Everyone has dreams, but all too often they let these dreams fall to the wayside and end up wondering years later whatever happened to all of the dreams that they had when they were younger. This doesn't have to be the case, however; it's possible to not only hold on to your dreams but also to make them come true by letting them influence your life and your career choices. Instead of simply saying that they're nothing more than dreams, you can make a conscious decision to embrace those dreams and see them through to the end. Not only will you get to see your dreams become real, but you will find that by letting them influence the work that you do and the direction that your life takes you will be much more satisfied with your life's work in general.

Recognizing Your Dreams

In order to live your dreams and let them lead you to your dream career, you will first need to realize exactly what your dreams are. Take some time to consider the things that you want and what you would like to see come to pass in your life; these aren't the fanciful obsessions that you might get from time to time that will pass in a matter of days or weeks, but are instead the lifelong ambitions that you've held on to ever since you were introduced to the concept. Look into your heart, see what's really important to you and what you would like most of all to see happen in your life, and that is where you will find your dreams.

Relating Your Dreams to Your Work

When you start seriously thinking about your dreams and comparing them to your life as it is right now, you might wonder how you're ever going to be able to reach your dreams from the place that you are in life. Look at your job and the things that you do, and try and imagine what it would take in order to reach your dreams from this starting point. For some people this might be easy, and you might have been living out portions of your dreams without even realizing it for quite some time. You may notice that your volunteer work is what you love.

For others this could be a rather difficult task, however, since they may have taken the job that was needed at the time and then never really got a chance to start working toward their dreams again. Consider where in your career you are, and whether it's possible to get where you want to be within that same career path. If it's not, then you should start researching different career options until you find the one that will take you to your dreams and help you make them come true.

Using Your Work to Follow Your Dreams

When you can see yourself reaching your dreams from the career that you have, then it's time to start putting your energy into following your career path to the point where you can reach your dreams. Set goals for yourself and for your career, and keep trying after every setback until those goals are reached. It might not always be easy, but once you have the career that's right for you making it to your dreams will seem to be a natural progression.