Episode 160: Redefine Your Identity Outside of Teaching

Full Episode Transcription:

(00:07):
If you’re considering quitting teaching, you might notice some thoughts like, I’m not sure who I am outside of being a teacher, or, I’ve worked so many years to get to the level of success that I am at now. Am I really just gonna throw it all away? You guys, while you’re working to figure out your new God-given purpose outside of teaching, it’s really important to remember that God is working to transform you into the vessel capable of something even bigger. He does this by removing whatever we don’t need from our lives, realigning us with his plan and giving us everything we need to bring his mission for us to life. So during this time of transition, it’s really crucial that you take the time to redefine two key things about yourself. One, your identity, and two, your definition of success. So we’re just gonna break that down. Starting with redefining your identity.

(02:17):
Whether you’ve been a teacher for 20 years or you’ve just started, being a teacher, quickly becomes a part of your identity. Think about it. When you first meet someone, what’s one of the first questions they ask you? So what do you do? And as soon as you answer that, you’re a teacher, it becomes not only how you identify yourself, but it also becomes a part of how others identify you as well. When my students in the Teacher Turned Freelancer Academy take the leap to quit teaching or they’re considering doing so, a lot of them struggle with what to identify themselves as, and this can be really stressful. I had the same struggles, so I totally get it. There are a lot of us out there who just don’t wanna be known as just “a stay-at-home mom”. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but this is an internal battle that a lot of my students and myself have faced a lot of these TTFA students, they, they still want the peace of their identity that helps others outside of the home in some capacity, and they want the piece of their identity that was impacting the world positively and making a difference. So if you’re anything like my TTFA students, which if you’re listening to this podcast, I know that you are, you have to alter your thinking of who you are both in God’s eyes and your own. For me personally, I had to understand that I wasn’t meant to teach forever and that God had me go through that experience for a reason and a season. It took me a while to realize that I could keep my identity as a teacher, but it could be changed to mean something different than teaching children in a classroom. It’s easy to get stuck in your head worrying about who you are and who you’re meant to become, but let’s not forget to seek those answers from the one who created us. God created you on purpose with a purpose and for a purpose. So the first thing that you need to do is identify yourself in the way that he sees you. My favorite way to do this is with God-centered I am statements. These are short sentences that break down exactly who you are in God’s eyes, and these I am statements allow you to be who you desire to become because of God’s power that’s being spoken into you. So some examples of I am statements include “I am chosen”, which comes from John 15:16 and Deuteronomy be 14:2

(04:49):
“I’m a child of God”, which comes from Romans 8:17 and Galatians 3:26. “I’m a new creation” from 2 Corinthians 5:17. “I am loved” from Jeremiah 31:3. So you see all of these “I am” statements are based on significant, I mean all the verses in the Bible are significant, but find the verses in the Bible that speak to you and transform those into an I am statement. Because God is speaking to you and he wants you to know that you are just like the people in the Bible and that you are just as loved as them. I challenge you to choose 10 of the “I am” statements that speak to you. Write them down, put them somewhere where you can read them each and every day. Personally, I love reading mine as part of my morning routine because it starts my day off on such a beautiful note.

(05:45):
All right, real quick, let’s just address changing what being a teacher means to you. Quitting teaching does not mean that you’re no longer gonna be a teacher. You can totally still teach impact and change lives of others just in a different capacity. So maybe God’s calling you to teach others how to live a healthier life, to get more organized or connect with others on a deeper level. Maybe he wants you to help others learn how to manage their bookkeeping, launch their course, design a website that speaks to their dream customers. What if he wants you to impact more people through serving a business that has a God-centered mission? All of these things use key components of teaching just in a different way. Teachers have amazing skills that can be adapted for almost any type of job, including customer service skills because teachers juggle conversations with parents, admin staff, and even our students. We settle disputes, we compromise, we referee arguments. These are all great skills that can be used in other job environments. Teachers also have a willingness to learn new things. So when we’re teaching and we get thrown a new technique that’s said to help our students, we’re gonna learn everything we can about it to implement it so that we can improve our students learning their lives and ours. So this willingness to learn is another incredibly beneficial skill in any career. We also have the incredible ability to adapt. You guys know no two students are the same and a majority of the time our lesson plans go out the window when it’s actually time to teach. So as the teacher, your ability to adapt and change your plans is what sets you apart from people in other industries. I truly believe that teachers are amazing at anything they choose to do because of the skills I mentioned above.

(07:51):
I’ve seen these skills in my students that are in the Teacher Turned Freelancer Academy, and I’ve seen them in other teachers I know that have quit teaching. We all have these skills inherent in us, and there are so many jobs and businesses out there that could use our skills and abilities to improve the lives of so many others. It’s also important to make sure that any career path you’re pursuing actually aligns with your values and the type of life you wanna live. So try to make a list of the ideal career characteristics that you’re looking for to help you stay on track with where you want to end up. Some examples of this might include the level of schedule, flexibility, opportunities for growth, and even the amount of flexibility for how you get the job done. Now, admittedly, I’m a little biased towards entrepreneurship options like freelancing and becoming a virtual assistant because they give you the freedom to build your business as a side hustle while you’re still teaching and there’s no cap on income. So if that’s something you’re considering, make sure you check out my free workshop to see if that would be a good fit for you. You can find that at ariannavernier.com/free-workshop.

(09:09):
All right, let’s dive into redefining your definition of success. A lot of people think that success means they’ve accomplished something amazing, but I don’t believe that to be the case. I don’t think anyone wakes up one day and says, I did it. I’m officially successful. Success isn’t a destination that we’re gonna arrive at in 15 or 20 years. It’s this thinking that leaves people constantly striving for more, stressing that they’re not enough and feeling burnt out. You guys, success is about enjoying the journey. It’s about being fully present wherever you are and giving a hundred percent to whatever God has called you to be in that moment. It’s about aligning all areas of your life with exactly who he designed you to become.

(09:56):
You guys, I just want you to know this. God does not want you running the hamster wheel we like to call life. He wants you to slow down and be purposeful and intentional in every area of your life. He wants you to be a patient and present mother, a loving spouse, a dedicated daughter, a devoted Christian. He doesn’t care what milestones you’ve hit, he cares that you are who He’s created you to be. So I want you to take a moment to write down what you feel equals true success. Try to be as specific as possible, and this may take some time, but that is totally okay. It is important that you build a life that reflects success as it looks in your eyes, not the world’s version. So friend, I just pray that this gives you the permission you’ve been seeking to let go of old identities and transform into the woman that God has called you to become. I pray that it helps you understand that these earthly titles are not your identity, but that your identity is found in who he says you are.

(11:06):
All right. If you loved this episode, you are seriously going to love Teacher Turned … my new book that is launching in just under a week. So excited. Make sure you go grab the presale because if you go and grab your copy of the book during this presale period, you’ll be entered into all five days of our giveaway happening next Monday, February 20th through Friday, February 24th. So go to teacherturnedfreelancer.com/book, grab your presale copy, and I cannot wait to celebrate the book launch with y’all. I love you so incredibly much and we will see you next episode.