According to a VoiceNation surveyonly 8% of Americans work in their “dream job.” For many, it’s not professional barriers or financial struggles that keep them from living the dream but a mental block that keeps them from identifying their dream job in the first place.
According to flow coach Will Peschoffwho helps people on TikTok get “unstuck” from the mundanity of life, there are several ways you may be unknowingly preventing yourself from recognizing your true calling.
“(This) basically means (I) believe money only flows in when I abuse myself or make myself miserable by working myself to the bone,” Peschoff explained, “not when I prioritize and take care of myself, commit to growth and learning new skills and getting support.”
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Research from the University of Michigan argues that children build their attitudes about money from an early age, mainly informed by the financial struggles, toxic attitudes, and money habits of their parents and childhood situations.
Deeply ingrained into your psyche, these attitudes about money can also influence your career, sabotaging your chances of building a healthy work-life balance and relationship with income.
You can learn to prioritize your well-being at work, take care of yourself, commit to new growth, and lean on others for support — but only when you strip yourself of toxic expectations about your career. Who knows, you might even realize, once you set these boundaries, that your dream job is already well within your reach.
Self-doubt, insecurity, and imposter syndrome can easily sabotage your career future.
You might overthink applying to jobs, sabotage interviews, and struggle to envision yourself in certain industries because you lack confidence. You may even pass up on opportunities because they don’t seem “well suited” to your personality, like avoiding a career in business because you think the industry is manipulative.
Open your mind and put yourself out there. Consider the fields, industries, and roles that you’ve always pushed to the back of your mind or refused to explore. Your dream job could easily be waiting for you in a company you’ve deemed “unfit,” biased by your insecurities.
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“The question of what you should do seems like this puzzle you’re supposed to be solving in your head, and you just haven’t figured it out yet,” Peschoff detailed. “Little do you know, you’re actually putting off taking a risk.”
Overthinking can easily make you feel trapped and prevent you from taking any steps toward your goal.
“It may feel useful, but it’s doing nothing to change your experience,” he noted in a separate TikTok.
Peschoff encouraged viewers to choose themselves and take action rather than ruminating on fears, doubts, and concerns.
You may find that you use confusion as a “crutch” — that you have accepted that your dream job is out of reach or too confusing to figure out and use that as a reason to stay safely in your comfort zone.
However, if you never leave your comfort zone, you miss out on the chance to uncover your true passion, potential, and motivation. Don’t let stagnancy grow into comfortability, especially when it comes to making strides in your career that can lead to a happier, healthier, and more fulfilling life.
“The tough truth is that you can never think your way out of confusion. You can only live your way out of it,” Peschoff added. “Leave confusion behind by getting out there and taking some risks. It’s the only way to live.”
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Zayda Slabbekoorn is a News & Entertainment Writer at YourTango who focuses on health & wellness, social policy, and human interest stories
