Stress Beaters.
If the answer to any of these is yes, write down the reasons why you work. On that list you may well find words such as 'excitement', 'adrenalin' or 'money'. Now look at what you want outside work -family, friends, relationships, good health. Try to work out how the two sides can match up, and you will find you can't. Hunting the buzz can give you material success, but will not add an hour to your life or improve a failing relationship.
The day I wrote the above, I saw a policeman who had to decide whether to take on more commitments at work or accept that he would not be promoted in the future. His marriage was precarious but could be salvaged, provided he spent time and effort on it. He was not especially fond of his job as it was and had often wondered about changing professions, and thought he might like to do so had it not been for one thing - the adrenalin kick he got from being in the front line of the police force. He said nothing came close — not money, sex or relationships. Although I knew he would not take it he asked my advice about what he should do. When I said he could have his job or his wife but not both, he replied, 'I can always get another wife,' and left.
There will never be anything to fill that man's life apart from his job. He knows that, and has accepted the consequences, but I think it will destroy him over the years. If like him you work for the excitement of the job, ask yourself two questions: what do you have when the job stops, and who will remember you?
If you are always hunting the buzz of work and success, ask yourself whether it is preventing you from enjoying life beyond the workplace.

63J
^:^:S^^I^4^^(
Keep your promises
Break a promise at your peril. Its size does not matter - it can involve the washing-up or a major business deal - but its effect is the same. You are seen as less trustworthy than before, and your standing among family friends and work colleagues falls. Keep breaking promises and before long you will be ignored when a decision is necessary. This leads to a loss of confidence and increased anxiety, although you have only yourself to blame.
Most of us make promises to the following people:
To children. One of the ways children learn not to trust is by being lied to, and a broken promise is seen as just that. It can be tempting to promise something to make life easier on a difficult day, but if you know you cannot keep your promise you are simply storing up trouble. Repeated broken promises are not forgotten by children.
To partners or spouses. If you are married or in a long-term relationship, it can sometimes seem the occasional broken promise will do little harm. There may be instances when this is unavoidable, but the reason why should be obvious at the time. Failing to keep your word has a constant negative effect on any relationship and undermines the element on which relationships depend - trust. Lose this and it is hard to salvage a relationship. If you do break a promise, apologize and aim to do better next time, but remember this will not save you if constantly used as a 'Get out of jail free' card.
To work colleagues. If your colleagues think that you will not keep your word they are unlikely to trust you with

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