I don't think I'm good enough to achieve my dream job
hi sam,
so my options are coming up this term and it's made me think about my career choices a lot. I want to choose performing arts as a subject but I feel like there's no point cos I wont be able to get an acting/singing/dancing job. I feel like if i wanted to go into performing arts in the future, i would screw up my life because there are so many better people in the market that have been at drama school since they were 3. Its my dream to perform for a living (eventually make it to west end if) but i feel like i can never achive that. It makes me really sad to know that ill never be what i want to be. If i ever decided to go into a performing arts jobs, i would have to set the rest of my school life on a really risky career choice. This stuff makes me stupidly upset
thanks for reading :)
Sam
Hi there,
Everyone has dreams and goals and for some people they might seem too far away to reach. There are also different kinds of people - some people like to follow their dreams, risking some failure along the way. Others prefer to have a plan for their future and make safer choices that they know they can achieve. There is no right way to go about it, what it comes down to is what will make you happy.
Although everyone has a dream, you might be the kind of person who prefers to focus on things you can achieve now. This could be getting good grades at school, finding a job you like and spending your free time doing things you enjoy. When your goals are achievable and you often succeed at them it can make you feel happy. This is one way to see the world and makes lots of people happy with their lives.
On the other hand you might be someone who has big dreams and feels they need to follow them. This kind of person tends to find something they want and go after it, at all costs. They struggle through things they don't want to do because it might get them closer to their dream. This could be taking low paying jobs, working long hours or studying hard. This kind of person might have a lot of disappointments and setbacks on the way to their dream, but they're still happy because every step brings them closer.
There is no right or wrong way to look at this - there's only your way. To help you decide what to do, imagine a world where you give up on your dream and take a different career instead and focus on performing as a hobby instead of a career. Ask yourself how it feels to imagine doing that and write it down. You should then imagine yourself going for your dream career, but having to go through lots of setbacks and disappointments - possibly never fully achieving your goal. Write down how that feels. Doing this might help you to work out what is going to make you happier.
It's going to be difficult to get a clear answer on this. Many people still don't know what to do with their lives years after becoming an adult - and that's okay. There are not just these two types of people - and there are lots of ways to get to an ultimate goal. Perhaps something else to think about is focusing on whatever makes you happy right now and taking things one day at a time.
I hope this helps, I know that's a lot to think about. If you wanted to talk this over some more then perhaps you could try talking to someone like a friend or adult you trust. Our counsellors are always there for you as well and would be more than happy to talk about this with you.
Thanks for you letter, take care.
Sam
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