse to. I'm determined that days like today will be anomalies.

You see, in practical terms, I just don't think it's possible to practice the healthy habits of a balanced lifestyle and work those kind of days. There simply aren't enough hours in the day for being a workaholic if you value other parts of your life. My spirit is important to me, so I will nurture it. I will spend time in the mornings with my Creator and Sustainer. My body is important to me, so I will take care of it. I will go to the gym every day, and I won't skip meals or make chocolate doughnuts a regular lunch item. My friends and family are important to me, so I will do my best to stay in touch with them. I will take time each day to write at least one email or Skype with at least one person or post something on my blog (!). My mind is important to me, so I will take time to reflect on my work. I will stop in the middle of my workday three times a week to journal and process through what I am learning and thinking about with regard to peacebuilding in this context. My mental health is important to me, so I will get good nights of sleep. I'll get at least 7, hopefully 8 hours of rest a night. When you add that all up, even if I get up at 6:30 and go to sleep at 11, it really only leaves 9 or 10 hours for work a day. See, it's really just impossible for me to be a workaholic. If you don't care about any of these other things, sure, you can work 16-18 hours a day. But I can't. It's not just that I won't, but I can't!

Of course, there will always be days like today, when, because of extenuating circumstances, I just have to push through and save the gym for tomorrow. I can do that. But I'll make sure these days are few and far between. Now, unless the Taliban or the Duty Driver phone thwart my well-laid plans again, I'm going to go get that good night's sleep.