Podcast Summary
In this episode of the 52 Life Lessons series, host Tim Borys explores one of the hardest lessons high achievers learn: you are more than your title, income, or achievements.
Tim shares how years of chasing external success—business growth, recognition, and financial milestones—left him restless and unfulfilled. It wasn’t until he realized that true success comes from alignment with values, integrity, and relationships that everything changed.
Through personal stories and reflection exercises, Tim guides listeners to detach self-worth from outcomes and rediscover who they are beyond the business card. This episode is a wake-up call for anyone whose happiness depends on the next win, promotion, or milestone.
✅ Key Takeaways
Identity ≠ achievement. Titles and income are temporary; character and values define you.
The finish line always moves. Chasing external validation keeps satisfaction out of reach.
Success is a by-product of alignment. Focus on who you’re becoming, not just what you achieve.
Ask better questions. “Who am I without my title?” reveals what truly matters.
Relationships reflect your inner world. When you live by your values, every area of life improves.
Episode Links & Resources
Resources Mentioned:
Connect with Tim: https://timborys.com/book-tim/
Buy Tim’s Book: The Fitness Curveball (Amazon Link)
Podcast Highlights
Please note: This highlight is generated by a computer and may contain errors.
Introduction — The Hidden Trap of Achievement
Welcome back to the Working Well Podcast and another episode in the 52 Life Lessons series. Today’s lesson took Tim decades to fully understand: Who are you without the title?
High achievers often tie happiness to “when” statements: When I hit that revenue target… When I earn that promotion… When I make that income. But that finish line keeps moving.
The Illusion of Success
Tim explains how this mindset becomes a trap—constantly seeking the next validation hit, like a dopamine rush that never satisfies. Even clients who seem “successful” from the outside are often unfulfilled because they’ve attached identity to achievement instead of alignment.
Redefining Self-Worth
The turning point came when Tim realized that external success can disappear, but values, integrity, and relationships endure. Real success comes when you live from the inside out—defining yourself by who you are, not what you have.
“Success isn’t a destination; it’s a by-product of living in alignment with what matters most.”
The Three Reflection Questions
Tim challenges listeners to pause and reflect on three questions that reveal where true identity lies:
If your title, income, and achievements disappeared tomorrow, what would still make you proud?
Where in your life are you waiting for ‘when I’—and how can you live that version of yourself now?
Which relationships have suffered because of your chase for validation, and what small step can you take to rebuild them?
He urges listeners to actually schedule ten minutes today to sit with these questions—because this is where real growth begins.
Living From Alignment
When Tim began focusing on who he was becoming rather than what he was achieving, everything shifted. Relationships strengthened, energy returned, and ironically—business results improved.
Final Reflection
You are not your title or your paycheck. You are the person you choose to be each day—through how you think, act, and treat others.
“Stop waiting for ‘when.’ Start living like the person you want to become right now.”
