What Do I Want to be When I Grow Up?

This question has haunted us in our daily lives since kindergarten when our teachers asked us to draw pictures of what we want to be in the future. I am sure our answers fell all over the board; from fireman to dog to President of the United States. Since we have been prepping for this question for decades, why does this question continuously be the one that is most difficult to answer?

I am not sure about you but, in each stage of life, I have felt that my answer to this question changes. When I was a child, I wanted to be a veterinarian then a doctor then a physical therapist then a psychologist. Our career paths seem to evolve with our interests whether that be social issues, hobbies we enjoy, or the pure and simple fact that money is going to be what determines if we can survive on a daily basis. I used to be externally concerned about knowing exactly what I wanted to do for my career because I believed that I should know since I have had since the age of 5 to figure out the “correct answer”. However, the older I get, the more I realize that other people are just as confused and indecisive as I am. Second, third, and fourth careers started to make more and more sense as I watched people pursue different job opportunities.

If you have yet to read Dr. Cleere’s book that she released on July 4, 2014 (you are really missing out), she discloses her personal life story and discusses how she became an Elite Performance Coach and Sports Psychologist. It is important to note that everyone has their own path that has led them to where they are right now. If you are still uncertain about what you want to be when you grow up, there is nothing wrong with that but here are a few questions to consider:

1. What are your goals? – do you want to start your own business and how successful do you want to be or are you doing something just to help others
2. What is your motivation? – is this a career option you are exploring because you are interested or because someone else is pushing you to do so
3. What do you enjoy? – working will be miserable unless you are passionate or enjoy what you do
4. Are you qualified for the position? – if not, what steps do you need to take to be qualified

Happy Saturday!