Every time I try to take a do-nothing holiday, where the plan is to go to a resort and bum out on the beach, I find that my tolerance for the good life starts to run thin in about 3 days. By the fourth, I am bordering on miserable. I really need to find something to do; and another round of archery at the resort's activity center ceases to count. I guess I start yearning for something meaningful to do.
I found myself thinking about when this 'problem' set in. As a teenager, when I traveled with my parents, I have at one time been able to enjoy the good life for almost a month. We had relocated to another country and my father was busy setting up the new office and a new factory. We were staying in a hotel until we found a home. I spent a lot of my time at the pool every morning and spent time watching TV or reading in the afternoons. Evening was pool time again. I do not remember getting bored; just as I do not remember getting bored during summer holidays in my school years.
What then causes this change in so many people?
I have come to the conclusion that meaningful work is addictive. Once we have tasted blood, we seek more and more of this gratification. In the early part of our careers, this gratification comes from the paycheck. Making money is addictive too. But soon in our careers, the money itself is not enough. We begin to seek the validation that comes from doing work that someone respects, our bosses, our clients, or in the ultimate case, ourselves.
The challenge for those of us who have had reasonably successful careers, is to be able to control this addiction. We have all aspired to retiring early with a pile of cash so that we do not have to work to pay the bills.
What happens when we find out that we have no idea on how to handle our leisure?
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