A series that runs every Tuesday, where I ask questions unrelated to the environment, fair trade, or local politics that I’ve been wondering about but haven’t been able to google the answers to. Any advice is appreciated.
When I was younger I used to have serious goals. Short term-ish goals, but ones I pursued with a relatively clear purpose, nonetheless. Going to college, for example. Trying out journalism. Getting a decent job. Going back to grad school.
Now my goals are of the “try to get up before 10 am,” “actually post Tuesday questions on Tuesday” variety — and I still can’t do it most of the time.
The fact that I can’t achieve these basic goals is perhaps why I can’t set more meaningful, long-term goals — though maybe it’s sort of the other way around — I don’t have long-term, meaningful goals, so I have no motivation to meet the basic ones. I don’t know what comes first –
I’ve been trying to think about what I wanted to be as a kid, and I really can’t remember actually having a profession of any sort in mind. I wasn’t the “I want to be an astronaut” type of kid, I don’t think — though I’d imagine I had some sort of fantasy about the sort of person I might become….
If there was a clear vocation I wanted to pursue as a child, alcohol has since completely eradicated the brain cell that held that memory.
What did you want to become when you were a kid?
I can completely relate to how you are feeling. Being the goal-oriented person that I am, I find that I’m constantly asking myself for what reason am I doing this…whether regarding work, relationships, living in a certain place, or even simply what I do with my free time. I struggle everyday with trying to figure out this big mystery of what my future is suppose to look like. But before I can even get to the future, I have a hard time getting through the day with all of these sometimes paralyzing thoughts. Somehow I must have also drowned that brain cell that was holding the answer…
Good Luck!
Comment by Lara — May 12, 2007 @ 5:56 pm
I find it gets harder as I get older with goals and I never had a clear profession in mind as a child either, and still don’t! Goals are a modern invention though, no? Did our ancestors roaming lush forests have to worry about long term goals. I think not.
I think you’re swell and hey, the wonderful work and community you create on this blog counts as a goal satisified, right?!
I wouldn’t obsess over it too much. Unless ya wanna :)
Comment by Lisa — May 12, 2007 @ 6:00 pm
At various times, I wanted to be a scientist, an astronaut, a spy, president, Dick Van Dyke, Bing Crosby and Paul McCartney.
I’ve ended up being at various times a journalist, a technical writer, a magazine editor, a computer programmer, a musician and a teacher.
Comment by don hosek — May 12, 2007 @ 7:39 pm
I think it’s more important to recall what it was you did as a kid. For example, did you sing a lot as a child? Did you write much? Were you big into movies? Did you like futzin’ with a computer or any other piece of electronics? Focus on what you enjoyed doing. Kids don’t really understand professions, careers, etc. They just know they will do jobs one day.
Myself, looking back, if I were to revisit what I did as, say, a ten-year-old, I’d conclude that, twenty years on, I would become a structural engineer, because I was very talented drawing buildings and I loved to play with building blocks (like legos). However, I also loved listening to stories, of any kind, real or imagined. So, I could also conclude that journalism would be a good fit.
BTW, don’t ever, ever watch the movie “Real Genius.” When I was said ten-year-old kid, I watched it with a buddy of mine. The script is about a group of geniuses who invent a “thick” L.A.S.E.R. for the S.D.I. program. He pointed at la petite ecran and said “That’s cool. I wanna do that.” Where’s he now? At the DoD with a PhD in particle physics from M.I.T. researching that very thing.
Comment by Fletch — May 12, 2007 @ 10:18 pm
A priest and a football player.
I stopped believing in god in around 4th or 5th grade and started hating the football players around 6th.
Then I decided I’d be a rebel. That lasted a while.
Then it was travel the world and “work in DC for a non-profit” not really knowing what the latter meant.
Now it’s drink beer. I think I’ve finally found my calling.
Chris
Comment by Chris O'Brien — May 13, 2007 @ 5:03 pm
I wanted to grow up and change the world.
Comment by Eric Reynolds — May 13, 2007 @ 9:49 pm
My biggest question these days is what I want to be now. I think everyone reaches a point where they question what they are or what they want. As kids, we’re taught that have to pick something to be, and most of the time that’s what gets people into the situations like I’m in now, wondering how and why I got to the point I’m at. Though I’m like you, I can’t remember clearly what I wanted to be, probably why I just sort of picked something and am now questioning it. I think if your goal is to get up at 10AM and you’re happy, who cares about other goals. Though goals give people something to live for, I also think that in our society those same goals are what make people unhappy and create feelings of failure a lot of the time.
Comment by Russ — May 14, 2007 @ 2:54 pm
On 2nd thought, Siel are you familiar with
“What Color is Your Parachute?” the jobhunter’s bible that is updated yearly?
Years ago when I was working at Texas Instruments, fresh with a B.S. degree in Computer Science, my boss gave it to me, noticing I was not happy in my position.
It was the first time I saw it presented so simply: do you work best with data, things or people? And, what are your aptitudes, things you are naturally good at, and what interests you? If you find a good meld of your aptitudes and interests, it might help you in setting career goals.
cheers,
Lisa
Comment by Lisa — May 14, 2007 @ 3:28 pm
Thanks everyone for weighing in –
Lisa — I did look at a copy of “What Color is Your Parachute” a while back. The thing is though — I’m pretty aware of what my current skill set is — yet I also feel I’m young enough to hone my aptitudes to develop skills in other interests I have that perhaps I’d find more fulfilling to pursue. The problem is that I feel I could (and that most people could) prolly do anything they put their mind to and worked at. So the field doesn’t get narrowed — though I do know I’m primarily interested in the arts.
Fletch — I hear I used to get up and sing all the time at show and tell type stuff as a kid. Plus I was a voice minor in college and I miss it sometimes, but I feel ambivalent about pursuing a career in music. I also kept a good diary as a kid, and have often been encouraged to pursue writing, but I feel that’s acted more as a crutch (doing something because it’s easy as opposed to going for something I really want). But I don’t know what I really want. Sometimes I think I’d like to take drawing lessons, which has no relation to any skills I have or anything I’ve really pursued in the past.
I think the main prob’s that I feel really devoting myself to one thing closes off a whole bunch of other possibilities — yet I won’t be able to draw pleasure and fulfillment from something unless I really devote myself to it.
It gets to a debilitating point, as Lara pointed out. Even with the blog, when I’m invited to go to this event or that or to see this film or read this book or whatever, I reach something close to catatonia trying to figure out whether I really want to go to said event / read book / watch film, or if I’m just doing what’s easy. I need to find a way to do things without spending hours asking myself if I actually enjoy doing something, or if I’m only doing something I think I should enjoy.
Comment by Siel — May 14, 2007 @ 11:26 pm