I Want to Understand

Why do people take their work home with them? I get it that you're showing "ambition" and that "more" is getting done. But aren't you really just burning yourself out? I like working at Pivotal Labs because the people there don't take their work home, they take their skills home. My coworkers lead rich, fulfilling lives outside the 9-6 day. You can tell this is true when you meet their wives, or their children. These people have awesome family relationships. They also do a lot of other fun things, biking, hiking, improv comedy, side projects that people outside the company can use, dancing, political activism, and on and on.

Conversely, the people I've worked with in the past who do take their work home come in and talk about the reality TV show they caught last night. They don't bring their wives out to social events, and you get the impression things are a little rocky. Before too long, those people start looking drained of life.  This may work if you're a solo act at work, but what if you're a part of a team? Every day you have to sync up with the rest of the team. Stuff gets done that the rest of the team had no say in doing.

Despite the list of consequences I could make here, it really just comes down to "Why?". Why would you pick work over anything else - personal health, relationships, fun? There's a saying that no one on his death bed ever said, "If only I had worked more...". People wish they had spent more time with family and friends and living life. I just don't get it.