What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

What do you want to do when you grow up?
I got asked that question constantly when I was a kid, and I always gave some half-assed answer. Oddly, I never sat down and tried to figure out for myself what I actually wanted to do. I'm not sure that it occurred to me that I'd have to decide. Careers were one of those things that just happened to you as you got older; like wrinkles, gray hair, and watching golf on TV.

So now I am grown up and I still don't know what I want to do. I'm halfway through my working life and still can't decide. I've had all sorts of jobs, many of which I did quite well, but none of them felt like a "calling" or whatever the hell I'm supposed to feel. So I have some questions.

1) What did you want to do when you grew up?
2) Did you actively decide upon a career?
3) If so, is that the career you now have?
4) Do you have some "dream job" that you'd love to pursue but have not?
5) How old is too old to start a career from scratch?
6) Why won't Jessica Alba return my calls?

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

At this point there is absolutely no profession that appeals to me for when I grow up

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

i will take the lsats, i will go to law school, but hopefully i will be a millionaire fairly soon through poker and wont really have to be a lawyer.

if money didnt matter i would be a writer or a teacher. but money does matter and there is ZERO chance i could live life not being wealthy. this isnt a brag or a complaint, its just who i am [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img].

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

independently wealthy

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

Dream Job: Working at the nuclear research center in Deep River, ON.

I'm pretty interested in nuclear physics (in my second year of an Engineering Physics degree) and would absolutely love to be doing cutting edge research, but I also have a passion for the outdoors which generally takes me far away from research centers. Deep River is in the middle of nowhere, somewhere up the Ottawa river, close to provincial parks and 9 hours from the nearest big city. Best of both worlds for me. Looking into getting a job there next summer.

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

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if money didnt matter i would be a writer or a teacher. but money does matter and there is ZERO chance i could live life not being wealthy. this isnt a brag or a complaint, its just who i am .

[/ QUOTE ]

this attitude is the saddest part of the american dream.

buddha say: the roots of suffering...

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

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independently wealthy

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That's not a profession, that's a state of being.


[ QUOTE ]
i will take the lsats, i will go to law school, but hopefully i will be a millionaire fairly soon through poker and wont really have to be a lawyer.

[/ QUOTE ]
So if you become wealthy real soon you won't go to law school?
Do you want to be a professional poker player, or become wealthy enough not to have to play poker?

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

Most of the really interesting people that I know still don't know what they want to do with themselves.

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

I don't want to grow up.

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

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"Most of the really interesting people that I know still don't know what they want to do with themselves."

[/ QUOTE ]
FYP.

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

[ QUOTE ]
What do you want to do when you grow up?
I got asked that question constantly when I was a kid, and I always gave some half-assed answer. Oddly, I never sat down and tried to figure out for myself what I actually wanted to do. I'm not sure that it occurred to me that I'd have to decide. Careers were one of those things that just happened to you as you got older; like wrinkles, gray hair, and watching golf on TV.

So now I am grown up and I still don't know what I want to do. I'm halfway through my working life and still can't decide. I've had all sorts of jobs, many of which I did quite well, but none of them felt like a "calling" or whatever the hell I'm supposed to feel. So I have some questions.

1) What did you want to do when you grew up?
2) Did you actively decide upon a career?
3) If so, is that the career you now have?
4) Do you have some "dream job" that you'd love to pursue but have not?
5) How old is too old to start a career from scratch?
6) Why won't Jessica Alba return my calls?

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1) When I grew up I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do.
2) I never decided on a "career". I hate careers. I decided to learn how to start my own businesses.
3) I don't call it a career. I call it a life long journey. I have a real estate investing business.
4) I created my own dream job and I do it everyday.
5) It's never too late to do what you want to do in life.


I find it pretty ludricrous that people have to grow up and find a dream "job". As if you think life will somehow hand deliver you a "perfect" job that you love.


You have to figure out what you enjoy doing in life and build a life AROUND THAT.

What I enjoy doing in life is building a real estate empire property by property as well as starting and building businesses in general. I built my entire life AROUND THAT.


Sitting around waiting for life to give you what you want is like sitting around waiting to die. Don't do it. Go out there, take time, find out what you want to do in life, and build your career around it.

