Every job has its drawbacks. That’s one reason it’s called a job in the first place. If work always felt like play, we would have reached a utopian state where we made a living doing only what we loved to do, be it counseling, writing, or playing golf. We wouldn’t need to worry about pesky things like ‘stress’, ‘pressure’, or ‘tact’ when dealing with others.

On the other side of the same coin, destroying your mental health for the sake of advancement or financial gain doesn’t strike me as a worthwhile endeavour either.

My personal rule is simply 60/40: three days out of any given work week need to be rewarding in some way. The 60/40 split is hardly cutting edge, it’s used for investing, relationships, and describing rear-seating in newer sedans. In my case, it serves as a guideline for contentment with my job, and a personal threshold to feel I bring value to my current role. Projects I may take on, people with whom I interact, and results I can help generate all contribute to that ever-elusive job satisfaction. Those other two days? Maybe it was a terrible night’s sleep, or one of the kids is sick, or perhaps I run into the wrong customer that day (see ‘No-Win Situation‘). Regardless of the reason, I can accept the not-so-fun 40% if I can freely enjoy the other 60%.

I used to work a lot of overtime. Through travel commitments and a seemingly endless cascade of crises to manage, a 55-60 hour work-week away from home happened more often than I want to admit. In addition, when I was home, my mind was still focused on that next task, and the incoming urgent email. My workaholic tendencies were born out of a fear of failure, and it wasn’t that I always loved the work, it’s that I didn’t know how to effectively remove myself from it.

It took awhile for my brain-hamsters to illuminate the lightbulb. My work-week was woefully out of balance, but instead of stepping back to evaluate my routine and maybe learn to appreciate the more mundane facets of the job, my approach was to add an extra day or two and fluff it up with things I wanted to do. I was able to re-establish my 60/40 and it worked…for a bit. With a wife and two kids, I wasn’t making it any easier on them or me. Change was necessary and ultimately, a relief.

Truth be told, there was plenty I enjoyed about that time, and with very few regrets. I’m still an ambitious person with a strong passion for pharmacy, but I needed to step back to rediscover my own personality and how my unique skill set can best contribute to the profession. If I hadn’t, there would be no committee work, no successful foray into advocacy, and no PharmAspire. I feel that my professional life is much richer, and my corner of the world is much more well-rounded…by more than 60% anyway.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.