How do you want to be defined? | Get Better
At the beginning of the year, we are often in reflection mode. Something I think about a lot is…
Who am I? What do I stand for? How do I want to be defined?
We get lost in positions, titles, income, and status symbols. This is especially true in corporate environments where often our brand matters more than the work we do. We have all experienced watching someone move up the corporate ladder knowing they do less or inferior work, but know how to manipulate the office politics.
We shouldn’t let anyone else define us. Our definition is what we say to ourselves. It is what we see in the mirror, not what others pin to us. Our definition is created by the work we do, the positive actions we take, the more we lift up others, and what we say to ourselves.
What helped me was writing down how I wanted to be defined. It was a short list, but I wrote down what kind of person I wanted to be. Then, I looked at the actions I was taking and the tasks I was doing and compared them to my definition. Where these actions matching my definition?
If not, I need to stop. If yes, I need to do more of it.
Once I had my definition I could compare my actions and tasks to see if it matched. Doing this helped me identify what is important in my life and to do more important things.
Just don’t be too hard on your past self. There is no reason to look backwards, you are not going that direction.
Now that you have your definition, how can you live it?
