Something Has Cracked

On learning how to stop letting your job be your identity

I’ve always been career-driven. Focused on the next title, the next salary bump, the next set of responsibilities. I measured personal success by professional success—because that’s what I was taught. Advancement felt like purpose. And financial success meant freedom, survival. Growing up without a lot of money teaches you that.

So, that was my focus... quite often, my only focus, often to the detriment of other life goals that fell to the wayside—or professional endeavors that were cast aside for more profitable alternatives.

But over the past 14 months, something’s shifted. I’m not going to rehash the whole layoff story—I’ve written about that already. Plenty of times.

But that’s when the crack started. And I had to adjust.

I’m not trying to sound dramatic. I didn’t throw my laptop out a window or escape to a cabin in the woods (although… tempting). But…