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

Not planning your adult life out before you begin it is like not planning for a long term vacation. You will end up just wasting tons of time doing absolutely nothing.


All the successful happy business people I know have their entire lives planned out, some of them year by year. It isn't an easy task to do. Every day I see them progressing to newer levels of improvement, and everytime I look back 6 months, they are completely different in a positive way.


The more action you take in the direction that you are really passionate about going, the happier you will be.

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

I'll never grow up!

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
"Most of the really interesting people that I know still don't know what they want to do with themselves."

[/ QUOTE ]
FYP.

[/ QUOTE ]

I didn't realise it was a famous quote. To whom is it attributed?

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

I'm retired and I STILL don't know what I want to do when I grow up.

When I was a kid, I thought I'd go to college, pick a career, graduate with an appropriate degree, then do the same thing for the rest of my life.

Not even close. I've kept very few jobs/professions for more than 3-4 years--and some of those that I kept longer are among the few regrets I have of my life. (I have dropped vocations and picked them up again decades later.)

The lifelong career may have been the norm at one time, but I think those days are over. The world changes too fast. It's better to be flexible.

Some of the people who want a lifelong career are looking for security. They don't realize that there is no such thing as security. There is opportunity, but security is pretty much a self deception.

Stay informed and hold on to a library card and an internet connection. With those an an active mind, you can always find something to do.

jmo

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

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"Most of the really interesting people that I know still don't know what they want to do with themselves."

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FYP.

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I didn't realise it was a famous quote. To whom is it attributed?

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He was probably thinking of this column by Mary Schmich which has been wrongly attributed to Kurt Vonnegut and actually got turned into a song.
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Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.



[/ QUOTE ]

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

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1) What did you want to do when you grew up?

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The answer to this would probably depend on how young I was when you asked, but architect was probably the dream that lasted the longest.

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2) Did you actively decide upon a career?

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The current goal is to make a bunch of money in the finance industry and then semi-retire to teach at the high school or college level. Not solely because I'm greedy and want to be rich (which I am and do), but because all of the really great teachers I had growing up had real-life experience outside education and had accomplished something with their lives, however trivial it might have been. I think finance presents a lot of interesting intellectual problems, and like it or not, money is the way that industry keeps score.

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3) If so, is that the career you now have?

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I just graduated from college and have a job at a hedge fund, so I guess I'm on the right track.

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4) Do you have some "dream job" that you'd love to pursue but have not?

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Being a golf course designer would be pretty sweet, but if it really ranked high enough for me to consider it a "dream job", I like to think I'd be doing something to make it happen.

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5) How old is too old to start a career from scratch?

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No idea.

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6) Why won't Jessica Alba return my calls?

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Have your people call her people and figure it out. You don't have people? No wonder she won't return your calls.

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

I want to have enough pain for two lifetimes and enough joy for three.

SHIP IT

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

[ QUOTE ]
So if you become wealthy real soon you won't go to law school?
Do you want to be a professional poker player, or become wealthy enough not to have to play poker?

[/ QUOTE ]

i probably will go to law school to appease my parents, but will end up teaching instead. that would be my life dream.

edit: ill keep playing poker as long as it is worth my opportunity cost (which will likely be a long time). im 21 at the moment and i make more money (per hour) than my 51 year old dad who is a doctor.

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

if money didnt matter i would be a writer or a teacher. but money does matter and there is ZERO chance i could live life not being wealthy. this isnt a brag or a complaint, its just who i am .

[/ QUOTE ]

this attitude is the saddest part of the american dream.

buddha say: the roots of suffering...

[/ QUOTE ]

you dont know my parents and how i grew up man. people have really really high expectations of me. it kind of sucks, but feeling sorry for myself wont help anything.

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

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At this point there is absolutely no profession that appeals to me for when I grow up

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yeah i feel pretty much the same. and i'm in a position where because of poker giving me such a headstart and the fact i am being smart with the money, i will probably never have to do anything, and it's kind of devastating because poker is very unfulfilling and i know that even the lifestyle it will afford me won't fill the void that comes from not contributing anything meaningful intellectually to the world. i know i need to do something about it but i have no real idea what i would be satisfied doing (outside of really crazy [censored] like philosophy professor, CIA agent, political analyst, film reviewer etc, which are all a bit idealistic and would take a singleminded plan to work towards)

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

1) What did you want to do when you grew up?
From ages 5-13, an NFL Player
13-19, an entertainer
19-Present, not sure

2) Did you actively decide upon a career?
No

3) If so, is that the career you now have?
n/a

4) Do you have some "dream job" that you'd love to pursue but have not?

