QUIZ - How do you know if you're a workaholic?

Web posted February 11, 1997

 The legacy of workaholism

By Kathleen Curry
Knight-Ridder Newspapers

How do you know if you're a workaholic? This quiz may help. Put the number that best fits you beside each statement:

1 - Never true; 2 - Sometimes true; 3 - Often true; 4 - Always true

1. I prefer to do most things myself rather than ask for help.

2. I get very impatient when I have to wait for someone else or when something takes too long, such as long, slow-moving lines.

3. I seem to be in a hurry and racing against the clock.

4. I get irritated when I am interrupted while I am in the middle of something.

5. I stay busy and keep many ``irons in the fire.''

6. I find myself doing two or three things at one time, such as eating lunch and writing a memo while talking on the phone.

7. I over-commit myself by biting off more than I can chew.

8. I feel guilty when I am not working on something.

9. It is important that I see the concrete results of what I do.

10. I am more interested in the final results of my work than in the process.

11. Things just never seem to move fast enough or get done fast enough for me.

12. I lose my temper when things don't go my way or work out to suit me.

13. I ask the same question, without realizing it, after I've already been given the answer.

14. I spend a lot of time mentally planning future events, while tuning out the here and now.

15. I find myself continuing to work after my co-workers have called it quits.

16. I get angry when people don't meet my standards of perfection.

17. I get upset when I am in situations where I cannot be in control.

18. I tend to put myself under pressure with self-imposed conditions.

19. It is hard for me to relax when I'm not working.

20. I spend more time working than socializing with friends, on hobbies or on leisure activities.

21. I dive into projects to get a head start before all the phases have been finalized.

22. I get upset with myself for making even the smallest mistake.

23. I put more thought, time and energy into my work than I do into my relationships with friends and loved ones.

24. I forget, ignore or minimize important family celebrations such as birthdays, reunions, anniversaries or holidays.

25. I make important decisions before I have all the facts and have a chance to think them through thoroughly.

TOTAL YOUR SCORE

25-49: You are not a workaholic.

50-69: You a mild workaholic, but there is hope. With acceptance and modifications, you - and your children - will show few lasting effects.

70-100: You are a rabid workaholic. At this level, new research suggests, your children may have emotional repercussions as adults.