I recently read an article titled 5 things you must do to treat yourself with kindness after a layoff. It detailed things to consider for self-care during period right after losing your job. But one of the tips struck me as something that is worth consideration well before we find ourselves in that position.
The fourth recommendation was ‘Figure out who you are without your former job’ and I immediately identified it as something that we all must do while we are employed. Why wait until we’ve been laid off to have a clear understanding of who we are without a job?
Boundaries
For one, having this understanding will help you to set clear boundaries that will guide you while doing your job. Things such as your core principles, do’s and don’ts as well as non-negotiables all help to solidify our sense of identity outside of work but play a part in your decision making during work.
In the article, it was noted that many people have “their sense of self wrapped up in what they do”, imagine then being able to clearly define your identity without the trappings of what you do, and instead focus on how you do it as well as who you are?
The first step to unravel this identity crisis is to visit and establish the boundaries that you have set for your own wellbeing. Those self-preserving standards are the first sign of what makes you, you and provide a gauge of what holds you intact.
The thought that I could be somebody else underneath all of what I currently believe I am, is exciting. Because, that means that everything I ever told myself about the things that limit me and the justifications for those limitations, are completely false. Sometimes we get sucked into believing that all that we are is the value that we bring to our jobs, when the bigger picture and world beyond that wall says so much more.
Discover what makes you special
Whether you believe so or not, you bring something unique to every position and role you work in. Now may be the time for you to take stock of those skills, talents, or idiosyncrasies which make you an asset in your role. They may be the key to your future next steps, whatever those are. In evaluating my own gifts and what I bring to the table, I realized that in one of my former roles, the skillsets that I brought to the table allowed me to bring something unique to the job that could not be easily replicated if my replacement were to be hired, simply based on my job description.
I brought that to the table and that is what I provided to the role, not the other way around. Too often we work in jobs over long (or even short) periods and think that the work in all its sameness has moulded us when in fact it’s our own dynamism that makes it liveable and allows us to add value. So we are not just filling a slot, we bring something to the table that in many ways cannot be copied.
Outside of the daily job
Figuring out your identity outside of a job is a perfect opportunity to consider what the possibilities and next steps could be for your life, both professionally and otherwise.
When you consider things liked – what else could I do? What would I be doing if not this?
It all comes down to the basics of who you believe you are and what you feel you have to give to the world. It may mean grabbing opportunities that lead you into a completely new direction outside of that box that you were living in.
Many people have discovered certain skills and talents in the process of doing their job and suddenly something that has laid dormant, provided new energy for something else.
I don’t know who you are but I hope you find out and nurture that person in all the ways that they matter.
Be inspired, Be informed, Be Glorious!
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