Sort of. There are a lot of things that I think I'd really like to do, but I don't think that they'd be as appealing once I try them. Grass is always greener type thing.

I know a lot of people think it's way cooler to play poker professionally than it actually is, so I'd imagine it's that way with most things.

5) How old is too old to start a career from scratch?

Depends on the career and your situation. You can't start training to be in the NBA at 50, and you can't start going to Med school at 35 if you're broke and have a family to support. (Well, it'd be hard)

If you are comfortable enough financially, I think you should take advantage and pursue your dream career. That is, assuming that the pursuit itself will be fun and exciting for you.

6) Why won't Jessica Alba return my calls?

She prefers talking on AIM

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

"What did you want to do when you grew up?"

retire

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

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Not planning your adult life out before you begin it is like not planning for a long term vacation. You will end up just wasting tons of time doing absolutely nothing.

[/ QUOTE ]

I recommend reading this thread. I guess what you say is true for some people, but certainly not for everyone. For some people, planning everything will make them happy, for other people, planning nothing will make them happy.

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

I've always been just drifting along and letting things happen, but that only gets you so far. A lot of things worth doing take advance planning and dedicated work to get to.

When I was 20, I saw limitless opportunities before me. As I get older, I see too many doors slamming behind me. There are just some things that are much harder for me now than they'd have been 20 years ago, and some that will be impossible if I wait much longer.

Take, for instance, the guy who wants to be a college professor. That requires both a Bachelor's with good enough grades to go to grad school and a grad degree (usually a PhD). That's a lot of work, and a lot of time. Does anyone want to be competing for entry level college teaching gigs at 45? At 60?

I'm just really flailing around for what to do with my life right now (empty nest syndrome). I suddenly have freedom I didn't have when I was younger (had a kid very early in life), but have discovered that many possibilities have already been closed off.

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

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you dont know my parents and how i grew up man. people have really really high expectations of me.

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Why does this matter? [censored] em. Do what you want. Unless trying to fulfill those expectations is what will make you happy, of course.

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

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Not planning your adult life out before you begin it is like not planning for a long term vacation. You will end up just wasting tons of time doing absolutely nothing.

[/ QUOTE ]

I recommend reading this thread. I guess what you say is true for some people, but certainly not for everyone. For some people, planning everything will make them happy, for other people, planning nothing will make them happy.

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Planning lives works for most.

Adsman is an exception to the rule. He didn't plan anything yet still went out and did things he enjoyed.

Most people don't plan anything at all and end up doing nothing they enjoy in life and wake up years later wondering where the hell all the time went.

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

i want to be a journalist/writer. most people think that i'm fkin crazy to want do to that, but it's what i want to do for a living im not gonna worry about the income for my 20s. and plus, a huge emphasis of all these self-help financial books is that it doesnt necessarily matter what your income from your professsion is but rather how well you invest and manage the money you have.

if I'm nearing my late 20s and I realize that it's just not gonna work financially, then i'll probably go to law school. but until then i plan on living the dream, writing for a big newspaper and getting a beat on a bigtime sports team (the top guys make at least 100k doing that, and I'm pretty sure I can get up there).

the profession is so damn flexible in terms of time (which is worth a lot of money to me in itself), and there will always be money to made in any field as long as you're good at what you do. at this point in my life, i just dont think theres a possible way that i can sit in an office, working a 9-5. i just spent only two months doing it this summer and i almost went crazy. journalism and writing provides me with an escape from that.

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

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[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Not planning your adult life out before you begin it is like not planning for a long term vacation. You will end up just wasting tons of time doing absolutely nothing.

[/ QUOTE ]

I recommend reading this thread. I guess what you say is true for some people, but certainly not for everyone. For some people, planning everything will make them happy, for other people, planning nothing will make them happy.

[/ QUOTE ]

Planning lives works for most.

