One of the tragic consequences of our "always-on," obsessed with busyness and productivity culture, is the subsequent loss of our sense of authentic identity.

Here's the way author Jenny Odell, in her book "How to Do Nothing" puts it:

When our identities depend solely on what we contribute (like to a company's P&L statement), we're likely to end up losing who we really are."

We become in our minds and hearts so synonymous with consumerism and/or productivity that we lose our deepest and best self. Our worth is only as much as we have, produce, or give out.

Authentic identity and worth are only discovered and embraced from the context of intentional strategic stops for self-reflection, self-evaluation, and self-discovery. We have to prioritize taking time for these explorations. Check out my book "The Strategic Stop: Taking Back Your Life in a World Obsessed with Busyness" for specific and transformational ways to meet your true self and learn to love it.