How to Succeed in Business Without Becoming a Workaholic

I watched Wolf of Wall Street recently, which inspired several flashbacks to my days in finance, working in the pit for a large bank. Seeing those crowded trading desks and excited sales traders reminded me how hard most of those people worked to try to get ahead.

Probably too hard.

While I’m sure many firms dealing on Wall Street did their fair share of after-hours partying, I never saw it. Mostly because it seemed that hardly anyone ever left the office long enough to get up to much mischief. The first people in the office were almost always among the last to leave, and I remember witnessing more than a few contrite phone calls to spouses and loved ones, as my co-workers canceled on yet another dinner, birthday party, or family vacation. Sure, there was probably a lot of money on the table, but was working 18-hour days really the way to success? Read more...