Identity and Titles Follow Action, Not Declarations

I had attempted to start a tech startup when I was a senior in high school - it got some traction at the time and was even featured in a National newspaper. And it definitely made my college application look good. I was ‘the tech entrepreneur kid’. Fast forward to 2018 when I was looking to apply for a fellowship and was told to remove this from my resume by a well-wishing and knowledgeable friend. Why? Because it had been more than 4 years. And my friend was absolutely right: There is an expiration date after which you can no longer put your accomplishments from high school on your resume. If you won the debate competition six years ago, you were a great debater - I don’t know if you still are. This extends beyond just the resume. Someone who did something successful a long time ago can’t keep calling himself successful. You have to keep earning it. 

This applies in other areas of life too, not just career success. Think about someone who you were close to in high school but haven’t spoken to in years - you know as well as them that you used to be close friends, you are not anymore. Someone who played football in highschool can’t keep calling himself an athlete forever. If you consider yourself a good friend to someone, ask yourself if your recent actions have been consistent with being a good friend to that person instead of reminding yourself of that one time two years ago when you helped them out. So, as of today, I am not the ‘tech entrepreneur’ guy - sure, I used to be at some point in the past. And if I want this title as part of my identity, it has to be guided by actions not by a declaration to myself or to the world.

Derek Sivers put it succinctly - ‘You have to keep earning your title or it expires.’