What you do is not who you are

I have been thinking a lot on this article by Tim Herrera for the New York Times, “Remember: What You Do Is Not Who You Are.” He speaks about how since childhood, Americans have considered “who they are” to be related to their profession. Small talk always begins with, “how’s work?” And when we meet someone for the first time it’s always, “what do you do?” But is that really the way it should be?

Herrera states that one of the best pieces of career advice he has ever received is to

“...think of jobs as verbs, rather than nouns. So, for example: I do journalism, rather than I’m a journalist. Or: I do youth education, rather than I’m a teacher.”

I think, especially now, it’s important for everyone to consider who they are outside of their job. When you spend all day working from home, it’s easy to check your email at all hours or continue working after you’ve put the kids to bed. Embracing this idea that our identity is not solely built on our profession can break workers free from the endless grind. Your worth is not based solely on how well your career progresses.

I am a big proponent of work-life balance, and I think that right now is a great time for everyone to start embracing it.