Dream job and happy career - how to get them

The dream jobs exist only in employer advertisements.

You have to be thankful that you have a job.

You don’t have to love your work; most people don’t.

Be happy that you get at least paid.  

Every dream job and happy career has its considerable demands and flaws.

It would help if you didn’t say you hate your job because having a job is a privilege.  

Of course, that is partly true. Sometimes, you don’t need a career change; you must change your attitude to have a dream job and a happy career.

However, that is only sometimes. You have only one life – at least as this person. You have 365 days in a year. You get old, and then one day, you die. (Hopefully, this did not come as a surprise.)

You can’t live your life hating your daily job. You can’t just try to survive the working days and starve for long weekends and summer holidays. It is a terrible waste. It makes you nuts and influences all parts of your life. Your family, relationships, health, energy level, mind, and spirit. Your general happiness.

Fortunately, you have options.

There are three options. First, you learn to love (or at least like) your current job. Second, you can make a career change. You can find or build a new kind of happy career and dream job. Third, you can do both.

In the beginning, you must imagine yourself living a happier life where you have a career and job you love and don’t hate.

Do you feel selfish thinking about your happiness? Your kids, spouse, parents, sister, brother, old aunt, and lovely friends should also be happy. We agree that happiness is a human right. However, it is only you who can make something for your happiness. When you are happy, it is easier for you also to help others.

What could be your dream job and happy career?

Most people know what they don’t want to do for a living, but few know what they want to do. If you don’t know that or have too many options, here are some essential questions you should ask yourselves.

What do you enjoy doing most? What is easy and natural for you?

What did you love doing when you were a kid or a teenager?

No, I don’t want to hear you liked to smoke secretly in the parking lot or kiss the cute boys, even if that was true. Was there anything else that you loved doing? Like designing your clothes, writing novels, or playing a florist or secret detective all day.

How would you like to spend your working days? What would you like to do, where would you like to do it, and with whom?

What type of work makes your heart sing, smile, and sparkle?

What would you work for if you had all the power and capabilities in the world and could get any job?

What if every job in the world had the same salary? What would you like to do for a living?

Is it leading a company, teaching people essential skills, motivating others, or writing inspiring stories that make people cry and laugh?

Analyzing companies’ figures? Doing effective marketing?

Are you helping children with behavioral problems? Do you offer help and support for children, teenagers, the elderly, or other needy people?

Are you singing, acting, painting, or playing some instrument?

Are you fighting poverty, violence, energy crisis, cancer, climate change, or other most meaningful problems?  

Take your notebook and write down all your thoughts, ideas, and answers. The more, the merrier. We raise a glass when you have some bright and relevant ideas on paper. The second question is, however, more complex.

Why do you want to change jobs and careers?

You must be honest with yourself. What is the primary reason you want what you want?

Do you want to get rid of something in your current job? Like a nasty or incompetent boss, crazy culture, tedious tasks and colleagues, too overwhelming job, or lousy salary?

Or do you want something more suitable for your mind, body, and soul?

Of course, salary, status, and current experience are usually essential parts of a career. Still, if your work lacks inspiration and passion, it will probably not make you happy or give you fulfillment in the long run.

Is your answer coming from your soul and heart? Is it making your heart tick harder? If yes, that is something you probably must do in your life. But not necessarily for your profession.

Please get familiar with your possible dream jobs and what they offer

Many professions sound more romantic and attractive than they are when you have to work there five long days a week from year to year.

Have you ever tried to do your dream job regularly, day after day? If not, now could be the time to try. Start doing it now as a passionate and regular hobby. If you want to be a scientist, study your favorite science topic daily for an hour. If you’re going to work with children, find a voluntary job you could do, for example, in the evenings twice a week.

If you are interested in something, you will find the solution and time.

Another good way to get more information about your dream job is to observe and interview someone who does that already as the primary job. Ask about her working days, main tasks, responsibilities, salary, working schedule and culture,  and the flaws and advantages of the job.

Start your dream job and happy career first as a hobby.

Notice that you don’t have to do everything you are interested in as your primary job. Your interests can bring happiness to your life and career, even if you do them as a hobby or a side job. However, not all your interests might be suitable for your main job and career, at least not yet.

Imagine you are a mum or dad working a decent but not too overwhelming job. You have a basic salary, not huge savings, and a big house loan. You are bored with your job, maybe hate your boss, and dream about being an artist or novelist.

I suggest you keep your day job or change it to a better one with a more generous boss. That helps you take financial care of your kids, health, home, and house loans. Then you start painting or writing in your free time. You negotiate a schedule for that with your family, for example, two hours three times a week. It is your own time when you test-drive your dream career and mission.

Believe me. It is much easier and funnier to be creative and do artistic work when you don’t have to worry about how to pay for your food and housing.

Famous author John Grisham wrote his first novel in the early mornings while working as a lawyer. He lacked time and wrote from half an hour to one hour daily. The first book took three years to complete, and 28 publishers said no thanks. He did not give up but wrote another one. It was called Firm and remained for 47 weeks on The New York Best Times Seller list. You might have read the book or seen it as a movie. After the Firm’s success, he gave up practicing law and started his full-time career as an author.

If you are overwhelmed and exhausted from your job, start by resting.

It is usual that extremely busy and competent career cannons who have worked too long received huge salaries, and lived luxuriously are exhausted at some stage in their careers, burns out, or have serious health problems.

Leaving your job immediately can feel easy, liberating, healthy, and attractive. Just say goodbye, adios, auf wiedersehen, adjö, heippa. Welcome to your new, better life, whatever it is.

Many people want to slow down and start a different career as farmers, artisans, personal trainers, yoga teachers, or artists.

I would advise them to calm down first. You should avoid making big decisions when you feel sick, exhausted, weak, and overwhelmed.

Have rest. Have a holiday—a short Sabbath.

Begin practicing mindfulness, yoga, sport, meditation, or whatever makes you less overwhelmed and gives your tired mind energy and rest. Please read our article, Bad Habit Examiner to get more rest and energy. 

When you have had rest and don’t feel just busy and exhausted, think about it again. Are you ready to leave your current career, monthly salary, and status and start from scratch a business that might never become a proper job that pays all your current bills?

If yes, are you ready to live on less and reduce your expenses or use your savings to live? Maybe you are; perhaps you are not.

Consider all other options, possibilities, and risks cleverly. Make plans A, B, and maybe also C. If your other plans do not work, make a survival plan.

If you decide to stay in your current job and career, try to make it better by stopping working overtime and doing your dream job part time or as a hobby. You can do many interesting things besides the day job if you get more energy and don’t constantly work overtime.

You can even start some passion project or a lovely sidekick and test your new ideas risk-free. Organize a paid annual weekend yoga or sports course for your friends, or start a blog about your favorite subject. Buy or rent a country home where you can test living like a farmer and even sell some products outside.

Small, positive changes in life and career are easier and safer than big ones. They often lead to more significant life changes, new dream jobs, and happy careers.