How would you describe yourself?

Even though your work might be amazing and complement your interests perfectly, you are not your work; the age-old cliché exists for a reason. And even if you’re a spectacular mom or dad, you’re not just a parent, either.

So what are you?

You are a collection of diverse interests, roles, and achievements. But your personal passions are perhaps some of the most defining elements of that complicated formula. They are, at their best, uninhibited reflections of your deepest passions, values, desires, and goals. They are an expression of your core, untainted by outside expectations, conventions, responsibilities, or pressure.

For all of these reasons, passion projects are critical to cementing an authentic self-identity.

And while cultivating your identity through passion projects helps you personally, it also furthers professional progress. With your unique and authentic self fully activated and engaged, you can be wholly present creatively at work. I can’t think of a professional this benefits more than the entrepreneur—a role defined by its ability to innovate and think outside the box.