After consulting engagements there is usually a call with the client from the consulting organization to see the clients opinion of the service and value provided.
This is always interesting because it is a chance to learn from all parties what was helpful, what could be improved and to ensure that the goal was met.
It makes me feel good when clients say that I met the goal and sometimes even exceeded it. This is not to brag, but just to share that this is what overly conscientious people do when we work. We worry if we are meeting the clients expectations perhaps more than we should.
So one of the interesting things that I have learned in work is sometimes to care less about it. I have had many coworkers say “Its just a job” when they sensed that I was putting too much emotion into work. It is easy to let work consume and define us, but it is not who we are. It is just what we do to survive.
If you feel that work is consuming you, step back and evaluate your life outside of work. Are you using work to avoid the reality of your life?