What do you want to be when you grow up?

What do you want to be when you grow up?

If you ask my 6 year old daughter this question, she will tell you either an animal rescuer who owns an island to keep the animals on or someone who designs clothes for sea lions (and yes, you read that correctly because no one is designing clothes for sea lions and they really need some). In the past 4-5 years she has wanted to be everything from the real to the imaginary to the outright funny. Possible careers have included princess cowgirl, fairy house builder, doctor for cowgirls and horses, fashion designer, teacher, snow globe collector or mom.

We seem to ask this question of children all of the time, but as adults we assume that everyone is employed doing exactly what they want to be doing. Everyone but us. Or at least that is what it seems like sometimes.

As you start to think about what you want to do for your next career, make a list of every possible career that you have ever contemplated being. Be sure to include every career, starting back to when you were a child to present day.

Now, wait a day or two in case you forgot any.

Then look closely at the list. Do any of these jobs have things in common? Are they all jobs where you would be helping people? Or include some sort of mechanical or technical skills? Or are all very creative? Think about what they have in common, what skills you would use in the position, and what really interests you about it.

Are any of these careers that you want to pursue now? Maybe your idea from when you were 6 is exactly what you should be doing now.