What do you want to be when you grow up?
This question is easy when you are 5. You want to be a fireman, or a doctor, or a maybe a cowgirl.
It’s a little harder when you’re in middle school.
In high school, it becomes even harder, as you begin to pick out colleges and degree programs. You realize that there are hundreds of choices, and that almost any career is yours for the asking.
You go to college, graduate, and then try to answer the question again. And again. And, if you’re like me, again.
I attended college for nearly four years. I started out working on a degree in secondary education, with a concentration in history. And then I decided that I couldn’t spend the rest of my life teaching history every day. So I switched to a general education/liberal arts major. My next thought was that I was going to work as a forensic psychologist. After three semesters in criminal justice, I decided that maybe I could teach elementary school.
One semester later, and I left to become a wife and mother, while trying to figure out what I really wanted to be when I grew up. I decided that I was tired of working for someone else, and began looking into entrepreneur opportunities I could do from my living room, while keeping track of a (then) one year old. I eventually got started in writing web content. From there, things took on a life of their own. I started blogging, and then learning basic web design and HTML. I began using WordPress, and then helping clients with social media. And then I added editing to my list of services, after several clients asked me to edit documents and website content for them.
I think this is how it works for a lot of entrepreneurs. We don’t really know what we’re doing until our customers and clients know. What I am leaning towards, however, is marketing. Which makes sense. Article promotion, social media, internet marketing, SEO… All forms of marketing.
Can I call myself a marketer? Maybe not yet. I have a lot to learn. But I’m taking steps in that direction. In January, I’m starting back to school for my marketing degree.
It doesn’t matter what you are doing right now. What do you want to be doing? How can you get there? Once you can answer those two questions, anything is possible. Make a plan.
Start today.
