TMT: Who are you if not your work?

Hey all! I haven’t delivered a TMT in a while, but today I have something more personal to talk about. Let’s begin.

Lately, I’ve been sitting with the question, “Who are you if not your work?” or even more simply, “Who are you?”

I’ve realized that I tend to define myself by what I produce, physically. I know my character and my values ground my being, but they haven’t been what I lead with. Instead, I’ve been tying my sense of worth to my output and my productivity. Essentially, I am what I achieve.

That mindset has driven me for a long time, but it’s also taken a toll. When I’m not chasing something new, I feel lazy or like something’s missing. That pressure can spiral into burnout or feeling like I’m losing whenever a goal doesn’t pan out.

I want this post to serve as a reminder that it is okay to step back from the version of yourself that is validated by work and work ethic, and just be your core for a while. Your soul exists without your work; you don’t need it to survive or keep up an appearance. If you’re not sure what that means or feels like, then you likely have some inner work to do.

What do you want to define your being?

If not your work, then perhaps your joy, your compassion, your strength. Maybe it’s the friendships you’ve built that reveal your values or the faith you have in God.

It doesn’t need to be what you do. You aren’t only what you do.

Perhaps I’d need a real job to be firm in that statement, but truly, I do not think it’s fair for my worth to be in my studies. They’ve made me intelligent and resilient, and so that is a part of who I am. But I am not an A-grade or a research project. Instead, I am what I love.

You are not the number of cases you’ve won for your client as a lawyer; you aren’t the number of papers you’ve graded as a teacher. While what you produce is a part of your character development, it is impossible to limit yourself to that.

You may, however, produce beautiful things like love, emotion, art, and spirit. These are more central to your character.

If you take anything away from this two-minute talk, it’s that you mustn’t define yourself by production. I hope you enjoyed reading. 🤍

Farewell! -Nicole