Are you your work?
Lisa Wolfe
Computer Scientist | Protect Your Spirit From Corporate Burnout Author & Speaker | Host of Finding Water - AI Podcast
By Lisa Wolfe
When I spoke with my fellow corporate travelers about how they kept their energy strong as they made their way on their corporate journey for my new book - Inner Fire: Protecting Your Spirit From Corporate Burnout, I also spoke with those who had burned out and one of my findings was that many people who had burned out seemed to have a single identity - they were their job. They had started their corporate journey without a thought about boundaries between their work and their lives and quickly before they knew it their entire identity was their job.
In one of my early conversations years ago with an HP production leader of the multi-billion dollar LaserJet business unit she shared with me that she was not only working 7 by 24 but when she was not at work she found herself only talking about work - she was effectively her job. Eventually she ran straight into burnout while presenting to a large employee group when her knees buckled from under her, she made it off the stage but it took her a long time to recover.
While she was not early in her career she had to begin at the beginning by understanding how to establish boundaries between her work and life. Her doctor told her to find a job with less stress. But stress can be a good thing, stress can be a source of energy until we cross our own internal personal red-line of stress and then it can be debilitating and only we know where our red-line of stress is. My former colleague stayed in her leadership role at HP and in addition to learning how to establish boundaries, she also learned to manage stress in the moment by attending courses at HeartMath.org.
For those who are early in your career, you may already know that jobs go away - they go away for many reasons: mergers, acquisitions, or a change in business strategy, and when a job goes away and your sole identity is your job that can feel like a death. Knowing who you are beyond your job not only helps buffer your spirit between jobs it also helps keep your energy strong in both work and life.
If your sole identity is your job it may be time to actively dedicate time to creating your life beyond your job.
Ask yourself: What gives your life meaning, what are your values, your passions?
These questions change over a lifetime, and the answers are not easy, they are not: instant life hacks, Instagram-able moments, inspiring quotes or anything an AI assistant can solve ...
they come from your soul and just by asking yourself these questions and working through the answers helps create and keep your energy strong and helps keep your spirit protected from corporate burnout.
Inner Fire available for pre-order and official launch January 14, 2025:
Hi Lisa - great to see your book has come to fruition. I am finding that retirement is another time when identity changes dramatically, ideally in a way you like. One of the things I am grateful for is the chance to reinvent myself with this change. For me, it is an opportunity to take all the things I have learned about life and myself and determine who I want to be next and how i can help or influence others and perhaps something bigger. Fwiw, I was surprised how easy it was to walk away from work after almost 40 years, and so liberating!
Sales Engineering Leader@ServiceNow | Customer First Mindset | Everyday Learner | Travel Lover | Environment Enthusiast | Woman Empowerment Proponent
2 个月It’s important to bring this to light. People miss out on so much happening around them because they feel like they need to trump at work. There is surely more to being than just work. Although it is important, it can’t be everything.
Lisa, this resonates so deeply with me. For much of my career, my identity was tied to my professional roles and achievements. But as I’ve grown in my faith, I’ve come to understand that my true identity is deeply connected to living out my values and fulfilling my God-given purpose through actions that further serve and uplift others. In my new role with Family Connect of WI, I’m experiencing what it means to align my work with my values and passions. For the first time, I feel my professional life is in harmony with my faith foundation, allowing me to collaborate with others to create meaningful change. Helping children and families in need is giving my life even more of a sense of purpose and joy. Your post is a timely reminder to pause and reflect!
Founder | CEO | Entrepreneur | Author | Board Director| Speaker | Enabling Business Transformation and Workforce Productivity
2 个月Lisa Wolfe you are so right about asking these very important questions. Often our identity is so tied to our work and we forget to check in on who we are outside of this? Is this the only thing that feeds our soul? This question needs to be asked at multiple junctures in your life’s journey. You may come different conclusions based on every changing needs and priorities that truly feed your soul.