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Dream jobs do not magically appear out of thin air, they are often the result of years of blood, sweat and tears.
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Sometimes dream jobs are the result of tremendous failures and rejections and believe it or not, sometimes the disappointment is where the blessings are.
Dream jobs are not all sunshine and rainbows, and when you do find yours, there are some things you realize people failed to tell you about getting them:
1. You’ll probably work harder in your dream job than you have at anything else.
Unless your dream “job” is not working at all, chances are you’re probably going to work very hard at it. There’s a quote that says, “If you do what you love, you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” That’s just not true when you look at some of the most successful people who do what they love. And sure, success is defined in different ways, but having a dream job often means becoming a master at something. And in order to master something, you have to put in the hours.
2. You’re still going to have to do things you don’t like.
If you think that having the job of your dreams will all of a sudden mean that you only do parts of the job you like, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. The reality is dream jobs do not come without annoying and sometimes even difficult parts. Sometimes that means putting in more time than you want, other times it means dealing with people who make life harder. Either way, dream jobs are not without not-so-fun parts.
3. You’ll question if this is really ‘the dream’ from time to time.
When you’re working towards you dream job, the objectives seem so clear. But if you finally get it, you’ll realize that looking at something from afar and being in it, are two very different standpoints. When you’re in it, you might get confused, you might wonder if the sacrifice was worth it and you’ll even wonder from time to time if you should be doing something else. A dream job doesn’t always give you the certainty that you think it might.
4. You’ll realize that dreams can change.
The thing about getting what you want, is that once a goal is accomplished, you’ll want to a new one. Sure, you’ll stop and pat yourself on the back and celebrate. But if you’re a driven person, chances are you’ll want more or different. And maybe your dreams will change. You’ll want to incorporate new dreams into the one you’ve just achieved. And you’ll have to learn to balance gratitude with a certain healthy dissatisfaction of always wanting to do better.
5. You’ll realize that your dream job is great, but it should never take away from other parts of your life.
Many of us, and I think especially the most driven of us, use work as a distraction sometimes from dealing with other areas of our life. We hold onto work because we like to think that it’s the one thing we can at least control. But even getting your dream job should not be used as an excuse for facing everything else going on in your life. Certainly, your career and your job can give back what you put in, but remember it’s not the only thing that should keep you warm at night.
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