My dream job is to work for a space company. But what I truly want is to work for myself, run my own businesses, and travel the world full time.
Saying those things together makes me pause. One answers the question, “Where would you love to work?” The other answers, “How do you actually want to live?”
And girl, those are two different questions.
Maybe you know that feeling. You find a goal in an old notebook, a saved screenshot, or a phone note. You recognize the plan. You just do not recognize the excitement you expected to feel.
The dream job and the dream life
For me, working at a space company still sounds exciting. I do not need to pretend otherwise to make room for something else. But when I describe what I truly want, I talk about my businesses and seeing the world.
I want blogging to be part of that life. I enjoy writing, and I want to keep building something of my own. Little In Between, Era Digitals, and SB Botanicals are real parts of what I am working toward.
That does not mean I have figured out how to make it all support me full time. Wanting independence and having a reliable income from it are different stages. I am still building.
You can change the plan without insulting who made it
There can be something tender about realizing an old goal no longer fits the same way. Especially if you spent time preparing for it or telling people it was your plan.
You might feel relieved, then immediately wonder whether changing your mind makes you look inconsistent. You might miss having one clear answer when someone asks what you want to do.
I do not think we have to announce that the old dream was a mistake. Sometimes it helped us understand what mattered. Sometimes it still matters, but it no longer gets to decide the whole picture.
What I would keep
For me, the part I want to protect is the chance to build my businesses and travel. I want the work I enjoy to have a place in the life I am creating.
Working for myself will still mean work. Customers, expenses, responsibilities, and days when things do not go to plan. I want to be honest about that while still allowing myself to want it.
Maybe your answer looks different. You still want stability, but not that particular career. You still want to create, but not turn every creative thing into a business. You still want adventure, but the destination has changed.
Before you throw the whole dream away, look at what it was supposed to give you. There may be something worth carrying forward, even if you choose another route.
If you made that plan today, what part would you keep? Tell me in the comments.
Featured image created with AI as an illustration.
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