I'm revisiting the concept of Identity today due to a realization I had about myself related to Identity and Work.
Here's what I noticed:
The less I identify with a project, the easier it is for me to complete it, and the more fun it is to complete.
Don't you think that's odd?
Doesn't it make more sense for me to enjoy working on things with which I identify? Don't you think that, if you are personally invested, you can complete the work faster and with less struggle?
I would have thought that taking pride in one's work goes hand-in-hand with identifying oneself with it. But I do take pride in my work, even when I don't identify with it -- perhaps even more so when the work is completely unrelated to my life and self.
Perhaps this seeming contradiction is related to poor self-esteem. Maybe, if I don't value myself, then identifying with a project devalues it in my own eyes. I really like working on projects that don't relate to me, and I tend to finish them quickly.
Perhaps it's something as simple as me projecting my anxieties onto the work that causes delays and distress. Maybe it's just this kind of over-association between who I am and what I do that causes me to evade personal projects (such as posting my thoughts on this blog) and embrace others (such as editing instruction manuals).
Does anyone have any thoughts on Identity as it relates to Work?
