Am I working too hard?

This quiz will help you evaluate your work habits. Check the answers that most accurately describe your behavior and feelings. Be honest; frank answers will give you the most reliable feedback.

1. Do you take work home and work late into the night?
   1. often
   2. sometimes
   3. never
2. Do you get to work early to get a jump on things?
   1. often
   2. sometimes
   3. never
3. At the beginning of your week are you
   1. anxious to get back to work?
   2. reluctant to start another week of work?
   3. neither anxious nor reluctant?
4. Would you say that
   1. there are too many inappropriate demands on your time?
   2. the demands on your time are not excessive?
   3. you could undertake many more projects?
5. Do you have to skip or shorten your lunch breaks?
   1. often
   2. sometimes
   3. never
6. 6. Do you ever work while you eat lunch?
   1. often
   2. sometimes
   3. never
7. 7. Do you find that you are harassed by constant, unexpected emergencies?
   1. often
   2. sometimes
   3. never
8. 8. Do you move, walk, and eat rapidly because you don’t want to waste time?
   1. often
   2. sometimes
   3. never
9. 9. Would you say that you feel
   1. pretty much in control of work problems most of the time?
   2. sometimes in control?
   3. harassed and not in control most of the time?
10. 10. Do you find that you can’t miss a day of work because you would fall too far behind?
    1. yes
    2. no
11. 11. Do you find it difficult to say no to requests?
    1. often
    2. sometimes
    3. never
12. 12. Is it important for you to do things better than others?
    1. yes
    2. no
13. 13. Do you feel you always have to be “on” at work?
    1. yes
    2. no
14. 14. Do you find yourself fretting when others do not “move at your command” or work as fast as you do?
    1. often
    2. sometimes
    3. never
15. 15. Would you rate yourself as
    1. exceedingly ambitious?
    2. moderately ambitious?
    3. not ambitious at all?
16. 16. Do you strive for perfection?
    1. often
    2. sometimes
    3. never
17. 17. Do you have the freedom you need to perform your work the way you believe is best?
    1. yes
    2. no
18. 18. Are you able to set priorities with a proper sense of urgency and importance?
    1. often
    2. sometimes
    3. never
19. 19. If you were suddenly laid off, what would you miss the most?
    1. the money
    2. the work itself
    3. the company of colleagues
20. 20. Would you say your work
    1. underutilizes your abilities and skills?
    2. overtaxes your abilities and skills?
    3. allows you to grow and develop new skills?
21. 21. At the end of a working day, do you feel
    1. exhausted and fit for nothing?
    2. Glad that you can spend time on your personal life?
    3. Occasionally tired, but usually quite satisfied?
22. 22. Do you find it difficult to relax and do nothing?
    1. yes
    2. no
23. 23. Do you feel vaguely guilty whenever you relax, especially when you’re facing a deadline?
    1. often
    2. sometimes
    3. never
24. 24. Do you find it difficult to enjoy leisure time because you can’t stop thinking about problems at work?
    1. often
    2. sometimes
    3. never
25. 25. Do you find that leisure time bores you and that you would rather be at the office?
    1. yes
    2. no
26. 26. Do you find that you don’t particularly like taking vacations?
    1. yes
    2. no
27. 27. Are you able to maintain a good balance between your work and private life?
    1. yes
    2. no
28. 28. Do you talk about your work
    1. on your free time with friends or family?
    2. only with colleagues or the boss?
    3. only rarely?
29. 29. If you suddenly won a large sum of money, would you
    1. quit working for the rest of your life?
    2. pursue a different career?
    3. continue in the same line of work as you do now?

Scoring

What your score means

84 to 140: You derive most of your personal identity from your career. Such a high work involvement may mean that you base too much of your well-being on your career, excluding other important areas of your life.

Beware: An exceedingly high level of commitment may make you susceptible to unacceptable, self-imposed stress and eventual burnout. … You need to learn to decrease your workload and the stresses you experience at work. You also need to explore how to make your time and energy contribute more to your overall well-being.

57 to 83: A score in this range represents a healthy level of commitment and motivation. Although there may be many things about your work you would like to change, you seem to have found a career that provides ample personal affirmation. It’s likely that you have struck a healthy balance between your work and your personal life.

22 to 56: You have a low level of career-commitment, which could be due to dissatisfaction with your present job—especially if it doesn’t match well with your interests and abilities. On the other hand, it could be that you are a low-key, noncompetitive person who doesn’t have a compulsive sense of urgency to better your career.

—Eugene Raudsepp, late presidentPrinceton Creative Research, Inc.

Reprinted by permission. Originally appeared in Marriage Partnership (summer 1991).

Leadership Spring 1998 p. 91-2