Most happily retired people I know make the same comment when I tell them about all the stuff I have going on.
“Don’t work too hard,” they say. “Take a break.”
I wonder, how can it be that this advice is so often given by people who’ve apparently accomplished what many of us are after. They’ve accumulated enough wealth to retire comfortably and spend their days traveling, pursuing hobbies, and lying on beaches.
Why, then, do they say not to work too hard? I assume these people all worked hard for most of their lives to get where they are. Is it that you don’t realize what’s really important in life until after you retire? Do these retired folks regret working as hard as they did? If not, why would they give advice that runs counter to the path they apparently took?
I work as much as anybody else. I have basically no leisure time during the week, between work, school, my family, and spending time writing and reading (which I consider necessary for my mental health, not luxuries). I often work weekends, and the smartphone in my pocket connects me to my company like a strange cybertronic umbilicus. Even when I’m “off,” I’m not really off, as is the norm for most corporate wage laborers today.
Am I doing it wrong?
