
If who we are in our job defines who we are in our lives are we giving equal weight to both roles? Do we give equal effort to our roles as parent, spouse, and friend? Who are we? What do we do for a living? Is there a difference between the two?
For some, their career is who they are. For others, it may be hard to know the difference between dedication and definition. Here are some ways you can use to determine if you might be defined by your job.
- Your title is VERY important to you
- You value people and activities based on how it effects/benefits your career
- Your passions in life are all work related
- You feel emotionally empty and/or restless when you’re not working
- When things don’t go well on the job, you take it personally
- Almost all conversations have references to work in them
- You make yourself available all the time for work calls, emails, meetings, etc.
- If you lost your job, you would feel completely worthless
We play so many roles in our lives- CEO, parent, partner, child- and it is the incorporation of each of them that strikes that balance. Putting too much weight into any one of those roles causes a crisis of identity that will not help us in our career or our lives. Don’t forget you are more than your job and so much more than one title will allow.