When I was little, I spent my days playing dress up and detective and imagining that my bicycle was indeed a car. I've always had an active imagination. In one of our former houses, I consistently imagined that we remodeled my room to include an endless hallway of bookshelves so that I could store all my books and stuffed animals. I loved thinking of new stories, new things to do, just anything new.
A major part of that imagination was thinking of all the things that I wanted to be when I grew up. Mostly, I dreamed of being a mother. I'd carry around my dolls, and even my cats, and pretend that they were my children. I couldn't wait to be pregnant, have kids of my own, and be the best mom in the world.
For a time, I wanted to be an actress. There was also the teacher stage where I'd pretend that my bedroom was the classroom and lay out homework assignments for Mr. Teddy Bear and Ms. Baby Doll. I thought about being a makeup artists and hair stylist. Or maybe even a fashion designer.
I spent several years dreaming of being a veterinarian. I loved animals, always had. I was set on being a vet. I even ordered materials from a local college about their veterinary medical school.
Then when I got to high school, I decided I wanted to be a writer. Teacher after teacher told me how great of a writer I was. I loved doing it. I didn't see why not. That always stayed in the back of my mind. Along with furniture buyer, the fashion industry, editor, interior designer, counselor, and non-profit director.
The past three years of college, I've spent a lot of time considering what I should do. What would I be good at? What's feasible? What pays well? I've considered writer, professor, non-profit training, psychologist, doctor, nurse, yoga teacher, and many others. Yet I haven't landed on one that I'm just ready to sink my teeth into.
If I had all the time and money in the world, I'd pick writer. But unfortunately, it's really difficult to make a living off of writing when you're just starting out. So I need something to pursue while I'm also working on becoming a full time writer. Just what should that be?
I've spent some time this week looking at graduate schools for a psychology doctorate. Specifically, I think I'd enjoy counseling for chronically ill patients. I'm just not sure I want to spend five years on another degree. I haven't enjoyed college all that much, I can't imagine what graduate school would be like.
I've also looked into going into child protective services or some sort of investigation position then going into the FBI. I'd love to work in the Behavioral Analysis Unit for them. But again, I need extensive experience or graduate degrees in order to do this.
It isn't like I have to decide TODAY or really anytime in the near future. I'm taking time off after graduation to just relax and enjoy myself...hopefully travel some too. But I do need to start considering where I might head after that. I just wish someone else would make the decision for me, force me into it. Okay, I don't. But it'd be nice not to have a choice...to just know that it's what I have to do.
Any suggestions?
Lindsey, it sounds to me like you might be a Scanner - that's Barbara Sher's word for a person who's "genetically wired" to want to do lots of different things. She has a book about it called "Refuse to Choose!" which includes an appendix, How do Scanners Earn a Living? You might want to take a look at the book - it really opened my eyes.
Thanks! I ordered the book, looks pretty interesting (and accurate)! I come from a long line of people with multiple interests too...how crazy would that be if it was "genetic"!
Hey Lindsey, since you don't have to decide your career choice "today", then maybe this is a good time to really dig into the research of ALL of your interests, so that you can be very familiar with what you'll have to do and what it will take to enter a certain career field.
One of my favorite life lessons I have learned, and it applies to anything, is that when you are faced with a decision and you don't immediately know the right choice, that is always a sign that you don't have enough information to make the decision. Therefore the decision should not be made until you have more information -- because after all, once you have all the information you need, it's pretty easy to make a decision without any hesitation.
This is even true for diabetes management -- if one finds that one does not really know how to handle a given situation properly, it's simply because one needs to be more informed.
I'm not saying it is easy, I'm just saying it works.
And you are so incredibly bright, as you go on your way the answer you seek will probably just hit you on the side of the head and knock you over sideways when you least expect it! :-)