It’s been awhile since we’ve added to the Corporate Politics 101 series. So here’s the long awaited Lesson #8: don’t live to work!

What might that mean? Lots of people – but especially people who work in the white-collar world – work far more hours than they need to! Sometimes the boss pressures them to do so, and even threatens their job should they refuse. But, at other times, the pressure comes from nothing more than the little boss in their brain. Or, as we might call it in the business world, ‘soft power.’

Many forces we find in the business world today – from HR to process improvement systems – serve as one of their functions the subtle pressuring of workers to work longer and harder. They generate enthusiasm about the business and its product, the company mission, and so on. Many try to take their lead from progressive non-profits and NGOs, which have long boasted of workforces that put in 50-60+ hour weeks.

You want my advice? Steer clear of all that. It’s unhealthy and unproductive to work that much. And it’s bad for your mental health to wrap up your identity so tightly in your job. As much as possible, avoid orienting your life around work.

As workers, you have to work in order to live. That’s part of what it means to live as a worker in a capitalist system. But don’t work more than you have to. Treat the company mission with the right level of respect, but don’t take it too seriously. Your company – even if it’s a non-profit or has a lofty mission – probably doesn’t do much of the good it claims to do. That’s how capitalism works. Fight to overthrow capitalism.

Don’t live to work.