Who are you if you are not your job title? WHAT IS YOUR IDENTITY?

One Practical Tool FOR LEADERS TO DISCOVER MORE

Often, when it comes to introducing ourselves, we talk about our job title and the company we work for. 

The repeated saying made us believe that is our core identity. And it's not true.

The moment when we leave our job, due to burnout or layoff, we have no work to do, no one to report to, no team to lead, we lose the sense of direction and identity.

We ponder 'Who are you?" The feeling of loss is driven by the fact that we spend about one-third of our time at work every day. It's the habitual activity and momentum that made us feel disoriented.

It does not mean we lose our identity.

Outside of work:

• What are you passionate about?

• What do you truly care about?

• What do you enjoy doing?

• Who do you enjoy spending time with?

• Where do you like to go?

Your identity is much bigger than you think.

When I was trying to dig deeper into exploring what I can teach people, I thought of identifying ACTUAL BEHAVIORS rather than intellectual ideas.

As leaders, we know data points are more powerful than questionnaires.

So where can I find the evidence of who I am, and not just who I think I am?

The PHOTO ALBUM in my phone!

When you scroll through your photos, you'll have a sense of the kind of memories you like to capture.

You can also identify key themes that appear often, and they can reveal your values. For example, I see a lot of photos taken in nature and that tells me I value it deeply.

The photos show you what activities you enjoy doing. I realized I like taking photos of books and am passionate about sharing with others because I love learning.

They also indicate when the magical and energizing moments are (when you SEE YOUR SMILE). Just like how I noticed in a video, how joyful I was when I was singing with a choir.

The photo album provides solid evidence of our choices.

Today, take out your phone. Imagine you are a detective like Sherlock Holmes and you are curious about this person. Look at the photo album and see what you find.

I believe you will find out you are more than you think you are.

If, and only if, you mostly see work-related photos in your album. That also tells you something.

Hope this article inspires you. If it does, do share with others because

~ WE RISE BY LIFTING OTHERS ~