As a child, you likely dreamed of what you would be when you grew up. Perhaps you became that vision, or you turned to a different path as you pursued college or traveled the world. Now is the time to revisit your passion and turn it into a career that is successful and fulfilling.

Dreams vs Career

Many people say that you can not have both dreams and a career. However, there’s a strong argument for the exact opposite notion.

If you’re dreaming of a certain profession, then you’re driven by it. You’re intrigued and motivated by the vision.

With drive can come many amazing things, including a career that helps others and makes you feel like you have a purpose in this world. Whether it is freelance writing or another profession, you can make it happen.

You Deserve to be Happy

You likely have friends who complain about their jobs. Perhaps you’re one of those people too!

Some of the less-than-attractive things about the work might be:

• Lower pay than expected
• Unsatisfying at the end of the day
• Mismanagement within the organization
• Being badly treated
• Inconvenient working hours
• Feeling burnout

If you have one or more complaints about the position, now is the time to ask yourself: Are you happy in your profession? It seems like an easy question to ask, but it’s tougher than you might think at first.

To help you decide, make a pros and cons list where you weigh out what you like (surely there must be something!) and what you don’t care about for your current job. You might find the two sides are about even or that one side is much longer than the other one.

At the end of the activity, look over what you’ve written. Ask yourself again if you are satisfied with your career in its current form. If not, here’s the thing:

You deserve to be happy.

Exactly what that career brings you joy won’t be the same one as for your best friend, sister, or neighbor, but it will feel the same. It will bring you self-satisfaction and meaning, as well as keeping you excited and challenged by the day.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us, life changes. Life is fragile. Now is the time to make the career change and do what makes you happy!

Finding Your Purpose – and Why You Must Do So

While your life’s purpose might be clear, it also might not be something that immediately comes to mind. But once you know it, you will find that you feel compelled to pursue it.

And you should do exactly that as having purpose means that you will feel fulfilled. Your days will hold meaning, and you will find yourself feeling content with how you spend your time, both at work and in your personal time.

Plus, once you know your purpose, you can start to strengthen your skills toward achieving it. You can plan to guide your path toward making the passion into a successful career.

As for how to find your purpose, if it is not obvious to you already, think about what you enjoy doing. If you could do anything, would it be writing for clients around the world, designing women’s clothes, helping seniors, or something else?

Also, consider what comes naturally to you. Do you excel at public speaking? Are you great at putting people at ease during a conversation? While you’ll still need to practice in order to do well in any career, having a natural ability for something can help you truly create a phenomenal career.

Pursuing Education to Make Your Dream a Reality

Now that you’ve found your purpose – what drives you and brings you fulfillment. Then, your next step is to plan out the realistic steps to achieve it.

While you could just jump into applying for jobs right away, the better plan for success is to get the education and experience beforehand. Then you’re more likely to progress smoother and further than you might otherwise.

What this schooling looks like will vary according to your dream profession. If you want to pursue a career as a nursing practitioner to propel change in the healthcare industry, then you must have certain academic accomplishments first. In this article, find out more about the exciting role of a nurse practitioner.

While in higher education, you can expect to learn the fundamentals of the career that you want to pursue. Not only that, but you will also make connections that can become valuable people to network with after graduation to lead to job opportunities. Plus, you will grow your skills in the classroom and outside of it that can take you far in your chosen field.

Furthermore, studying will prepare you for any obstacles to come after graduation. For example, you will face stress as you have school deadlines to meet and tests to take regularly. As you complete your studies, you will become better at confronting and overcoming obstacles.

Look for Your Future Now

Creating the kind of life that you want can start now. Going back to school for nursing or another profession can take you far in the “real world” after graduation.

When you do what you love for a living, it really doesn’t feel like work. Instead, it feels like you are doing what you’re supposed to do, carrying out your purpose and making a difference in the world using your talents.

Lastly, life is too short to be full of regrets. If you’ll later think, “I should have gotten my degree,” then why not do so now? The longer you wait to do it, the more time you spend wondering why you didn’t go for your dreams sooner.

While carving out a successful career won’t happen overnight, it will happen when you put all your efforts into it. The most you want it, the more you will excel at it. Find joy in doing what you’re meant to do in the workforce, and life will truly feel worth living!