My partner was in the hospital today. He is a healthy young man and was just getting a regular checkup. He came home and commented on how he noticed lots of the doctors were overweight. He said it frustrated him that they sit and provide actions – advice, drugs, operations – all in the motivation of helping people live a a healthier life. However, they do not appear to prioritise that themselves.

So it made me think – should you have to practise what you preach?

Should it be an obligation to live and breath the words that you speak?

Of course, the best professionals are passionate about their line of work. So you do hope that passion extends to the actions in their personal and not just professional life. But for some reason that is not always true. Often people state something and but actually do the opposite. I know that most companies do try and have an element of the recruitment criteria which is related to the values of the organisation. But there is nothing like this for actual career choice. I know that I have had sports coaches that are overweight and worked in non-profit development organisations with selfish and materialistic people. I find this conflicting. Not only from respect for the individual, but also in regards to their personal choice.

Why would they choose to work in an environment where they do not live the values?

Is it because the available passion and energy for that area of life is zapped at work? No time for the chef to cook nice meals at home, the sports coach to do their own exercise or the doctor to eat healthy heart meals. I find it harder to understand this, than the opposite (and more common) way – the accountant who has a fashion blog on the side or the receptionist who is an opera singer. People who save their passion for hobbies and not for work. Not everyone manages to blend work with passion and not everyone has a choice. But to conflict what you preach professionally with what you practise personally confuses me.

I struggle to respect people in any area of life that are hypocritical. Maybe I am just too idealistic. But I really do hope my energy and passion for the things that I love continue to have more longevity than 9-5.  How about you? Do your values carry from the professional to personal sphere?