Finding Joy and Fulfillment by Borrowing from Your Dream Job
Transforming Your Current Role Into Something Extraordinary
If I weren’t doing what I do now, I’d either be Chief of Staff to the President of the United States or conducting a world-class orchestra. Ridiculous, right? While I do have a degree in music, my career took me in a completely different direction. I’ve never worked in government, and despite my musical background, conducting the London Philharmonic remains firmly in dream territory.
And yet, these impossible dreams persist.
We all have them—those “dream jobs” that hover just beyond our reach (or in my case, several galaxies beyond). They’re the careers we fantasize about during particularly soul-crushing meetings or while stuck in traffic on Monday mornings. They represent not just different work, but different lives—ones where we’re somehow more authentic, more fulfilled, more... ourselves.
But what if the magic of these dream jobs doesn’t have to remain trapped in the realm of fantasy? What if you could extract their essence and infuse it into your current role?
Why These Impossible Dreams Matter
Your dream job obsession isn’t just random. It’s your subconscious handing you a map to your values, talents, and deepest desires.
The Emotional Blueprint
That Chief of Staff fantasy? It’s not really about the West Wing. What captivates me is being at the nexus of consequential decisions, connecting brilliant minds to solve complex problems, and orchestrating diverse talents toward a shared mission. The orchestra conductor dream speaks to my desire to take disparate elements and harmonize them into something greater than the sum of their parts.
Your dream job fixation reveals what you truly value—whether it’s creativity, impact, autonomy, recognition, or something else entirely. It’s not about the job title; it’s about what that role represents to you emotionally.
The Skills You’re Dying to Use
Dream jobs typically showcase abilities you either excel at or desperately want to develop. They’re roles where you can picture yourself in a state of flow—challenging enough to be engaging but aligned with your natural talents.
If you fantasize about being a bestselling novelist, perhaps your current role isn’t tapping into your storytelling abilities. If you dream of being a start-up founder, maybe you’re craving more autonomy and creative problem-solving.
The Impact You Want to Have
We’re drawn to roles that make the kind of difference we value. Whether it’s the surgeon who saves lives directly or the climate scientist whose research might save millions indirectly, dream jobs often reflect how we want to matter in the world.
This social significance isn’t necessarily about fame or recognition. It’s about knowing your work connects to something larger than yourself in a way that resonates with your personal values.
Mining for Gold: Extracting the Essence of Your Dream Job
Before you can transform your current role, you need to perform some dream job archaeology. What are the hidden treasures buried within these fantasies?
The Core Appeal
What exactly makes this job so captivating to you? Is it the freedom to make decisions? The ability to create something from nothing? The chance to work with certain types of people?
For my conductor fantasy, the core appeal is orchestrating complexity—taking many moving parts and creating harmony. With the Chief of Staff dream, it’s being the connective tissue between vision and execution.
Ask yourself: If you strip away the status and external trappings of your dream job, what fundamental quality makes it irresistible?
The Daily Reality
We often romanticize dream jobs without considering the day-to-day work. The bestselling author spends countless hours alone, rewriting the same paragraph seven times. The celebrated surgeon stands for 12-hour surgeries and makes life-or-death decisions under extreme pressure.
What daily activities do you imagine doing in your dream role that energize rather than drain you? These are the elements to identify and recreate.
The Relationship Dynamics
Every role exists within a web of relationships. Are you drawn to your dream job because it involves mentoring others? Working alongside creative minds? Leading a team through challenges? Operating with significant autonomy?
Understanding these dynamics helps you identify what interpersonal elements might be missing from your current position—and how to bring them in.
Alchemy in Action: Transforming Your Current Role
Now comes the practical magic—turning your existing job into something that captures the essence of your dream career.
Skill Transplantation
Once you’ve identified the skills central to your dream job, look for opportunities to exercise them in your current role. If leadership is key, volunteer to head a project. If creativity is essential, propose innovative approaches to existing problems.
Consider how you might transplant skills from your dream job into your current position. A person who dreams of being an investigative journalist might volunteer for research-heavy projects that require digging into data, interviewing stakeholders, and piecing together complex stories. Someone fascinated by architecture might take on workspace design projects, even if their official role is in operations.
Value Alignment
If your dream job appeals to you because it aligns with values like helping others, find ways to incorporate more service into your existing position. If you value creation, look for opportunities to build rather than just maintain.
Think about the core values that make your dream role appealing. Is it about education and development? Look for opportunities to create learning experiences in your workplace. Is it about creativity? Find places where innovation would benefit your current organization and pitch new approaches.
Creating Microcosms
You don’t need to overhaul your entire job. Instead, create pockets of experience that mirror your dream job’s most appealing aspects.
If your dream is to be a publisher but you work in marketing, start a company newsletter where you can curate and “publish” content. If you fantasize about being a chef but work in project management, organize team potlucks where you can share your culinary creativity.
These microcosms serve as both testing grounds and fulfillment vehicles—places where you can experience the essence of your dream while adding unique value to your organization.
The Transformation Benefits Everyone
This isn’t just about making yourself happier (though that’s reason enough). When you bring elements of your dream job into your current role, everyone wins.
You Experience Greater Fulfillment
When your daily work incorporates activities that genuinely resonate with you, Monday mornings transform from a struggle to an opportunity. You bring more energy and enthusiasm to tasks that previously felt like mere obligations.
Your Performance Soars
People perform better when engaged. By aligning your work with your natural interests and talents, you naturally bring more creativity, focus, and dedication to your responsibilities. This isn’t about working harder—it’s about working more aligned.
Your Career Evolution Accelerates
As you incorporate dream job elements into your current role, you’re effectively preparing for future opportunities that align more closely with your ideal path. You’re building relevant skills, demonstrating initiative, and potentially creating a unique position that showcases your distinctive strengths.
The Dream Job Paradox
Here’s the beautiful irony: The more you incorporate elements of your dream job into your current role, the less you may feel you need to make a dramatic career change. By bringing the essence of what appeals to you into your daily work, you begin experiencing the fulfillment you thought was only possible elsewhere.
I’ll never actually be Chief of Staff to the President. I’ll never conduct the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. But in my work, I find ways to orchestrate complexity, connect people and ideas, and create harmony from diverse elements. The fundamental satisfactions I associate with those dream jobs have found their way into my current career.
Your dream job isn’t just a fantasy to abandon or a destination to reach. It’s a source of wisdom about what truly matters to you. By extracting its essence and infusing it into your present role, you transform not just your job satisfaction but the unique value you bring to the world.
You don’t need to quit your job to pursue your dream. Sometimes, the most powerful move is bringing the dream to you.