How much do you identify with your protagonist?

So I was just talking to someone who knew me IRL, and confided they had read my fantasy novel. They were saying how they knew the protagonist was me, because of the way she talks and thinks. I assured them they were not the same. They asked me questions about how my method of writing works (I don’t really know how to explain that…). Said I draw from life experiences, but think about what the character would do instead of me. I guess I just want to know how do you all identify with your protagonists? Especially if you’ve done multiple projects. How do you see yourself in them, how do you see your influences from your life, and how do distinguish “yourself” from your character. <br>Tldr; if you read my book, the protagonist is basically me but not really… kind of. Tell me about your protagonist in the comments below.