Putting My Identity in Work

Men often get accused of having their identity wrapped up in their work. I would argue that we do not put enough of our identity there.

I was around many lifestyle entrepreneurs long before I knew lifestyle entrepreneurs were a thing. They were men who sought freedom. Financial freedom. Geographical freedom. Freedom from the system. Freedom from a boss. It was everything I wanted. Or so I thought.

I read Tim Ferriss’s 4-Hour Work Week, listened to the Smart Passive Income Podcast, and paid for courses that taught me how to make money while I slept. While all the books, podcasts, and courses taught me invaluable principles and tactics that have blessed my businesses and family, they also skewed my thinking toward work.

For the majority of my young adult life, I viewed work as a necessary evil. The means by which we afford the good things in life. Marriage, family, friends, travel, leisure . . . the fun stuff. The good stuff.

The motivation for the businesses I started was to make as much money as possible in as little time as possible so that I could stop working as soon as possible.

Then I considered God's original design, six days of work and one day of rest. Rinse, repeat, indefinitely. Men often get accused of having their identity wrapped up in their work. I would argue that we do not put enough of our identity in work. I'm not talking about a job, or a career, or a title, or an income level. I'm talking about work. We were created to do it. It is what God did and what he continues to do.

When I embraced the idea of working six days a week for the rest of my life, it had two very profound effects.