Remember: What You Do Is Not Who You Are
Unraveling the intricate relationship between our actions and identity, we delve into the profound truth that our deeds do not solely define us. Explore the multifaceted nature of selfhood, beyond the constraints of our daily activities and accomplishments.
Think of jobs as verbs, not nouns
It’s more important than ever not to tie your entire identity to the thing you do for money
- Art Markman, a professor of psychology and marketing at the University of Texas at Austin, and the author of the book “Bring Your Brain to Work,” said that not every day is a good day, and there are projects that don’t go well.
Where to draw the lines
Everyone at work knows you don’t have anywhere else to be
- The solution to this is to just start putting the boundaries in place
- This could mean not answering your phone or email after your workday has ended, or not engaging with a Slack message while you’re taking a 15-minute mental health break during the day
- Often, people just start carving out boundaries for themselves and no one even notices
- Have a conversation with your manager and tell them you want to create a schedule that’s sustainable and healthy
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Our identity becomes inseparably tied to the thing we do to make money.
- Minda Harts is the founder of the Memo LLC, a career development company for women of color
- Her approach to work has always been to keep her personal life personal, but the pressure of fitting into an office’s culture can erode such boundaries.
Why bother? What’s the benefit?
It’s important to protect yourself from letting problems in one area of your life affect the other areas.
- Centering your life on a job may even make you act against your own self-interest and happiness, perhaps by working long hours or accepting behavior you normally wouldn’t.