Decent-Steak-Dinner Dreams & Pretty-Good-Beer Wishes
three wishes by MayaChappell The wishes say “inspire”, “create” & “let your dreams soar.” Aren’t those nice wishes?
Here’s the 3rd installment in guest blogger (& When I Grow Up’s scholarship winner) Sarah Ivie’s series. Her first post, Change is Like Laundry, focused on how, uh, change is like laundry. Her second post, Jumping with a Safety Net, focused on, uh…obviously our post titles are very self-evident. What is Sarah focusing on now that we’re two months into our sessions together? You’ll just hafta read below!
What would you do if you could do anything you wanted to? I wish I had a nickel for every time I’ve been asked this question. I am, as Michelle has helped me figure out, a Renaissance Soul…I have a lot of different interests and skills. I’ve never been able to answer that darn question! I could tell you 15 different things I could do, or 20 things I’d enjoy doing, but not one thing I ideally want to do. I’ve even figured out what I can do well and what pays the bills, even if I don’t like all of it. So when I came to Michelle to figure this whole work thing out, I came with a fairly decent day job that unfortunately involves a lot of spreadsheets and reports, which I’m good at, but don’t love. I also had (and have) a plan to start a small business with my husband, a developing blog, an on-my-own small business plan, about a million percolating ideas, and a desire to find out what I want to be when I grow up.
What I am figuring out (with a lot of help from a certain life coach) is a different way of asking that million-dollar question – and of answering it. What makes more sense to me is to ask, “If you could do any job you wanted, what would you want that job to be like? What would you want to get out of it?” I can answer that! I can tell you pretty much right away that I want a job where I have a flexible schedule so I can spend time with my (future) kids and family, have FUN, be creative, have positive interactions with other people, be recognized for what I do, contribute something good to the world, and make enough money. That’s all I want. Oh, that, and chickens. (OK, I’d be willing to have chickens as a hobby if they don’t work into the perfect job…)
For me, finding the perfect occupation is fitting together a puzzle with all of the above requirements as puzzle pieces. I’m working on this puzzle diligently, trying pieces here and there, trying to make it all fit. I’m starting to get a pretty good idea of what I think the finished picture will look like, and I’m starting to get pieces that go together really well! I think my many interests and skills fit together in a lot of different ways, and I’m starting to feel good about finding a combination that gives me what I want out of my job – my occupation.
But still, I have to pay the bills, so I have to work. Now that I’m married and responsible to another person (and yes, getting older) I’m not super-comfortable being that person who pet sits, works at the bookstore part time, and sells tupperware on the side to make ends meet. (Yes, these are all things I’ve done). I need enough stability in my income to know I can pay bills and buy a couple of magazines if I want, and I need the safety of knowing that’s going to happen every month. Even in my younger, more care-free days I always had a bit of a safety net, knowing I have those necessary skills to have the day job if/when I need it. I’ve never been able to take money out of the equation when figuring out what I want to do.
My husband has provided some important missing pieces that are helping me make money less of a top priority when finding an occupation that will hopefully meet all my needs. He plays the lottery. His lottery hobby has helped me think about making money a little less of a priority, because as he plays he creates plans around winning different amounts. He plays the smaller lotteries so the plans aren’t really that extravagant, they’re just about making us more comfortable, and about making it possible for us to do what we really want. It’s made me realize that some of my dreams are not that far out of reach. As icing on the cake, he gets excited about my ideas and they become our ideas and then our shared goals!
I’m so excited that things seem to be coming together in such a great way. Combining my husband’s decent-steak-dinner dreams & pretty-good-beer wishes with Michelle’s homework and pragmatism with my ideas and interests is helping me discover what I want and have the courage and support to go after my dreams!
