What Mocking Bird Wants

In case you haven't noticed by my posts in July, I have business ideas on my mind lately. To be fair, my thoughts could be labeled in the broader category of career decisions and life goals.

I just had some time off this Summer. I graduated in May and, for the first time in my life, I have been able to sit down and think about my next move. Unfortunately, my leisurely time has come to an end a little prematurely and let's just say that I could have used a few more weeks to relax, check more things off my to-do list and make a proper, well-informed decision regarding that next step I am about to take.

I have had the luxury to occupy my time with (mostly) things that I love. I have spent a lot of hours with my apron on, making a glorious mess of the kitchen. I have planned all sorts of ways to improve and decorate my home. When the next paycheck comes, I will be ready. I am currently enrolled in a photo class that I absolutely adore and have spent a lot of evenings online, following my favourite food and design blogs. Doesn't that sound so wonderfully inspiring? It was. Sigh. While it often seems unrealistic, taking the time to figure out what it is that you love doing, those activities that you just can't get enough of, is important. Life always seems to get in the way and it is easy to lose track of your goals, let alone make new ones.

By sheer coincidence I came across this post by Amanda, author of a local blog called Mocking Bird and it was perfectly in line with my current train of thought, that sort of thinking that really gets my mind going. Mocking Bird is a local photography blog dedicated to finding inspiration and creativity around you and this particular article, in case you haven't already clicked on the link, discusses the hopes and dreams of Amanda as she bravely puts them out there for all to see. People reading this Mocking Bird post were encouraged to share their goals with Amanda. Reading the comments following that article, from the most humble plans to the extremely ambitious dreams, made me want to pursue my own with even more determination. It takes a bit of courage to write down what you want out of life and boldly aim higher than you may ever reach, but knowing exactly where you want to be will definitely help you get there. You could also benefit from prioritizing those dreams when one occasionally means sacrificing the other.

For those of us who often struggle and hesitate when it comes to finding the right career path, the first step to doing what you love on a daily basis is figuring out what it is that you want to do in the long run. After that, it is exponentially easier to make your goals and your actions fit together. The point of starting this blog, a year and a half ago, was to work on improving my photo and writing skills, but also to immerse myself in beautiful things that I admire so that I could figure out what it is that I want to do for a living. I needed to find a way to make money off doing what I love to do, but I had a hard time choosing one field from my many interests to pursue full time. The blog, occasionally reflecting my mental states, has taken different directions over time. I sometimes post excessively and too often desert it shamefully.

I think that I have made great progress in figuring out what I love to do everyday. I'm almost there. Now that I know what I want, I just have to go for it and stop letting everything come in the way, whether it be money, time, jobs, hobbies, etc. After all, there are so many things that I love to do that I should not be wasting my time doing something I don't truly care about. Do you feel that way sometimes?

I'm not going to write down my life goals today, though I have been playing that game in my own time. I encourage you to try it, you might have fun. I still have to figure out how to combine all my interest into a neat little package so I can make them all happen and I need a bit more time to do that. I could have used a few more weeks off, that's for sure. Oh well, back to work I go, with a vengeance. Wish me luck.