There are two approaches to work: one is working to live; the other is living to work. The difference defines a person’s life, especially when that person is a writer. Writing, for many of us, is a love affair, a calling. We didn’t choose to do it; it chose us. Perhaps that sounds overly dramatic, but it is honestly the way I perceive my work. I am one of those who live to work. If I did not have to do it, I would do it anyway. I have friends who take the opposite position and cannot relate to my obsession. “Working supports a lifestyle; it is not a lifestyle,” they insist. “You can love what you do and work hard at it, but its purpose is to let you enjoy the rest of your life.” To such people, working is a means to an end. To me, it is an end in itself. There is no right or wrong here; there are only different perspectives. For many years, I was comfortable with mine. Writing was the center of my universe. Everything else simply revolved around it, like planets. It worked for me, so why change it?As time goes by, though, I am less certain that having my entire identity and all of my energy tied to a single aspect of my life, at the expense of all the others, is either wise or healthy. If a healthy life is a balanced life, mine is seriously out of kilter. Looking back, I realize that I have always been this way, with every job I’ve ever held, and, certainly, since I have owned my own business. It never occurred to me that I was not having a life; to me, writing was my life.But it occurs to me now. Work - writing - is more than a love affair; it is an addiction. Since I am writing to an audience of writers, your response might well be, “So, what’s wrong with that?” Think of it this way: if I said, “My name is Bobbi, and I’m a workaholic,” would it sound quite as enthralling? I think not. Any word that ends in “… aholic” should make one sit up and take notice.Let me respond to the “What’s wrong with that?” question. When one’s life is seriously out of balance, everything suffers, including the thing that is getting most of the attention and energy. If your social life were the dominant theme, isn’t it possible that your health, family, work, and intellectual sides might be getting short-changed?

If you focused on your children to the exclusion of everything else, what would happen to your job, your intellectual or spiritual pursuits, and your creativity? You get the idea.The old cliché, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” didn’t become a cliché for no reason. (I know that is politically incorrect, but it can’t be helped.) Writers cannot afford to become dull. Creativity must be fed. Sitting alone in your office, fingers to keyboard, eyes fixed on your computer screen, is simply not enough. If that is all you do, you run a real risk of getting stale or burning out, both of which spell creative and professional death.I am not advocating distancing yourself from your passion or your work. But I am suggesting that the more attention you pay to all of the parts of your life, the fresher and richer your writing will be.

That is true whether you are working on an article, a direct mail piece, or a book. Your mind is like a computer: nothing new in, nothing new out.If you draw a wheel and put yourself at the hub, each of the spokes represents an important phase of a full and balanced life: creative, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, and physical. They all matter; they all contribute to each other; they are interdependent. What I have learned is this: if I attend to each of them, my writing is better, my work life is more satisfying, and my mind is more alert. My advice to writers, after all these years of not taking it myself, is this: get a life. You’ll be a better writer for it.

Bobbi Linkemer is a ghostwriter, writing coach, and editor. She is also the author of 14 books. Bobbi has been a professional writer for 40 years, a magazine editor and journalist, and a book-writing teacher. Her clients range from Fortune 100 companies to entrepreneurs who want to enhance their credibility and build their businesses. Her articles on writing regularly appear on ezinearticles.com and other top online article sites. Visit her Website at: http://www.WriteANonfictionBook.com

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