My name is Nick Cosgrove. And I’m a workaholic.

There I said it!

Are you happy?

Yes, it’s true, I work 7 days a week.

Yes, it’s true, I respond to my emails at 11:00pm on a Saturday Night.

And Yes, it’s true, I still wake up at 5:00am every morning, regardless of what day of the week it is.

But, you know what? I fucking LOVE what I do!!!!

“You Need To Enjoy Your Life”

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had someone tell me that I “need” to enjoy my life more or that I “should” work less. In fact, I’ve been told this by so many people, so many times, that I just stopped talking about how many hours I work each week, as I grew tired of hearing people nag me and give me advice on how I should or need to live my life.

The ironic thing about the majority of these people who were telling me that I need to work less and play more, is that these are the same people who struggle to pay their bills each month, and/or are given a handout from their parents and other family members in order to just get by.

With that said, I have never judged or criticized these people for how they choose to live their lives, so I’ve often wondered as to why they judge and criticize me for how I choose to live mine.

Empowering Your Independence

To me, the three most attractive qualities that a person can exhibit is how kind and empathetic they are to others, their work ethic, and having a high level of independence. I simply cannot respect people who are both physically and mentally capable of working, yet rely on others to support them financially. Keep in mind that I’m not referring to those people who have complicated health issues that permit them from working full time jobs, or those that are going to school full time. I’m referring to those people who are young and healthy, but just God Damn Lazy!

Finding Yourself

Look, I’m all for finding oneself and trying to figure out what truly makes you happy in life. I understand that not everyone enjoys what they do for a living. And I appreciate those people that want to “live in the moment” and not worry about the future. But the fact of the matter is, that none of us are getting any younger. And unless you yourself plan on coming into a gigantic inheritance or are a Trust Fund Baby, then you’re going to be shit out of luck when you hit 60 years old and find yourself working 40+ hour weeks just in order to barely get by.

“That’s Too Expensive”

I have to be honest. I like nice things. And unfortunately nice things, are usually expensive things. So rather then tell myself that I can’t afford something, I figure out a way to make sure that I can afford it. Whether it be taking a date to a high end restaurant, taking the boat out on the water for the day, following a healthy diet that is anything but cost-effective, or funding my Jordan-1 shoe collection/addiction, I don’t believe in setting limitations on the goods that I wish to purchase or for the services I wish to book simply because they are viewed by others as “too expensive”.

Building Character

Having a sickening work ethic doesn’t just translate into how well someone does financially in life. More importantly, I believe a sickening work ethic builds character. And a strong character is one if not the most important attributes that I look for and respect in a person.

A person who has strong character traits is more often than not, confident, optimistic, self-aware, reliable, adaptable and tenacious. They help others who actually need their help. They showcase leadership in times when leadership is needed. And they never badmouth or shit talk someone poorly behind their back.

Giving Back

Finally, and most importantly, having a sickening work ethic provides you with the time, energy and resources needed in order to give back to others. Whether it be through charitable donations, volunteering your time at the local Food Bank, Homeless Shelter, Retirement Homes, Cancer Society, Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House, etc. or just working on yourself to become a better person and role model to others. A sickening work ethic ensures that once you commit to a project or cause, you will not quit until it become successful, regardless of how much work needs to get done.

“It’s not about money or connections. It’s the willingness to out work and out learn everyone.”
Mark Cuban

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove
Forever Fit Performance