Work your ass off now, so that you can relax later.
Does that make sense? Hopefully it does.
On a "good day" I'll wake up early and work for 10 to 12 hours straight, just give me a bottle of water and I'll scout from site to site, gathering information if needed, and making sure everything is working smoothly. Also, on another good day, I'll probably just stay in bed for 8 to 10 hours, wake up and eat, listen to some music, read a book or play some games, relax as much as I can, then eat and sleep again.
Whether it be a long day of work, or a day off full of relaxation, it's always a good day.
The only time it's a bad day is when my time is being wasted. I don't mind working, but having to push traffic for office/site visits, that's what I hate. Having to wait for people for countless hours, and in the end they don't show up? Hate it even more.
I know, a bit of traffic is normal, but Dhaka isn't normal, it's just something else, in a league of its own. The traffic here is just absurd. I've talked about it before, so I won't go into all the details again.
ᴵᵐᵃᵍᵉˢ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵒᵛᵉʳᵃˡˡ ᶜᵒⁿᵗᵉⁿᵗ ᵃʳᵉ ᵐʸ ᵒʷⁿ ᵘⁿˡᵉˢˢ ᶦᵗ'ˢ ᵐᵉⁿᵗᶦᵒⁿᵉᵈ
I only let myself relax after I've really earned it, when I'm satisfied with my work, after a productive day.
Relaxation is important, and so is work, but it's all about balance in the end. You can't overdo it. Too much work will just drain you out, whereas too much relaxing will turn you into a sloth.
I'm no workaholic, but I always show up and finish my work on time. I'm no perfectionist, but I try to improve my work with every chance I'm given.
I've been earning, working and investing from my teenage years, and I've met a fair share of people, learned a few things. In my teenage years I was a true hustler, no matter how far or I'd have to go, no matter how little the profit was, I'd take it, money is money.
And there are people out there who'd give any thing to have that money. So, if you don't take that offer, someone else surely will.
Yet, I will say that I'm not the "hardest" worker. I'd rather work smart and efficiently. Yes, we work for money, but money isn't everything. If I get an offer for a huge paycheck, but in return I'll probably have to sell my sanity, then the chances are a 8 out of 10, that I won't be taking that offer.
No matter what, your sanity should not be up for sale...
That is why I declined a few decent offers 3 to 4 years ago, because I knew about the workplace and how toxic it was. Sure, I'd be making money, but I believe I'd slowly be going crazy, because I'd be surrounded by the wrong crowd.
The question of choosing between relaxation and work only comes when the work you do isn't exciting, and you simply do it because of the money.
Work can be fun sometimes, not always; yet, when there isn't purpose, when there's no excitement, that's when work turns into a task you don't want to do, but end up doing it anyway, because you're getting paid for it.
In the end, it's all about balance. You win some, and you lose some.
And I believe that to become a true workaholic, you have to be doing something you love...