It doesn’t have to be your dream job to be a great job
Some people feel called to a singular career. They are compelled to pursue their dream job, whether it is in the arts, sports, medicine or a niche role that the average person may never know exists.
Some of them will achieve the career success they’ve been striving for. Others might find that their passion becomes their side gig while they do something else to pay the bills.
For the rest of us? We may never have a dream job, but that doesn’t mean we won’t have satisfying careers and happy, full lives.
When I try to imagine what my dream job would be, I picture waking up in the morning full of excitement to get started on my work. After that…I draw a blank.
Granted, I’m not a morning person and it can take an hour and two cups of coffee before I feel like doing anything. But no matter what time of day, I don’t have a burning, persistent desire to do any one type of work.
And yet, I love my job.
My projects are varied and interesting. There’s always something new to learn. I like and respect the people I work with. I enjoy the flexibility of working from home. My earnings pay the bills.
I notice every day how grateful I am for the job that I have and the lifestyle it enables me to live. That includes having enough spare time to volunteer with organizations that I care about.
Volunteering gives me a mission-driven sense of fulfillment that is different from the gratification I feel when I successfully complete a work project. But if I won the lottery, I wouldn’t devote every day to my volunteer projects. I’m happy with the amount of time and energy that I’m spending in that area of my life. And I know from having tried it, that writing full-time doesn’t work for me either.
A large part of what makes my life feel full and satisfying is that I both love my career and its demands are manageable. It allows space for other meaningful pursuits.
It’s not my dream job, but it’s a great job.
If you’re worried that you’re running out of time to discover your passion and turn it into your job, I hope you realize that isn’t the only path to a fulfilling career.
Maybe you’re like me and you will find the most satisfaction by spending your time in several different fields – even if some of them are unpaid. The easiest way to discover this is by following your interests. Researching and talking to people who are involved in the fields you’re interested in are low-commitment ways of exploring what you might like. Learning what doesn’t work for you is useful information, too.
Another possibility is to start with the job you already have and see what can be improved. If you like your field but not your workplace, you can look for the same type of job at a different employer. If you’re bored, you can seek out new projects – maybe one of them will be the first step on a path to a new role.
You don’t need a dream job to be happy with your work.
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