It Happens To Everyone

When I was little, I dreamt of being a vet, a singer, and an actor. Yep, I had huge dreams.
I loved animals, and animal lovers all become vets, so I was obviously meant to become a vet, right?
I loved music and grew up in the music industry (though I can’t sing to save my life) so I was obviously going to become the next Christina Aguilera, right?
I loved movies and TV series, so that meant I had to become an actress, right?

Yep. I am all of those things now.

Yeah…wrong. As I grew up I realized that though I loved all of those things, they weren’t going to be what I did for a living.

If you’re anything like me, you also imagined being one of those things, or an astronaut, or the president.

You probably ended up discovering other things you were good at and passionate about, and decided to change your path as you went on and got to know yourself.
It probably happens to everyone at one point or another, so don’t feel like you’re the only one that’s ever changed your mind. I’m right there with ya!

The Common Misconception

When you get older and find that the one thing you truly felt passionate about and really wanted to do is no longer the best fit for you, some people in your life might think of it as giving up or quitting. It may not even be anybody else but you who thinks that changing your path is “quitting”.

Here’s the deal: Changing your path or dreaming a new dream  is not equivalent to quitting or giving up.

Changing your path or dreaming a new dream does not mean you're quitting or giving up. Click To Tweet

This common misconception can end up making you miserable. I know I was. I felt that if I didn’t do what I had told virtually everybody I wanted to do, I was a failure, a quitter. I actually spent about a year and a half convincing myself to continue investing my time and efforts into something I really wasn’t meant to do. I convinced myself that it was still my dream and I was still on the right path for myself. I was freakin’ miserable and I knew exactly why. I thought that if I didn’t fight for my original dream, that it meant that I was failing and my whole family & friends would hate me and not take me seriously ever again and think I was a failure too. Super dramatic, I know, but that was my thought process at the time.

Here’s what I’ve learned: Changing your direction in life is not quitting; not changing your direction and staying in a situation you’re unhappy with is quitting. I know, it’s harsh, but your happiness is worth the fight, I promise. It might be hard and the road might be bumpy at first, but you have to give yourself that chance and chase your passion! Even if it’s just as a side hustle at first, with enough heart, passion and committment, you’ll get to your goal!

Why It’s OK To Change Your Dreams

If we were all born with an innate clairvoyant ability/gift and could see into the future and see what we eventually become, then and only then would I perhaaaaps say that it’s not OK to change our dream or our path. But since we are not all clairvoyant, I’m gonna go ahead and say that it’s OK to change our path.

We are complex individuals who are capable of change, who grow and mature and evolve, and sometimes that means that what we originally set out to do is no longer in line with the person we are or the person we’re trying to become.

It’s not a sign of weakness. It’s not being a quitter. It’s not being a failure. It is being human. Maybe you’ve recently found something that really makes your soul happy, maybe you’re thinking about a career change, that is OK! You have the right to change your mind, don’t make the same mistake I made, don’t make yourself miserable by sticking to something you’re no longer passionate about (unless, of course you have no other choice, in that case, find a way to slowly transition. Don’t go quitting your only source of income if you don’t have a solid backup plan. But build a backup plan and then stop making yourself miserable).

  What You Can Do

Taco ‘Bout It

If you’re having a hard time accepting the fact that your direction, dreams and goals are changing, talk to someone about it, bounce ideas off of your friends and/or family and see what they say. Maybe they will tell you to go for your dreams! Maybe they realize you could be happier by doing something else! They might even lend a helping hand with advice or support. The more you talk about it, the more you get to work out potential kinks in your plan as well!
Your family or friends may even help give you that last push you need to be confident enough to pursue this new avenue.
Talk to me! I’m here if you want to talk things through! You can contact me best through Twitter, Instagram or my email (Dis one)

Aaaand Action (Plan)

Create an action plan. Especially if you’re considering switching careers, creating a plan of action is the next thing you gotta do. Figure out what steps you need to take to transition to a new career. If you’ll be earning less money initially, think of ways to supplement your income so you break even (or hopefully even earn some extra money!) You can even start saving up for a contingency fund (which many financial experts suggest to do anyway) so you have a bit of padding during your transition and while you get all your ducks in a row [Random: I love that expression]

Baby Steps

Try to think of all the little things you can start changing and all the little things you can start setting in motion now to get to your dream.
Say your dream job is to become a writer. Make time to grow and learn your craft and do a little something every day that gets you closer to that dream or goal. Resolve to write for 30 minutes every day or do research for your book or research marketing strategies for when you publish your book, you get the gist.

It may seem like you’re not doing much, but before you know it you’ll look back at all your little baby steps and you’ll realize you’ve walked 10 miles already! Little things make big things happen. Remember that.

Do a little something every day that gets you closer to your dream or goal. Click To Tweet

Dreamcatcher

Once all of your ducks are in a row and you’ve set your master plan in motion as well as have all of your bases covered (the contingency plan) all that’s left to do is chase your dream! Chase that bad boy down until you catch it, dreamcatcher!

 

Have your dreams changed at all? If so, have you taken the plunge and gone after your new-and-improved dream? How did it go?

Love,