When it comes to what you want in life -- the dreamiest dream job, the perfect partner, a home that sings of its awesomeness: how important is it to be crystal clear in the wanting?
I'm 100% in favor of knowing what you want. Or, just as importantly, knowing what you don't want. Is it possible to know you want something amazing, but not know what that looks like?
Let's take the dreamiest dream job you're just, well, dreaming about. Ok. Let's make it real and take the one that I’M dreaming about.
It's interesting. I already thought I knew what I was looking for. I mean, I like to think I'm fairly self-aware, with good ideation around my strengths (and, um, you know, my one weakness...), my skills and competencies, what's translatable, where I need to stretch, the areas in which I'd love to grow, and how experience has made me wise(er). I went back to my old dream-building principles and had (I thought) clearly articulated what I wanted in a new role. I believe in this approach. I've done my fair share of manifestation (quite brilliantly, I might add). Quite simply, it works.
Yup. New folder titled: my dreamiest dream job. True story.
But. I didn't expect this: confusion and doubt.
With every connection and ongoing conversation, a new possibility has been born. Yes, for sure this. But...what about A? And, ohhh, B sounds really cool. And if we got together with 1 and 2, we could totally do C through X. How great would that be?! So many ideas, so much laughter, so many YESes! And Rights?!?!
And I leave every conversation pumped and excited and...confused. Because I thought I knew what I wanted...and then all these IDEAS. Possibilities. Almost endless.
And then the doubt sets in. My career coach didn't tell me there would be doubt!
What if what I've so clearly articulated manifests and it's not really what I wanted? I mean, kinda, but not really. And, what if in being so rigidly crystal clear I miss out on stuff that I would absolutely super-dig but that I'm not going to attract because, well, it wasn't part of the articulated vision?
I’m perfectly fine not knowing every exquisite detail. I think it makes me just a bit more agile (and grateful) when the unexpected happens because I’m not cemented in the detailed vision of what I need something to be.
So. What has come out of all this contemplation? You guessed it: an even better articulation of my dreamiest dream job and vision. In fact, I've created a handy little cheat-sheet that I now use to keep me semi-focused in conversation:
Here are all the things I dig doing: internal | employee | HR-related | engagement change management and communications. These are things that'll get me out of bed in the morning (well, this and that the dog needs to go out...).
Then there's this quadrant over here...(do you not just love quadrant models?!) …. and this is the stuff I'm completely open to: corporate comms, including external marketing and media management, etc.
And this last quadrant? This is the unknown: the stuff I'm about to discover I'm exceptionally good at, that is really fun and that I didn't even know I liked.
Do I have to choose one? I don't think so. I hope not.
So, for everyone working to find their Ikigai? You know, that thing that just makes you feel like you're in the flow of it all? Don't give up.
And, I've decided – right or wrong – not to be rigid. Rather, to be open to flowing until all the ideas converge and crystalize in the form of the perfect role for me. I'm betting I'll have some amazing moments along the way and that stuff I didn't even know existed is exactly what I like doing best.
Ponder the beauty of possibility. Dream one dream bigger. Make sure your dream is worthy of YOU. Be grateful (yes, before you have it all and for everything that's coming your way). And keep getting clearer, until you find it. Or, it finds you.
