Photo by Garrhet Sampson on Unsplash

Recently, one of my friends got laid off. He had been loyal to the same company for 11 years and brought great results.

The news came as a total shock to him.

“When you dedicate so much time to a company and find joy in what you do, you often forget you’re just a number. But when you’re laid off, the harsh reality sets in — you were always just a number,” he said to me.

All of a sudden, he lost not only his income but also his sense of identity and self-worth.

He loved what he was doing and the company he was working for.

Most of his friends were (and still are) his co-workers. Losing his job felt like losing his sense of belonging.

So, if we are to learn something and avoid the emptiness that comes with a loss of the job, we need to cultivate a sense of identity and purpose that extends beyond our job.

The 101 to building a sense of identity and purpose beyond work

It’s very easy to fall into the trap of a comfortable, good-paying job and spend the evenings Netflix & Chill style.

However, it’s during your 5–9 that you get to decide who you are and what you aspire to become.

Set aside at least one hour a week to learn new skills, work on a passion project, or explore that side hustle you’ve been dreaming about.

There is no better place to start a side hustle or a passion project than when you are employed for 3 reasons:

You have a steady income to invest in your project or to acquire new skills;
You have the luxury to experiment and build an audience without the pressure of financial instability;
It enhances your personal branding and showcases your initiative.

Assess how you spend your time

After a busy day in the office, it’s tempting to succumb to the latest reality show or indulge in endless Tik-Tok scrolling.

I get it: who wants more work after a long day in the office or a day packed with meetings?

While self-care and rest are important, it’s not hard to put 30 minutes a day aside for a passion project or a side hustle or for building a new skill.

Hell, if I had listened to my own advice 3 years ago (when I wanted to start writing) I would have been further ahead now (even with at a slug-speed of 1 article per month).

Time is an invaluable currency.

How are you spending it?
Are you doing something that excites you or energises you?
Or are you letting small distractions creep up?

I know it can be hard to believe you can grow a project or a side hustle at a very slow pace while being fully employed or in a stressful job, but the compounding effect can do magic. And who knows, in time, your project can grow to generate substantial income or even become a full-time business.

If your whole identity and self-worth is linked to your job and this is taken away, you risk becoming a shell of a person.

But if you took time to cultivate other relationships, other projects, side hustles — you have something your employer can never take away.

The work-life-side hustle-balance routine

There’s also a risk of falling into the trap of maximising your 5–9 to the point that you burn out.

Setting up a routine and boundaries is key.

I set a personal rule to limit my content creation to no more than two hours after work, knowing that overworking could drain my energy, causing me to abandon what I’ve built.

The moment you spend too much of your time currency on one aspect, the other parts of your life begin to suffer.

So, while maximising your 5–9 with content creation and other opportunities, don’t forget to also allocate time towards your relationships, your health and well-being.

Final thoughts

Your (career) life can take unexpected turns.

By building a life that is not solely defined by your job, you invest in resiliency to weather any storm and find fulfilment in areas that are not tied to your employment status.

And remember: you are not a number!

This article has been published on Medium, within the "Career Paths" publication. For more corporate drama, follow me on Medium:

https://medium.com/@Lexy.M

How to Build a Sense of Identity and Purpose that Extends Beyond Work

It all starts with maximising your 5-9

The all-in-one writing platform.

Write, publish everywhere, see what works, and become a better writer - all in one place.