When we think about our dream career, we usually set the bar really high. And although some of our dreams only remain a dream, that shouldn’t discourage you from setting high expectations for yourself. Only you know what you are truly capable of and what you want out of life. If you think something is achievable, then there really is nothing holding you back. Other than your own self doubt, of course. In fact, self doubt is the main reason that so many people never follow their dream. The fear of failure can be so intense that it stops you in your tracks and makes you doubt your own abilities. Ironically, the only way you can truly fail at something is if you never try in the first place. 

Even when you fail, it either teaches you something or it leads you on to a different path entirely. Circumstances can change at any point, which is why you should try not to get too discouraged when things go wrong at times. 

Age is not a restriction 

As human beings, we are always learning. We learn new things every day. You don’t have to have everything planned out by a certain age because that’s unrealistic and it limits what you can achieve. Instead, you should accept that you can always take a change in career if you want to. You’re not too old to start a new course, learn a new skill or language, or attempt something that you never considered before. You’re not running out of time, either. For many people, it can take years and multiple career paths before they find the job that they want for the rest of their lives. Some people don’t like to stick to just one job - they like to hop from job to job so they can gain as much experience as possible. And that is okay too. You owe it to yourself to pursue your dreams. No one else will do it for you.

Nothing is set in stone

Although it can be daunting to think that things could change at any given moment, it can also be reassuring. If the career you have right now isn’t what you want to be doing forever, then you can sleep easier at night knowing that it won’t be permanent. Circumstances are always changing and different opportunities will arise when you least expect them to. It’s unrealistic to expect to find your dream career at a young age and stick at it for the rest of your life. For many people, it just doesn’t work out like that. That’s why more and more people decide to start a new course or go back to university at a later age.

You’re not running out of time

If you view life as a race then it becomes overwhelming. Everybody wants to win the race as fast as possible, right? But what you need to realise is that you’re not competing against anyone but yourself. You don’t need to follow a set of rules or complete your goals in a given timeframe. You need to go at your own pace and learn as much as you can along the way. What you learn throughout your life will stay with you forever. You have a lifetime to work out what you want to do, but don’t be too hard on yourself if the plan you originally had suddenly changes. Plans change all the time and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Try to embrace the changes in your life by viewing them as lessons rather than failures.