Adsman is an exception to the rule. He didn't plan anything yet still went out and did things he enjoyed.

Most people don't plan anything at all and end up doing nothing they enjoy in life and wake up years later wondering where the hell all the time went.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is completely contrary to my experience. Maybe your acquaintances are pre-selected to be over-planning nits. There isn't even a point to planning too many years in advance in most business. All the information you have to make any decisions now will have completely changed.

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

If you don't plan out the ways to get where you want to be.... How will you ever get there?

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

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This is completely contrary to my experience. Maybe your acquaintances are pre-selected to be over-planning nits. There isn't even a point to planning too many years in advance in most business. All the information you have to make any decisions now will have completely changed.

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You are correct about small time businesses that have no plans to grow any larger and profitable.


But any business out there that has ambitions to grow larger and more profitable every year to reach a certain end goal... absolutely must plan its way to get there.


I can't think of 1 fortune 500 company that has only 2-3 year plans. I think the 2-3 year plan companies more often than not end up being that 90% statistic of businesses that disappear in 5 years.

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

[ QUOTE ]
"What did you want to do when you grew up?"

retire

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thats what I always said.

To what do you be when you grow up, the answer was rich

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

i honestly don't want to be rich. sure it would be cool, and if the question was would you rather be rich, or not. ok cool send the money. but it's just not something i want.

i never really wanted to be or do anything. if i had my way right now though, i'd be a university professor.

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

Why do so many people say college professor?
I wonder how many college professors wish they'd done something else.

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Why do so many people say college professor?
I wonder how many college professors wish they'd done something else.

[/ QUOTE ]

A lot of the tenured college professors I've met seem satisfied/fulfilled by their job, yet quite unhappy with life in general.

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Why do so many people say college professor?
I wonder how many college professors wish they'd done something else.

[/ QUOTE ]

A lot of the tenured college professors I've met seem satisfied/fulfilled by their job, yet quite unhappy with life in general.

[/ QUOTE ]
Because there's a lot of people who are dumber than them [academically] raking in moneys and hoes?

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

I noticed the common theme in this thread is to get rich doing whatever and then get a teaching position.

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

I want to earn enough money so when I'm out of school I can just donk around with investments/starting up businesses.
Would be pretty happy if one of them eventually became a big deal.

I think I'd be able to get a decent job on Wall Street,but I think poker is gonna ruin that for me.

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

1) What did you want to do when you grew up?

from age 8 until my Sophomore year of college - accountant (my mom was an accountant, I liked numbers). Before that, premier chef. (not sure why, just liked how it sounded)

2) Did you actively decide upon a career?

Not exactly. Sophomore year I realized accounting wasn't for me, and went for an operations management degree.

3) If so, is that the career you now have?

Not exactly. I'm in purchasing, a related field. My GF and I have a business as well, which is interesting. It's really her dream that I'm investing in/helping out with. Not that it's a bad thing at all- I don't think I'd ever have the drive to start one myself.

4) Do you have some "dream job" that you'd love to pursue but have not?

For a few years I wanted to go pro in volleyball- Didn't happen. I'd like to try the other side of the coin and get in sales, as I think my personality is more geared towards that. I'd love for the business to support us so I could pursue other interests (poker/working out/bettering myself in some way)


5) How old is too old to start a career from scratch?

Aside from athletics, I'd say as long as you have a sound mind, any point in your life you can pursuse what you'd like to do.

Re: What do you want to do when you grow up?
 

When my niece was 1 she used to ask me to pick her up a lot. "Picky me up!" Well, she also liked to throw things into the pool. Once she asked me to pick her up so she could drop a ball over the fence in there (the fence was closed at that time to keep her out of it). I told her to throw it over, and she said that she couldn't. I told her to try harder, and she still couldn't. So I sat her down, an explained to her that I wouldn't always be there to pick her up. If she really wanted to do it, she could do it on her own.

Anyhow, I go back to posting on the internet, or whatever it was I was doing at the time, and a few minutes later I see her pushing a chair across the deck to the fence. She gets up on the chair, and reaches up to drop her ball into the pool. Splash.

I don't think there's a more rewarding thing in the world than being a teacher. Especially when you can see the results in your students.

That said, I fly around the world doing tech consulting because it pays me more than anything else I can do right now.