When You Outgrow Your Life's Container

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the relationship between work and identity.

I’ve spent time exploring what it means to fully untether the two — to unbundle my worth from my productivity.
And it’s been an enlightening journey.

But here’s the surprising thing I’ve realized:

It’s not actually a bad thing if my work is part of who I am.
Especially when that work feels meaningful.
When it reflects my values, my creativity, my contribution.
When it’s how I serve.

The problem isn’t that I care too much about my work.

But these reflections have led me somewhere else entirely — toward a deeper question:

What kind of container have I built for that work?
And can it still hold the person I’m becoming?

That’s the trap we all face at some point, if we’re present enough to notice.

You can be high-talent, high-integrity, high-output… and still feel boxed in.
Not because the work is wrong, but because the system around it hasn’t evolved.

And so I keep coming back to this insight:

What you do doesn’t define your worth.
But the model you operate within determines how much of your value can actually make it into the world.

(At least professionally — which, let’s be honest, impacts every other area of life too.)

So if you find yourself in that place, here’s what the work becomes:

→ Build a system that grows as you grow.
→ Design a life that makes space for expansion, not just execution.
→ Evolve from structures that were built for a former version of you.
→ Stop shrinking yourself to fit the model — and start reshaping the model to fit who you’re becoming.

It’s not about doing less.
It’s about building wiser.

With more alignment.
With more strategic leverage.

So here’s the real question I’ve been asking myself:

Why dim down your identity just to keep things running —
when you could build a life that amplifies what you’re becoming?

And that shift — the beginning of that evolution — starts with something simple, but hard:

→ Telling the truth about what’s working.
→ Naming what’s not.
→ And being honest about what needs to change.

Then sitting in that discomfort — and taking action.

Community Notes:

In college, I had the privilege of working under one of the most inspiring leaders I’ve ever met, Jon Babul. At the time, he was building out a community program for the Atlanta Hawks, sending players and coaches into local schools to lead clinics and workshops. I got to be part of that from the ground up.

He had me driving all over the city—picking up T-shirts, teaching little munchkins how to shoot free throws, running point wherever he needed help. He worked me hard. But he also believed in me. Jon was the first one in the office and the last one to leave. The kind of leader who modeled excellence, demanded it from others, and made you want to rise to the occasion.

He showed me what great work looked like—and then gave me room to grow, run, and lead. I have so much respect for him.

Earlier this year, Jon’s twin brother tragically passed away. And now, Jon is launching something incredibly special: 2nd Half Hoops (https://2ndhalfhoops.com/), founded to honor the legacy of Mike Babul, a coach who believed in the power of work ethic, mentorship, and basketball to shape lives. Built on the foundation of his original program, Hoop Work, 2HH continues that mission—developing young athletes through focused training, personal growth, and strong values helping kids step into their second half—on the court and in life.

If you want to support this mission—whether by sponsoring, volunteering, or just getting involved—reach out to Jon directly at [email protected], or message me and I’ll connect you.

Jon is someone worth showing up for as he’s done the same for so many around him.