Identity Crisis:

“This is who I am, so this is what I do” - Cody Jefferson

Cody Jefferson is a friend who I also consider to be a mentor. One of his famous words that he’s repeated over and over again is, “This is who I am, so this is what I do.”

11 words. 

That’s it. Nothing fancy.

I’ve heard and read it over many times, but I’ve only started to truly appreciate its impact within the last month or so. I mean seriously how many of us hear one thing over and over again, yet only understand its depth much much later in life?

This is one of those lessons for me. 

“This is who I am, so this is what I do.”

I’ve had the honor and privilege of coaching some of the highest performing individuals around the world, and one thing I realized later down the road was a shared trait each one of them possessed. 

Regardless of their industry, gender, or upbringing, they all had a sense of who they were and most importantly, who they were striving to become. 

They had a sense of identity. 

An ideal person who possessed the end goals of their current realities. Although they were grateful for their current successes, they’re constantly pursuing that “next level” version of themselves. 

Not just for the sole purpose of achieving another milestone or goal, but more importantly it was the idea of evolution. 

A “You’re either growing, or you’re dying.” type of mentality.

They learned to fall in love with the journey, rather than the destination.

I once mentored a retired athlete, who also happened to be a rugby legend. Whenever we spoke about his previous career in sports, he always managed to maneuver the conversation towards his future goals and dreams of impacting his community. 

Initially, I thought there was something in his past that he didn’t want to discuss. Something private he didn’t want to speak further life into.

But the more I got to know him, the more I saw how aligned he was with his purpose. He wasn’t caught up in his prior successes, because he was too focused on the bigger picture. He knew where his next mountain was, and he knew the type of person he had to become in order to make the climb. 

“This is who I am, so this is what I do.”

His actions aligned with his goals. His goals aligned with his new identity.

And this new identity drove his daily decisions.

What are YOUR daily actions saying about your identity? How are your habits a reflection of  how you see yourself? 

This has been a challenge for me ever since I left the police department. 

I struggled with my warrior identity especially after I left that part of my life behind.

My identity didn’t evolve to fit the new mountains I had to climb, so you know that happened? I stopped climbing. I stopped growing. And at one point, I wasn’t living…I just merely existed. 

So let me ask you once again:

Remember: “This is who I am, so this is what I do.”

I’d love to hear your feedback, feel free to leave a comment down below or email me directly at info@angeloliloc.com. Send me your questions and insights and let’s continue growing together. 

Thanks again for allowing me to be part of your journey!

-Angelo