Sometimes Dreams Change
I had a chance encounter with a rarely-seen friend (I love it when that happens!). Our chat was brief but jam-packed. One piece stood out to me, though. She mentioned that her job—her "dream job"—wasn't doing it for her anymore. She's been in the same role for 15 years. In it, she's made a lot of impact and has truly lived her best life. It was everything she hoped it would be......except now it's not.
Some of you know exactly what I'm talking about here. She's living the ideal life she has always wanted, yet she'sexperiencing this silent, behind-the-scenes misery. Do you know the other emotion she's feeling? Guilt. The guilt of getting exactly what she wanted, but now being discontent.
Here's how she put it: "I used to be excited each morning. Now, I don't even care if I go or not. It feels pointless."
Ouch. I really feel for her. This is something that many Americans are experiencing, yet it's not often talked about. Most of this happens behind closed doors.
The truth is, sometimes dreams change. She's not the same person she was 15 years ago. That's neither bad nor good.....just reality. We grow, evolve, and experience lots of life along the way. It's inevitable.
She has three choices:
Sit in her misery and find a way to coast out the rest of her career with her sanity intact.
Find a way to revitalize meaning and purpose in her current job.
Find a new dream and pursue it as aggressively as she pursued the first one.
After further discussion, it sounds like option #2 is off the table. She's tried that approach, and she's running out of steam.A few thoughts on option #3:
It's ok to change. Change isn't an admission of defeat. Rather, it's the beginning of a new journey.
Changing careers isn't "throwing away" something. Instead, it's a way to repurpose those skills, experience, relationships, and influence.
It's going to be uncomfortable, and that's ok. Discomfort is the gateway to growth. Embrace it.
Life is long, so we might as well fill those weeks, months, and years with something that fills our tank.
Life is short, so we shouldn't waste it!
Other people's opinions don't matter. You're the one who has to wake up each morning and live your life.
The best is yet to come!
Sometimes dreams change. When they do, we must change with them. Young Travis had some pretty cool dreams, but I eventually outgrew most of them....older Travis's dreams are far cooler. As much as I cherish and respect young Travis's dreams, I'm not that guy anymore. It would be foolish for me to pursue someone else's dreams.
Don't feel guilty if your dreams are changing. Perhaps it's time to change with them.