One of the first steps in living our dreams is figuring out what the heck they are anyway.
I had a myriad of dreams about what I wanted to be when I grew up. At one point I said I wanted to be an archeologist. My aunt thoughtfully gave me a book about digging and rocks. I was mystified. What on earth did that have to do with hidden treasure?!?
I was confusing archeology with history. I was fascinated by the Egyptian history and the romance of secret tombs untouched for centuries. But I didn’t want to dig anything. Ick. My hands would get dirty.
So that career goal went out the window, along with ballerina, nun, movie star (not actor), flower grower, farmer and stable hand. I also wanted to be French, which was, through an accident of birth, impossible. What can I say, I had very eclectic interests.
Now that you are a grown up and, perhaps, dissatisfied with your current career, how do you even begin to figure out, to identify, what it is you are looking for? What is going to have you spring out of bed in the morning because you love your job?
When I work with a client, I make some suggestions:
- First think about what you love to do. Do you love to spend time with your kids, but not others? No Day Care for you. Or do you love all kids? A Day Care Center or teaching might be just the thing. Do you love sports? Helping people? Working alone or with others? Take some time every day for a week to write down your thoughts. But don’t obsess. You have time. Be patient.
- Take an free online personality quiz, like Myers-Briggs, or other career identifiers. They can be fun to do and after you enter your personality traits, the site usually makes some career suggestions. Check Monster.com and other job sites, they frequently have them there.
- Do your thoughts and any of the quiz suggestions overlap? Do the suggestions appeals to you? Or do you want to go in another direction? Why?
- Consider what you need to get into the field you are interested in. More training? More school? Or simply a re-worked resume?
- If you feel yourself reluctant to make the leap, consider why. What are your obstacles? Fear of change? Fear of taking a risk? Lack of money for extra training or school? I can tell you, every one of those issues is surmountable. You need support, encouragement and information.
It is hard to focus sometimes on what we really want, we are so consumed by our everyday lives. But if you are determined, you will succeed. It is essential to have constant reinforcement from people around you. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it. Surround yourself with positive people.
A coach can be very helpful in this case, based on experience and training. But even having one person telling you “You can do it!” is invaluable as you continue your journey.
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Myers Briggs
Do what you love
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