Dream Jobs Don’t Exist

“The only way to build a meaningful life is to filter out that noise and look within” – Jay Shetty

Picture this. You just got the offer for the job you always wanted. The dream job. You’re elated. On cloud nine. You feel incredibly excited and eager to get to work. Your first day can’t come fast enough. All the work you put in to get to this point has finally paid off. 

Fast forward a couple years. You’ve been working the same job and you no longer have that same fire when you first started. The same tasks that once excited you, now feel mundane. Your drag your feet into the office every morning, feeling uninspired, unmotivated. Watching 8 hours pass by on the clock is like watching paint dry.

It’s a revolving door

There are a lot of people who find themselves in this situation. Oftentimes we think the solution is to simply go find another dream job. But usually, we end up perpetuating the same vicious cycle over and over again.

I personally do not believe in the idea of a dream job. I think it encourages us to chase a shiny object that may never exist. While I do strongly believe that building a purposeful career is one way to feel fulfilled in life, I also think that as one builds their career, other aspects of life should be considered in conjunction with that.

Chase life, not jobs

To avoid the vicious cycle of chasing a dream job, I chase a dream lifestyle instead. There is a drastic difference.

A job is only a fraction of the complex experiences we have here on earth. Rather than ask myself what kind of job I want, I ask myself this instead:

What kind of lifestyle do I want and how can a job or career facilitate that?

I invite you to ask yourself the same question. Really think about what you want out of life and find ways to purposefully create that for yourself.

I very strongly believe in the importance of having a life outside of work. You are so much more than your job title, and I find it quite saddening when people reduce themselves to just that.

Using myself as an example, remote work has allowed me to feel like I have a life outside of my day job. I like my job, but I also like to travel, read books, find new hobbies, go to the gym, and socialize. I have come to realize that not having to commute to an office improves my productivity as an employee, and my quality of life. The time that I would have spent commuting to and fro, can now be spent on enriching my life in the ways that I just listed.

This is what my formula currently looks like:

This will look different for everyone. This process I have designed for myself allows me to stay focussed on the things I envision for myself. Perhaps it may help you too!

Don’t build a career at the expense of your life. Don’t let a job prevent you from living life to the fullest. Your experience is unique and remember to not confuse the unique path you are on with what other people are doing.

Signing off with peace & love

Yours truly, Adanna.