Many people have experienced great success in their careers and when asked what’s behind their success, most will tell you about their strengths such as “I’m results focused”, “I have strong communication skills”, etc., instead of who they really are. In this article, Sage Ways consultant Tom Melberg talks about Identity Mapping® and how it helps people bring their authentic self to work.

A former Fortune 50 company leader recently engaged me to coach her through the Identity Mapping process as an integral part of her career transition. The leader had voluntarily left a high paying position to re-evaluate her career, while also experiencing the challenges of being a new parent. It was the perfect opportunity to clarify what and who she wanted to lend herself to “being”, and how she could bring more of her authentic self and talents into her next position. The Identity Mapping process was an ideal approach to help her understand what makes her tick and how she could make more powerful choices about her next career move.

Identity Mapping is a comprehensive method for aligning how we are with who we are. “How we are” is more about your personality which is very different than “who we are”. The “who we are” is what makes us inspired and achieve deep fulfillment out of life. This approach helps to bring unconscious knowledge to the surface so that people can live more consciously with purpose, based on who they are, not just what they are great at.

Through an 8-week immersive experience, the coaching provides a discovery framework needed to clarify one’s identity; enabling highly-informed and aligned choices in relation to work, career, and the relationships that matter most.

When we get caught up in doing things we don’t find fulfilling, we may unintentionally sabotage our satisfaction with work –and life. This can result in burn-out, feelings of being stuck, unmotivated, or uninspired. We have found that this dynamic typically occurs because we aren’t deeply connected to what our purpose is.

Defining concepts such as innate capacities, life force and basic nature elements, the Identity Mapping sessions helps our clients discover what they love to do, who they are and what they stand for. All of these being important elements to living an authentic, fulfilling and identity based life.

One of the big “aha” moments many of our clients encounter is that it’s not as much about discovering something really new about yourself, but rather this process helps synthesize, articulate, communicate and demonstrate more of who they are and what inspires them across all aspects in life.

For the former company leader, landing a new job while completing the Identity Mapping sessions was beneficial. She said “I was able to clearly articulate what drove me and why. It enabled me to choose a new position that is in alignment with my values and aspirations.” Now that she is starting this next chapter in her life, she has a new lens by which to continuously evaluate the alignment of her true self with her wor