If you woke up tomorrow and were free to do anything you wanted with your life, what would you do and who would you be?
Ever since I left university and began working full time, that’s a question that I’ve been absorbed by time and time again.
Perhaps this is something I should have considered in more depth when I was younger, but all I knew then was that I wanted to write. My studies drew me further along a literary path; I chose a degree in English for the love of it, not for the future career options. Short of teaching, there aren’t that many obvious ones.
After university I fell into a job in marketing and over the last five years have built myself a career. There are things about working in marketing that I adore: the opportunity to be creative in a dull corporate environment, developing graphic design skills, immersing myself in the online world, honing my copywriting and proofreading abilities.
But I’ve never really been happy in any of my jobs. I hate the restrictions and mundane nature of an office job. Some days I feel like I’m trying too hard to deny my true self and my desires and inspirations so that I can focus on work.
Ultimately, what I want is a freedom that the nine to five corporate lifestyle doesn’t afford me.
I want the freedom to work my own hours, even if that means an 80 hour week sometimes. I want to choose the things I work on, the ideas I pursue. I want to build something for myself that I can pour my heart and soul into and be proud of. I want the freedom to make my own choices, even when that leads to failure, because I hate the pressure of someone over my shoulder asking me what I’m doing.
But how can I achieve that?
Ultimately I’d love to be able to make a living through writing online and publishing novels. Starting this blog has opened my eyes to new possibilities and how I might make that dream a reality.
But it’s easy to stray off course and writing posts like this help me to focus my thoughts and give myself a little push.
It’s still going to take a lot of work to get there, one tiny step at a time, but I already feel that I am in a better place to create my ideal career. When I was younger I just didn’t have the confidence or the necessary skills. I never would have dreamt of setting up my own website without first working in digital marketing, so despite my unhappy times, my career so far has brought me to this point, hopefully on the cusp of a new independence.
Do you dream about changing your life? I’d love to hear all about it!