Thoughts Thursday: I am a workaholic.

As I sit down to eat another meal at 10:30 p.m. (click here for more on that.) I am beginning to realize how much of a workaholic I am. A workaholic is defined as a person who compulsively works hard and long hours. That is me to a tee.

Of course sometimes I would like nothing to do than binge-watch Netflix and sit on the couch all day (I may or may not do that…) but there is also this drive in me to stay busy and be challenged. However, I think one of the main reasons I am such a workaholic is because I am such a malleable and adaptable person. I adapt to my surroundings.

In France I worked a whopping 14 hours a week (Oh, mon dieu!). Because things were a bit more relaxed in that sense, I was more laid back and didn’t put in as much as I do now. I definitely started a ridiculous amount of a few new TV shows whilst there.The French have a way of living that is, “work to live, not live to work.” Supposedly, the average full-time job hours are 35 hours per week. That is five less than the American “40 hours a week.”

Where I am at now, in Hong Kong, both of those would be considered part-time. I would say most people work at least 45-50 hours per week, in HK, and to be honest that might just be ex-pats who have those hours. When I stop by the 7-Eleven by my house in the morning, the same woman is working there when I get home from work – even at 10 pm! It is the lifestyle to work long and hard. A lot of my coworkers stay late and work extra hours too. It is so easy to get caught up here. I think that is what happens when you move to a new city/country/culture. You start to acclimate and do things how people around you do things.

Since accepting my new position in my company, I have been working on my days off and Sundays, some days until 10 p.m., on the MTR (subway system), etc. But you know what? I don’t mind it. I like my job and I like what is being currently thrown my way. So I will keep downing caffeine, work hard, and enjoy becoming a true Hong Konger. As long as I am still enoying my life, that is okay, right?

Are you a workaholic or do you sit back and watch everyone else do the work? Have you moved to a new city/country and found yourself adjusting to their lifestyle and, in turn, make it your own lifestyle? Let me know in the comments below!