Dreams, barriers and determination.

We all have dreams, right? I don’t mean the thoughts that go through our minds when we are asleep, but rather the desires that drive our lives. Surely everyone has things they are striving for in one way or the other?

I was talking to my colleague about this on the train back from Manchester today as he has just started writing his bucket list. He spoke of how when he started to try and write the list of things he aspired for that he really struggled. Identifying exactly what we want from life when we have a clean slate can be quite difficult I guess. Go on, try it.

Got some ideas? Now really challenge yourself; are they truly your dreams, aims and goals? Or are they in some way influenced by what you subconsciously think you should do, maybe based on friends, family or popular culture? My colleague gave the example of wanting to own an Aston Martin. At first he thought it showed that he was materialistic, But then he thought about it some more and realised it was not the car he wanted, it was the experience of driving a fast car. So this bucket list item morphed into driving fast cars around a track.

I think it’s really interesting to consider whether what we are dreaming of is really what we want, or how much is dictated by social constructs. We are all influenced by society, friends, perceptions of ourselves and so on, but each of us is affected to a different extent. The idea that our long term, or even short term goals, may not actually be ones that will make us happy is something which feels alien. Surely we all know what we want, what we enjoy doing, what we want to see? I also think it’s key to acknowledge that what we want to be can change. When I was younger I was not remotely bothered about seeing the world, but now it is my top priority. It may not be in the future, and that’s OK. We adapt, we learn, we grow and we re-prioritise. But we should be on top of that; aspire to do what makes you happy!

Keeping my eyes on the prize

The past couple of weeks have been very tumultuous for me.

Last Monday the company I work for announced a restructure. This meant that two entire departments were made redundant as our roles did not exist any more. Wow, that was a shocker I can tell you! We were informed that we could apply for the new roles within the new structure. We had 4 days to apply, would be interviewed in the week just gone and then find out if we had one of the new positions or were officially redundant yesterday. The restructure was not a surprise, but the redundancy was.

My poor parents worried significantly more than I did. I was excited. There were at least a couple of positions I wanted to apply for; one which was a similar level to my redundant role and a new more senior opportunity that would be a great development. It was all about interviewing well and selling yourself. My interviews were short. I hoped it was because I was succinct, not because I had failed to showcase my skills or passion.

“If you believe in yourself, anything’s possible”