When I grow up I want to be …

Remember how passionate and enthusiastic you were as a child when you talked about what you were going to ‘be’ when you grew up? You saw a future with no limitations. You believed in your capabilities and saw an ocean of potential in yourself.

Kids generally don’t know anything about annual salaries or duties and responsibilities or what kind of education is required to land a similar position – and frankly they don’t care. They only know that it sounds fun, cool or exciting. In fact when the ‘Daily Mail’ asked kids what they thought the most important part of a job was, the majority said “having fun” or “helping others”

So, what changed? When did we settle for ‘something else’. Well, maybe things haven’t changed that much after all. What inspired us as kids often has an impact on what we are looking for in our work-life. Kids who love to play games building or fixing things may grow up to be the engineers or architects of the future. Kids who play games bandaging dolls and teddy bears may be inspired to become surgeons, doctors or nurses. It still sounds like ‘having fun’ and helping others. That sense of being valued and appreciated for what you do in your chosen career, far outweighs the ‘remuneration package’.  And the feeling of immense satisfaction of doing something you are passionate about is really what we are all looking for.

So maybe the dream job we want as a child isn’t exactly the same we want later in life but the essence of why we want that job remains pretty much the same.

So maybe you don’t know what your dream career is yet? That’s OK, too. Sometimes it just takes a little exploring to figure it out. Take your time to examine all the possibilities before you narrow down your choices, and whatever you do, don’t limit yourself. The child in you knows your potential and is still dreaming it up…