Ask yourself Steve Ahern's question: 'Who are you when the on-air light switches off?' This forces you to separate your core identity from your professional role. Knowing who you are without your job title is crucial for navigating career changes, promotions, or retirement without facing an existential crisis.

Many professionals tie their identity to performance-based job titles, leading to burnout. A key to a fulfilling and sustainable career is to separate 'who you are' from 'what you do,' allowing you to define success on your own terms, not by what your role dictates.

When identity is tied to a specific role (the "what"), it's fragile. Anchoring it to your underlying motivation (the "why") makes you more resilient to career-ending changes, as you can find new outlets for that core drive.

Over-identifying with your role and company leads to a significant identity crisis when you leave. This mistake causes burnout and delays the discovery of your unique value outside of a corporate structure. True security comes from your own transferable skills, not your employer's brand.

When your entire sense of self is tied to your profession, you build a prison. Any threat to your work becomes a threat to your existence. A resilient identity is like a diversified portfolio, with investments in family, hobbies, and community, not just a single stock.

A powerful redefinition of success is moving away from an identity centered on your profession. The ultimate goal is to cultivate a life so rich with hobbies, passions, and relationships that your job becomes the least interesting aspect of who you are, merely a bystander to a well-lived life.

Over-engagement in work, even passionate work, can lead to a gradual "amputation" of personal identity. A powerful self-diagnostic is to ask: "Who am I without my job?" If the answer is unclear, it signals that your work identity has dangerously overshadowed other parts of yourself.

The key to avoiding burnout isn't just about stepping away, but about how you treat yourself while engaged in work. Stop beating yourself up for not knowing everything in a fast-paced environment. Granting yourself patience and empathy for the learning process is more sustainable than striving for perfection.

Instead of defining yourself by roles or accomplishments (the "what"), focus on the underlying values and motivations (the "why"). This creates a more robust identity that can withstand the loss of a specific job or pursuit, as the core "why" can find new outlets.