Identity Reset: The Annual Practice That Grounds Success in Core Values

#AnnualCaminoDeSantiagoEscape

Why do you attend a Camino de Santiago walking retreat every year? To remind myself who I am without my professional accoutrements.

In the crisp autumn air of southwest France, Maria stood at the start of the day’s Camino de Santiago walk, her designer hiking boots still pristine, her expensive backpack feeling foreign against her shoulders. Just 72 hours earlier, she had been closing a multi-million-dollar deal as the CEO of a thriving tech company. Here, on the ancient pilgrim’s route, no one knew her name, her title, or her achievements. For the first time in years, she felt both terrified and exhilarated by her sudden anonymity.

“I remember thinking, ‘Who am I if I’m not the successful CEO?'” Maria would later recall. “It was like I’d been wearing a suit of armour for so long that I’d forgotten what my own skin felt like.”

Maria’s experience reflects a growing crisis among accomplished professionals: the gradual fusion of personal identity with professional achievement until one becomes indistinguishable from the other (see research below.) This phenomenon—what I call “identity imprisonment“—leaves even the most successful individuals feeling trapped by the very accomplishments they worked so hard to achieve.

The solution? An intentional, annual practice of “identity reset“—a deliberate period of stripping away professional identities and status markers to reconnect with core values and essential self.

The Golden Cage of Success

Success, for all its rewards, often constructs an invisible prison around those who achieve it. The corner office, the prestigious title, the industry recognition—these become more than achievements; they become who we are. This transformation happens gradually, almost imperceptibly:

First comes the natural association of our work with our identity. “I’m a lawyer” replaces “I practice law.” “I’m a CEO” supplants “I lead a company.” This linguistic shift reveals a deeper psychological merger.

Next comes the external reinforcement. Society rewards and recognises professional identity, creating powerful incentives to maintain and strengthen it. We receive validation, respect, and opportunities based on this professional self.

Finally, and most subtly, we begin to filter our own experiences and choices through this professional lens. Leisure activities become networking opportunities. Relationships are evaluated for their strategic value. Even our most personal choices—where to live, when to start a family, what to wear—become extensions of our professional brand.

The problem isn’t success itself. The problem is that success becomes the only acceptable narrative. Vulnerability, uncertainty, failure—these become existential threats rather than natural parts of being human.

The symptoms of this identity imprisonment are widespread and growing:

• Persistent anxiety and fear of failure, even among the most accomplished
• Inability to enjoy achievements as each success merely raises the bar for the next
• Deteriorating personal relationships as professional identity demands constant attention
• Crisis when professional setbacks occur, triggering not just career stress but identity collapse
• Difficulty making authentic choices as decisions become filtered through professional impact

The Power of Periodically Pressing Reset

The Identity Reset concept emerged from observing two seemingly disparate traditions: the ancient practice of pilgrimage across cultures and the modern technological habit of periodic system restarts.

In ancient traditions worldwide, pilgrimage served as a way for individuals to temporarily shed their societal roles and status. Whether walking to Mecca, journeying to the Ganges, or following the Camino de Santiago, pilgrims historically adopted simple garments and humble positions, effectively erasing the markers that distinguished prince from pauper.

Meanwhile, in our digital world, we’ve come to understand the necessity of regularly rebooting our systems—clearing the cache, closing background processes, and allowing our devices to return to their essential functions.

The Identity Reset combines these insights: an intentional period—ideally annual—where people step away from professional identities to reconnect with core values and essential self.

An annual reset isn’t about abandoning success. It’s about ensuring that success remains a tool for expressing your values rather than a cage that constrains them.

The Camino: Where Identity Reset Naturally Occurs

While Identity Reset can occur in many settings, the Camino de Santiago offers a uniquely powerful environment for this practice, combining physical challenge, historical significance, and a natural stripping away of status.

The ancient pilgrim’s route stretching across France and northern Spain has witnessed centuries of travellers seeking renewal. Today, it continues to work its transformative magic, particularly for those accustomed to positions of power and prestige.

The Camino’s power to facilitate Identity Reset stems from several key elements:

Physical Equalisation: On the trail, everyone walks the same path, stays in the same simple accommodations, and faces the same challenges. The CEO and the college student both get blisters.

Anonymity: The tradition of introducing yourself simply as “a pilgrim from [your country]” immediately removes professional identifiers. Many walkers report the liberation of not being asked “what they do” for weeks at a time.

Shared Purpose: Despite diverse backgrounds, all pilgrims share the common goal of reaching Santiago, creating an immediate community that transcends professional hierarchy.

Physical Challenge: The demanding nature of walking 20+ kilometres daily shifts focus from mental status to physical presence, forcing attention to the immediate experience rather than abstract identity.

Simplified Living: Carrying only what you need in a backpack and focusing on basic needs (food, water, shelter) strips away the trappings that often reinforce professional identity.

