One business tip that applies to both home – based professionals and professionals who work outside of the home is that the route to career satisfaction is to follow your dreams. Since it is graduation season, the phrase “follow your dreams” is being tossed around a lot, as proud families wish their graduates the best as they go on to the world of work or the pursuit of higher education. Sometimes, though, it is harder to follow one’s dreams than it might seem.
This is a new realization for me. On one hand, I am following my dreams. I am a stay – at – home mom, as I always dreamed that I would be. On the other hand, I am finding that one of the things that I do for work is not something that was ever really a dream of mine, but is more a product of hopes and dreams that other people had for me.
I am not sure why it has taken me so long to realize this very important truth, but I am glad that I am realizing it now. It seems as though I am not the only one. I actually know of quite a few people who followed career paths that were not quite what their dreams were made of. Some of them are following new paths, now, and some are still following the path that they started down, even though it does not always feel quite right.
As for myself, I am at a point where I have to make a big decision regarding whether or not to continue with one of my home – based businesses. If I choose to let go of it, it will be kind of a big deal in some ways, but not in others. The best way that I can describe my feelings about it is saying that it is like trying to wear a set of someone else’s clothes – they never really fit quite right. Fortunately, I have built a writing business that I can devote all of my energy to, should I decide to take my career solely in that direction. Before I became a writer, I never really thought about whether I would want to become a writer. It happened almost as if by accident – a very happy accident. I identify very strongly with being a writer, and the work fits me very well.
My number one piece of business advice is to make sure that the dreams that you are following with your work are truly your own – that is the way to find career happiness.
Photo by sheron2482 on morguefile.com.