'Justified' Workaholism

A couple months ago I decided to attempt working 50 hours a week. Now, some of you know I work from home but regardless, it is not a job that is ridiculously easy. After forty hours a week I do feel physically drained as I am chained to these monitors all day.

Even working 12 hours a day, I was still getting sufficient food, exercise, and entertainment that I am upping the ante. Except this time the purpose isn't to earn a ridiculous sum of money and hoarding it away for a rainy day (actually to buy a house with).

Some of you may remember my emotion-filled tirade in EoEo. I meant what I said at the end of the live journal post -- Some people told me that I wouldn't be able to volunteer and it's looking that way. But I can still make some extra money (I'm not doing anything productive with my time today anyway) and spend it where it is needed more (ie anywhere else -- I really don't need anything more to be happy). I'm going to be donating either money or phone cards/bus passes to the Women and Children's shelter.

It is merely by coincidence that this is happening during Christmas -- also I intend to continue to do this as long as I am financially capable. Hopefully this works out in my favor at the end, because I am now obligated to save up a LOT of money to buy mutual funds as not to be taxed to death.

Anyway, this LJ-ish post has a few topics: are you doing anything to help out during Christmas? And do you have any plans to be more generous or to perform acts of charity in this season/next year?

(SPOILER)There can be a side topic on why generosity or charity are acts that any person who is typically selfish (ie myself) can truly perform, or whether anybody can do so without selfishness. If you asked me a month ago whether charity was something I would do, or if volunteering was a chore, I would have answered no and yes, respectively.

On the side of workaholism, the most work I've ever done in 1 week was 90+ hours in Sainsbury's. I went to work at 08:00 mon - sat and left no earlier than 22:30 on those days I then done 09:00 - 17:00 on the sunday to boot too. I currently work about 40 - 50 hours a week however my hours are spread over all 7 days of the week. I don't like doing 7 day weeks. It's not easy and it's not fun I don't get a day off entirely to myself because one of my 2 jobs somewhere will want me to focus on them not to mention my primarily volunteer job of game developer/writer. They're relying on me to get some quests done soon.

However at present I justify my workaholicism by the fact I am moving out on the 3/1/09 and need money for this expensive period of time. Still I'd like to change it.

As for giving to charity, well personally I believe donating cash to charity is a selfish act in itself. We never do something for no gain and in the case of charity donations whether it be time, spare money or items we do it to feel good and to look good in other peoples eyes. A selfless act is to be able to say "hey I need to eat this sandwich otherwise I will not eat tonight at all but you're weaker/hungrier ect than I am and therefore even though I will go hungry once I will give you a meal for tonight even though no one will ever know of my actions." or the like. I'm not saying donating to charity is a waste of time because it isn't provided the donation isn't wasted paying wages and on administration fees. However I'm merely contesting that we ever give money to charity as a selfless act.