Blog Challenge Day 22: Dream Job

I want to own and operate my very own fitness studio.

I've got it all planned out, right down to my ideal space designs and class schedules.  I know where I want to be located, and how I'm going to find instructors; I'm even planning special events for different times of year.  I have years of experience as a manager, as an administrator, as an athlete, and as a fitness instructor.  I have an ambitious "full-fledged" version of the plan, and I have several compromise plans in case the absolute dream proves to be insurmountably difficult to achieve.

The only thing I don't have is the money.

And isn't that always the catch?  So many people say "do what you love", especially in the age of the entrepreneur.  Heck, I just finished working for a tech start-up that was built from the ground up, and is filled with young people who are doing something they love.  But an equally large number of people believe you should "love what you do" - by which they usually mean, accept that having a dream job is only reserved for a small portion of the population, so when you are lucky enough to have a job, you should appreciate it for what it's worth.

I don't want to have to accept the "love what you do" mentality, because I have for so long lived in that world where kids with ideas get a head-start from wealthy or well-connected parents or spouses.  I've watched so many friends and acquaintances find a way to live their dreams, and I've noticed that is very rarely done completely on their own merit.  There are always people who are fully self-made, but they are the rare exception.  From my experience and observation, you have to be well-connected prior to starting on the path to your dream job.

For someone like me, that's not a personal reality like it is for the people around me.  And that's very frustrating.  I stand amid all those "do what you love" voices, but they don't understand that it's not so easy for everyone.  I have to work a daily-grind job to cover my expenses, and that leaves little time to pursue those methods of start-up capital that, while available and often in sufficient quantities, require a lot of effort to acquire.  If I had 40 hours per week to focus exclusively on making my studio a reality, and didn't have to worry about real-life concerns like bills, of course I'd find success.  I have plenty of passion and energy, plus the intelligence and personality to rally support for my cause.  What I don't have is the safety net - and sadly, I am starting to accept the possibility that I never will.

That said - my dream is my dream.  I'm taking the steps I can to get closer to the industry, to get more involved and more organized, and to build a personal database of knowledge and experience that can help propel me into success when the time is right.  I'm not going to let the odds against me scare me away from something I want so badly.  Not everyone in my life believes in my dream, and while that's sometimes hard to accept, in the end the only belief I need to push forward is my own.

So I'm going to keep pushing forward.  Wish me luck!