Do You Define Yourself by Your Day Job, Or by Your Passion?
What’s in a title?
The other day someone asked what work I do. “I’m a production planner. I plan production.” She politely nodded her head and made a note.
Yeah, she had no idea about what I do twelve hours a day from that. We define ourselves by our work, so why do we minimize it? Most of us handle multiple roles; why do we settle on the one title we use by our day job and not the one that makes us happy?
Now, if I had said I’m a writer, that sparks interest in people. Does it matter that I’m not making a full-time income from it yet? Apparently, it does to me. Otherwise, I would say, “I’m a writer, I write engaging articles sprinkled with sarcasm, and I love what I do.”
You limit yourself by your own thinking
If we continually label ourselves by our day jobs, how can we ever follow our dreams? If you aspire to be a writer, you need to tell yourself and others that I’m a writer! If your title is dog catcher, but you really want to be a veterinarian, your focus needs to be “I’m a veterinarian someday.”