James, a senior partner at a prestigious law firm who attended one of our guided Camino retreats, described his experience: “By day three, I realised I hadn’t thought about work in 24 hours—something that hadn’t happened in fifteen years. By day five, I was having conversations about life, love, and meaning without once mentioning my profession. It was like discovering a version of myself I’d forgotten existed.”

While the Camino naturally facilitates Identity Reset, a structured retreat approach significantly deepens this experience.

“What makes these retreats powerful is the combination of the Camino’s natural identity-stripping properties with intentional practices,” explains retreat facilitator Dr M Montagu. “Participants don’t just temporarily escape their professional identity—they actively reconstruct a healthier relationship with it.”

Returning Transformed: Success Without Imprisonment

The true test of an Identity Reset comes after returning to professional life. Can the insights and reconnection with core values survive the powerful pull of professional identity?

Evidence from past participants suggests they can—with the right approach.

After completing their Camino Identity Reset, participants report several common transformations in their relationship with professional success:

Boundaries: Establishing clearer separation between work and personal life, including simple practices like removing work email from personal devices or creating physical transitions between work and home.

Value-Aligned Choices: Making professional decisions that align with core values rather than defaulting to status or advancement considerations.

Regular Mini-Resets: Implementing smaller, more frequent practices that maintain connection with essential self, such as monthly hiking days without devices or weekly reflection sessions.

Community: Maintaining relationships with fellow retreat participants who understand and support continued identity reset practices.

Linguistic Shifts: Consciously changing how they speak about themselves, using phrases like “I work as a…” rather than “I am a…” to maintain separation between being and doing.

Michael, a surgeon who attended a reset retreat three years ago, describes the lasting impact: “I still perform surgery, but I no longer am my surgeon identity. That shift has allowed me to be more present with my family, more creative in my approach to medicine, and ironically, more effective in my practice because I’m not carrying the crushing weight of perfection that came with fusing myself with my professional role.”

The Call to Reset

The accelerating pace of professional life and the increasing blurring of work and personal boundaries make Identity Reset not merely beneficial but essential for sustained well-being and authentic success.

As technological connectivity extends the reach of professional identity into every moment of our lives, the deliberate practice of stepping away becomes a radical act of self-preservation and growth.

The Camino de Santiago has offered this opportunity for centuries—a chance to walk away from who we think we are and rediscover who we might become.

My retreats provide the structure, community, and guidance to make this ancient practice accessible to modern professionals seeking authentic success without identity imprisonment.

This year, groups will again gather at my little farm in southwest France to begin the journey of walking away from professional identity and toward essential self. Some will be first-time pilgrims; others will be returning for their annual reset.

All will discover that true success lies not in accomplishment alone but in maintaining a core identity that holds steady beneath the shifting surface of professional achievement.

Will you join them on the Camino this year?

5 Key Takeaways

1. Professional success often creates “identity imprisonment” when achievements become fused with personal identity, creating anxiety and preventing authentic choices.
2. Annual Identity Reset practices provide necessary separation between professional achievements and essential self, allowing reconnection with core values.
3. The Camino de Santiago creates an ideal environment for identity reset through physical equalisation, anonymity, shared purpose, and simplified living.
4. Structured reset retreats deepen the experience through guided reflection, community support, and reintegration planning.
5. Returning professionals report lasting benefits including clearer boundaries, value-aligned choices, and higher satisfaction without sacrificing professional effectiveness.

Further Reading

• “Walking to Listen” by Andrew Forsthoefel – A memoir of discovering identity through long-distance walking
• “Essentialism” by Greg McKeown – Explores focusing on what truly matters
• “Pilgrim’s Progress in the Modern World” by Dr. Sarah Chen – Academic research on contemporary pilgrimage experiences
• “The Power of Full Engagement” by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz – Strategies for energy management and identity renewal
• “The Happiness Track” by Emma Seppälä – Research on success without stress or burnout

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Isn’t taking time away from my career a professional risk?

A: While any absence requires planning, participants frequently report that their reset experiences actually enhance their professional performance through improved creativity, better decision-making, and reduced burnout. Many find that the perspective gained becomes a professional advantage.

Q: Do I need to be religious to benefit from a Camino Identity Reset?

A: Not at all. While the Camino originated as a religious pilgrimage, today’s walkers come from all spiritual backgrounds and none. The path itself—with its physical challenges, community, and separation from ordinary life—creates the reset conditions regardless of religious belief.

Q: How physically demanding is the experience?

A: My retreats are designed to be challenging but accessible. Participants typically walk 10-18 kilometres daily, with options for support when needed. The physical component is actually essential to the reset process, as it grounds participants in immediate bodily experience rather than abstract identity.

Q: What if my professional identity is positive and meaningful to me?

A: Identity Reset isn’t about rejecting professional achievement but ensuring it remains a healthy part of a broader identity rather than consuming it entirely. Many participants deeply value their work and return with renewed passion after reconnecting with why their profession matters to them on a values level.

Q: How do I maintain the benefits of reset once I return to my demanding professional life?

