How do you know what your dream career is?

I've been spending a lot of time thinking about my dream life.

Now I could tell you what women I want to meet, the friends, the lifestyle, anything. But, the job part is still playing on my mind and yet the life I want to create is built up a fair amount because of this career, this job.

I want something that I'm passionate about, which involves creativity, team building, challenges and new experiences. Something which I love doing and be able to help and guide others at the same time.

Personally, at the moment that's being a film director. I would be able to build and lead a team towards a goal, being able to provide my ideas and plans and motivate others in an art which I love and feel passionate about, and have a good time doing it (and yeah...A lot of money as a plus )

But even though this sounds great and I'd happily take it. Whenever I get this close to finding my dream job, other things and other interests that provide the same feelings and experiences appear, and it just confuses the hell out of me and I'm back to square one again.

When this happens, my motivation to go for that dream career just drops and I feel like I'm just going to waste my time. It's nothing short of fustrating...

So my main question is: How do you find out your dream career, and how do you know it's right for you?

Cheers for the help,

Rory.

I'm feeling reaaaally lost and frustrated about this too.

When u go to the supermarket, there is a lot of food on offer. Lots and lots of choices. But in the end you pick whatever you feel like most at that point in time, buy it, take it home and enjoy eating it.

Now choosing a career is a bit more serious, so requires a bit more thought, but only a little bit. Pick something you enjoy and are interested in and you are more likely to put in the hours it takes to be great.

The most important thing is picking something and putting in the hours.

For the rest of the life you are going to be confronted with more choices than you can feasible pursue. You have managed to get a hold of it when doing your grocery shopping, choosing what to do on the weekend, deciding who to hang out with etc etc.

So I'm at the supermarket, should I buy a kit-kat or a crunchie? How can i really tell?? I buy a kit kat go home and it is delicious. Could I have had a crunchie and would it have been just as good? Sure! But I dont really mind cause I have just enjoyed my delicious kit kat anyway.

Both were equally valid choices. Now I'm home and ive finished my kitkat and idly thinking about tomorrows chocolate treat with that satifised contented glow only chocolate can provide, while some other chump is probably still in the aisle trying to make up his mind.

Your idea of a dream career will change as you mature and your interests change. You will not regret looking back on your life and seeing that you choose something you believed in and gave it everything you had. You might well regret changing direction every other year and never really getting anywhere.

Pick something, and go for it, and just accept it is probably going to take a long time, maybe 5-10 years to get where you really want to be. The process of really working at something helps you develop ideas about what you really like.

Don't worry about whats going to be your dream career in 5-10 years, you have no way of knowing. People change, industries change, circumstances change and we are in a time of great change. Just pick what seems like the best idea right now and really go for it.

Let me know what you think about this, but to me it sounds like u have a good idea about what you want to do.

This makes a lot of sense, thank you.

I have two questions though...

At the moment I'm following an Actor's career, I'm going to audition for a drama school in about a month, but when I think about it, it doesn't excite me, for some reason it just seems like a chore to spend the next 3 years doing this.

So one, for example, say I wanted to do something completely different like perhaps train to be a police officer, or Fitness Coach, or perhaps something like a musician, or a writer...What do you think would be the best way to go about it?

And two, when you do know what you want, how do you get motivated to do it? You said to just go with what you feels best in the moment, but if you get 5 years into a career and change your mind, or the thought of continuing that career just feels like a task rather than fun or exciting, how do you get that out of that mindset?

Because I'm gonna be honest with you, without a career in mind, I feel like I'm in a stand still haha.

Cheers for the help, I appreciate it.

Rory.

Hmm, there is a lot to think about.

I think the reason I view the acting school as a chore, is because I want to be in the film industry and not theatre. Theatre is England's strong point in this industry and I think that's why I dream a lot about living in an American city like L.A or New York where the Film side of the industry is fairly bigger than that of my country.

I think now I've got a clearer plan in my head, it's not single path focussed but multiple. It's just a collection of ideas which I think I might follow, without too much planning but just give me a direction.

One more thing though. (Haha, I think I've bombarded you with enough questions already!)

You say that in later years when you reach say mid 30's-40's that you should consider going to more stable but boring jobs...But even when you reach that age, that doesn't mean you should have to work at a job you find boring and focus on the htings you enjoy outside work. The "Creating" Pathway mentioned that your job is something you enjoy and express and even link strongly with your leisure time. Like a job that involves a lot of play in a sense.

Surely even with family and financial concerns, you can still live your passion and purpose no matter your age, in fact even when you are living your purpose it can help support your loved ones and your finances even more so.

Maybe I'm missing something, but what's your view on this?

Cheers for the help mate, you've been a life saver!

Rory.

I see, so really I shouldn't be looking at a "Dream Career" as that's most likely going to change or at least my purpose for doing it will at some point.

I should be focussing on finding something that I enjoy, (For instance Film Acting.) and just go for it, and give it all I got. That way, no matter what Career or Job I'm doing or what stage I'm at, I can atleast know that I put everything into it.

I think I've been basing my dream around my desired career and that's partially why I feel so afraid of going for it. It's because I'm putting so much pressure into that area that I'm confused as to what to do. I set this goal of becoming a famous Actor/Director/Writer (Which does help knowing where you want to go) but it means I've been completely ignoring and also resenting the journey to get there, it means I've not been paying attention to my passion for the industry and the purpose I have for going for it.

I should stop making it the focus of my dream and instead focus on the more important things like how I want to relate to myself and other people, and how I want to feel/what world I want to create (The deeper stuff). That way I'll be much more relaxed about my career as it will simply be another part to the physical side of my world and a way of experiencing the passion and feelings I want to feel. In a way I feel like this will motivate me much more.

I think I finally get it, thanks!

Rory.

Hey I'm the one who should be doing the thanking haha.

But yeah I will do, cheers for the help.