How Did We Get On The Hamster Wheel Anyway

This is the third installment in the Exiting The Hamster Wheel Series, which starts here. Follow #exitingthehamsterwheel so you don't miss an installment.

A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work. 

Colin Powell

Football is like life - it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority.” 

Vince Lombardi

There is no shortage of pithy quotes and adages about the glories and benefits of hard work. “Hard work” is the foundation upon which many countries are built, especially the United States. These and other similar quotes are the tapestry from which we weave our societal beliefs to work hard and keep up with the Jones’ (whomever they are). 

We stay late at the office because someone might doubt our commitment and loyalty when bonuses come out. Our Sundays are filled with dread and anxiety for the week and to-do list ahead. As much as we celebrate personal freedom, we have created a societal contract in which stress is accepted and even worn as a badge of honor. I heard a manager tell an employee who was having trouble sleeping, “if you worked harder you wouldn’t have that trouble.” In short, if you work harder you’ll be more tired and sleep better. Yes, this is the twisted logic of too many people. 

I don’t mean to vilify hard work, ambition or success. As someone who has written and coached while also working a full-time job, I believe in both. Ambition and hard work is what creates innovation, change and progress in the world. Building a successful company, career, relationship and life in general, takes work. But this doesn’t mean we must live on the hamster wheel to enjoy success and transform the world. 

Beliefs Are The On Ramp To The Hamster Wheel

Our beliefs about work, success, life and personal freedom are the on ramp to the hamster wheel. Yes, it is our thoughts, beliefs and attitudes that are creating mental, physical and emotional prisons in which we reside. We believe success comes from hard work.

But what if we believed success comes from connecting with friends, family, co-workers and customers? Would we not be successful? Zappos CEO Tony Hseih has shown us that in fact focusing on happiness is profitable. Southwest Airlines has shown us that love creates one of the few profitable airlines. Even COVID-19 has shown many work from home critics that remote work is just as productive as being in the office.

Anything is possible if we're willing to check our beliefs at the door.

No government or white knight can address this epidemic because there is no institution that can solve how we view the world or ourselves. The solution to the hamster wheel epidemic resides within each of us. Therefore, the challenge in front of us is to rethink and redefine success. More on how next week. Until then, here are some quick action items.

Action Items:

1. Have a discussion this week (or journal) about the beliefs that shape your definition of success.
2. Follow #exitingthehamsterwheel so you don't miss an installment.

Excerpted from Exiting The Hamster Wheel by Laurie Erdman. Copyright ? Laurie Erdman, 2020.

Laurie Erdman writes about change, leadership, humane workplaces, burnout and exiting the hamster wheel.