A: Our retreats include specific reintegration planning, creating practical strategies tailored to each participant’s circumstances. Additionally, we maintain a community of past participants who support each other in maintaining boundaries and regular mini-reset practices throughout the year.

Research that this article is based on: Professionals Losing Sight of Personal Identity Separate from Professional Roles

A significant body of research and commentary has explored the phenomenon where professionals report losing sight of their personal identity, becoming overly enmeshed with their professional roles. This issue is increasingly recognised in organisational psychology, career counselling, and wellness literature.

Key Findings from Research and Literature

• Blurring of Professional and Personal Identity
  Studies and expert commentary highlight that professional and personal identities are often closely intertwined. Many people instinctively define themselves by their occupation, especially in social contexts, which can make it difficult to maintain a sense of self that is distinct from their professional role. This is reinforced by societal norms that equate success and self-worth with professional achievement.
• Impact of Job Loss or Career Transition
  Research published in the Journal of Organisational Behaviour indicates that job loss, or even the fear of it, can have a profound negative impact on self-esteem and well-being. This is partly because individuals struggle to separate their sense of self from their professional identity, leading to feelings of confusion, loss, and diminished self-worth. Career transitions, such as retirement or layoffs, often trigger a period of identity loss, characterised by uncertainty, disconnection, and anxiety about one’s purpose and value outside of work.
• Symptoms and Consequences of Identity Loss
  Signs of losing sight of personal identity include confusion about one’s purpose, feelings of being lost or disconnected, difficulty making decisions, and even physical symptoms like fatigue and headaches. The literature suggests that this identity loss is a natural, though challenging, reaction to major life changes, and can be exacerbated by a lack of planning or support during transitions.
• Theoretical Perspectives
  Psychological theories, such as Erik Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development, emphasise that career plays a pivotal role in shaping identity. However, when career identity overshadows personal identity, individuals may experience a crisis of self, particularly if their professional role is disrupted.
• Professional Identity in Practice
  Quantitative research distinguishes between personal professional identity (how one sees oneself as a professional) and group professional identity (how society and peers view the profession). A well-established personal professional identity is linked to confidence, professional efficacy, and a sense of solidarity with one’s field. However, when this identity becomes the primary or sole source of self-definition, individuals may struggle to adapt to changes or setbacks in their professional life.
• Work-Life Balance and Identity
  Research on work-life balance underscores the importance of maintaining boundaries between professional and personal life to prevent burnout and loss of self. Professionals who conflate their career and personal identity are at higher risk for psychological distress and diminished well-being, especially during career disruptions.

Summary Table: Key Aspects of Identity Loss in Professionals

Aspect	Description
Blurring of identities	Difficulty distinguishing self-worth from professional achievement
Impact of job loss/transition	Loss or change in career can trigger confusion, grief, and identity crisis
Symptoms	Confusion, disconnection, anxiety, physical symptoms
Theoretical context	Erikson’s and other theories link career to identity formation but warn of over-identification
Importance of balance	Work-life balance is crucial to preserving personal identity

Conclusion

Research consistently finds that professionals are vulnerable to losing sight of their personal identity when it becomes overly fused with their professional role. This can lead to significant psychological distress, especially during career transitions or disruptions. Maintaining a healthy distinction and balance between professional and personal identities is widely recommended to support long-term well-being and resilience.

Citations

Cornett M, Palermo C, Ash S. Professional identity research in the health professions-a scoping review. Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract. 2023 May;28(2):589-642.Keshmiri F, Farahmand S, Bahramnezhad F, Hossein-Nejad Nedaei H. Exploring the challenges of professional identity formation in clinical education environment: A qualitative study. J Adv Med Educ Prof. 2020 Jan;8(1):42-49.

Elsouri, M.N.; Cox, V.; Jain, V.; Ho, M.-J. When Personal Identity Meets Professional Identity: A Qualitative Study of Professional Identity Formation of International Medical Graduate Resident Physicians in the United States. Int. Med. Educ. 2025, 4, 1. 

Masashi Goto, Collective professional role identity in the age of artificial intelligence, Journal of Professions and Organization, Volume 8, Issue 1, March 2021, Pages 86–107

Your Work is What You Do, Not Who You Are: Unravel Your Identity From Your Profession
Tony Jamous

Sawatsky AP, Matchett CL, Hafferty FW, Cristancho S, Ilgen JS, Bynum WE 4th, Varpio L. Professional identity struggle and ideology: A qualitative study of residents’ experiences. Med Educ. 2023 Nov;57(11):1092-1101. doi: 10.1111/medu.15142. Epub 2023 Jun 3.

Toubassi D, Schenker C, Roberts M, Forte M. Professional identity formation: linking meaning to well-being. Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract. 2023 Mar;28(1):305-318.

Zeng Z, Lu Z, Zeng X, Gan Y, Jiang J, Chen Y, Huang L. Professional identity and its associated psychosocial factors among physicians from standardised residency training programs in China: a national cross-sectional study. Front Med (Lausanne). 2024 Aug 29;11:1413126.

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