Your research is not your identity—how to detach your self from your work
Photo by Charlota Blunarova on Unsplash
As academics, we often see our research as an extension of ourselves. After all, our projects reflect our ideas, our interests, and our goals. It’s a privilege to pursue work that feels personally exciting and aligns with our curiosities. But this inherent closeness between work and self can be a double-edged sword. When your research feels like an integral part of who you are, it can be easy to conflate your identity with your achievements. Then, suddenly, any setback—such as when a grant doesn’t get funded or a paper gets rejected—feels like a hit to your self-worth. If you define yourself by your work, you may find it difficult to pivot away from activities that no longer serve you, fearing that doing so means losing a part of yourself. It may become difficult to receive constructive criticism objectively, or to recognize when you’re chasing external validation at the expense of your well-being.
Your research is what you do, but it is not who you are. To illustrate this more clearly, think about how you would describe a beloved family member. Would you use their profession as a starting point? Perhaps you would, but I would challenge you to think about whether you are simply using their profession as a contextual shorthand, as a way to describe the type of person or the prevailing qualities that may be required to succeed at the job. As an example, if I were to describe my mother, I could give you a list of the jobs she has had in her life: a grocery store clerk, an administrator, an owner of a retail business, etc. But who is she really? Hard-working and tenacious, with a sensitive and caring side. The qualities that make up who she is have supported her in her work, but who she is as a person—her self—transcends what she has done for a job.
Who you are as a person might make you good at your research, but your research achievements will not make you who you are. So, if your research isn’t your identity, how do you discover who you truly are? Here are some practical activities to help you redefine yourself beyond your CV:
1. Identify your core values. List your top 5 values. What do these values mean to you? How do embody them in day-to-day life? If you need help brainstorming, check out resources online, such as this one.
2. Seek Outside Perspective. Ask your friends and family to describe you. What words do they use? What resonates with you? Are these descriptions who you want to be? Perhaps there are qualities that you would like to embody instead or characteristics you would like to change or improve upon.
3. Reflect through journaling. Answer prompts like“When do I feel most like myself?”, “How do I want people to feel when they are around me?” or “What would fulfillment look like if I couldn’t list any professional achievements?”
4. Focus on impact, not accomplishments. Define your purpose. How do you want show up in the world and inspire others?
5. Cultivate relationships and activities outside of academia. What do these experiences tell you about what you value and what you enjoy?
Your work matters, but it doesn’t define you or your worth. Rediscovering your identity can empower you to create a strategic vision that is meaningful and fulfilling, and illuminates what true success looks like. Do you need help separating your identity from your research? Let’s talk; book a free discovery call today to discover who you are beyond your research.
Next week: Reframing failure as a necessary step for success
