“We lose ourselves at work and may not find who we are at home until it’s too late”
If some percentage of people bring their full selves to work, there is another group of people that bring much less. Is there an exact dividing line for those who “do” vs those who “don’t do” as much? I’d say “no” but you’d certainly know who does less and you also know the people that bring everything to the table. Many times, you hear about their “passion.” There are also people that just come in and do what they need to do, and a bit more.
Today, I am talking about the “all in” crowd. The people that align their identities with the work.
I am definitely passionate when it comes to work. I put my heart and soul into myself and I identify with the organization I am working with. I get how this feels. If I do my best and we all benefit, I feel the excitement and energy and satisfaction of making things happen.
Experience has taught me that this doesn’t always work out. In my recent roles, I have been working to advise people who throw themselves all into their work to take a step back. There is an active self-motivational blindness that occurs, and it can backfire. Owning a business or being a leader with accountability for the whole organization may take this type of personal investment but when we work at a functional level in an organization, we may become problematic for ourselves by making an “all in investment”.
A few things to consider:
- What is the mission, vision, goals, and scope of work for the organization? (How does this relate to what I do?)
- What is my role? What is the scope of my role? How well is it defined? Do others know what I do? (This matters, because whether or not its a good thing, people identify you by your role) In my case, “compuuuttaa guy” <– years back
- What do you want to achieve for yourself on a daily basis?
I started this post around the same time a close family member took ill. It just reminds me that where I place my energy is important. The meme overload of cliche catch phrases about life won’t help us to stop and be mindful.
Think about your life.
Think about where you invest your time.
Think about reflecting on what you want to achieve and if you are where you want to be.
Think about the sacrifices you make for companies and organizations.
At the end of your day, if you are good with your choices, this is great. If you think that you need to change behaviors, this is the time.
The Cohenization Project 