I have an aunt who was workaholic and when she didn't want to take her retirement (she worked until she was almost 70 yo), she got a serious depression after her retirement and got bored even though she could travel around the world.
At the end the family accepted she becomes a tutor for college students from the college she used to work for with the condition she has a limit of days, hours and students to tutor!
She did that until she was not mentally nor physically able to continue, she really is addict to work and get sad when she remembers how active she used to be. She got way older since the moment she couldn't continue to work!
It's like an addiction : needing it to the point of harming one's health, withdrawal being painful...
which is really a shame because "work" in the sense of paid work isn't necessarily the best way to positively impact the world.
I have moderate workaholic traits myself and I now find way more meaning in voluntary work / activism.
I don't receive orders from people I don't choose, and the things I work on actually have a very positive impact, whether it's directly or indirectly. Some jobs like the one Kondoh gave himself do have a positive impact - after all improving the finances here is definitely gonna indirectly save lifes - but many times that's not the case. I'm actually pleasantly surprised that Kondoh isn't under attack / threatened due to his incorruptibility
Just wanted to say that being a workaholic probably isn’t something people can choose. And as is with many things, it’s difficult to get out of. And Kondo did explain that work was the meaning of his life, and if you’ve ever been in the dumps like that, you’ll know how it feels to cling onto it like your life depends on it.