If You're Going To Die Regretting Time Spent At The Office, You've Got The Wrong Office

by Micah Solomon (that’s me). Originally published in Forbes.com. The author is a consultant, influencer, keynote speaker, and trainer in customer service, customer experience, customer service culture, and hospitality. (Here are three ways to reach Micah:email, chat, web).

If you're an entrepreneur--a creative business builder, a leader in a growing and engaging organization--you're not going to die regretting the time you spent at work. You're going to look back at it with love and, quite possibly, the wish that you could do more of this same.

This, of course, is in direct opposition to the imbecilic old maxim that “nobody on his deathbed regrets not having spent more time in the office." This saying implies that the work we do doesn’t matter, that our need to work is an interruption of the life we were born to live.

I would say instead that for those of us who are entrepreneurs, who are creative, who are building companies and projects and customer relationships, the work in fact, is something that we live to do.

In other words, I'd turn the old saying on its head and say this instead: If you're going to die regretting time spent at the office, you've got the wrong office.

I don't know how much more clearly to state the ethos of those of us who are truly involved in our work, in building, creating, challenging the status quo (or lovingly maintaining it as best we know how).

For me, the office is one of my favorite places in the world, whether it’s my official office or one of my de facto workplaces: event stages when I'm giving a speech, meeting rooms when consulting, our funky local diner when I am working on a book (for some reason I prefer to write in bustling environments rather than entirely alone).

Of course, and sadly, not everyone gets to pick their office, their work. Far too many people are stuck in work that gives them no sense of control, of involvement, that they find very hard to take any meaning from. If this situation describes your work, and there’s anything you can do about it, do it.

Just as important, if you’re an employer and this describes the situation of your employees, it’s your moral obligation (and a good business practice to boot) to turn the situation around: to provide employees with meaningful work and involvement in how their day-to-day job activities are designed.

But for the rest of us, let’s enjoy the work we have, rather than belittling it.

Thank God, in other words, that it’ll soon be Monday.

[Originally published in Forbes.com. The author, Micah Solomon, is a customer service consultant, best selling author, influencer, keynote speaker, and trainer in customer service, customer experience, customer service culture, and hospitality. (Here are three ways to reach Micah:email, chat, web).]