PSA: Your 'Dream Job' Is Just That... A Dream
- Erin Ratliff
- Feb 1
- 4 min read
"I do not have a dream job, I do not dream of labor.”
Maya Angelou
Let’s get this out of the way: Your dream job doesn’t exist.
There, I said it.
We’ve been fed a narrative that there’s one perfect job out there waiting for us — the one that will light us up every morning, feel like play instead of work, and fulfill every deep need for purpose, creativity, meaning, and wealth.
But for most of us? That job is a myth, or a reality only available to a privileged few. And chasing it is a recipe for burnout, self-doubt, and perpetual dissatisfaction.
The longer you chase "the dream,” the more likely you are to feel like you’ve failed — not because you’ve done something wrong, but because the system set you up with impossible expectations.
Why the Dream Job Myth Hurts More Than It Helps
The idea of a dream job sounds empowering — “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life,” right? But in practice, it can do real harm:
It ties your worth to your work.
It tells you that your job should be your purpose.
It shames people who work just to survive.
It makes “settling” feel like failure — even if it’s the most sustainable choice.
We’re told to find work that excites us, that gives our life meaning. But not every job needs to thrill you. Sometimes, the right job is just... good enough. It pays the bills, gives you time to rest, and doesn’t make you miserable.
And in a world where burnout, exploitation, and economic precarity are the norm? That’s more than okay. That’s freedom.
Reminder: Your job is a transactional relationship, not an identity.
What If the Real Dream Is a Life You Build Around Work?
Instead of chasing a fantasy job that checks every box, what if we reframe the goal?
What if your “dream” job is simply one that:
You don’t dread every day
Pays you enough to live and save
Leaves time and energy for the rest of your life
Offers a decent team, culture, or boss
That’s it. No glamorous title. No need to move across the country or fake a passion you don’t feel. Just solid work that supports the life you actually want.
Because when we stop centering work and start centering life, everything shifts.
Maybe your job funds your art.
Maybe it gives you space to parent, rest, travel, or build a business.
Maybe it lets you clock out and actually log off.
Accept and embrace the boring but comfortable job. Sometimes stability isn't failure- it's freedom in disguise.
Work as a Means, Not a Measure
We’ve got it backwards in the U.S. We uproot our lives for jobs. We tie our identity to our careers. We’re taught to be our work — instead of letting work support who we are.
But work is a means to an end.
It’s okay if it’s boring. It’s okay if it’s not “changing the world.” It’s okay if it’s a stepping stone, a bridge, a thing you do so you can do the other things.
Some people land their dream job and find it nearly destroys them. Some people find health and happiness in jobs they never expected to love.
When you stop chasing the fantasy and start designing your real life — one that makes space for your joy, rest, health, relationships, creativity, and dreams — you win.
Not because your job is perfect.But because your life is finally yours.
Let's be honest: No one is fantasizing about a life of laboring and work. The real dream job is not a having have a job at all: unemployment, early retirement, living comfortably and casually, doing the least amount of work for the most amount of money.
TL;DR: The Real Dream
Your dream job isn’t a job — it’s a life where your work serves you, not the other way around.
So ask yourself:
Does this job support the life I want?
Do I have time for joy, rest, growth, and connection?
Am I chasing a fantasy or building something real?
If you’re not being exploited, if you can pay your bills comfortably, and if you get to log off at the end of the day and be a full human — congrats, you’ve made it!
And if you do like your job — tell someone. Normalize contentment, comfort and pleasure. Normalize “good enough.” Normalize choosing what’s right for you.
As you get older, you’ll realize that the things you once thought were important (prestige, status, wealth) actually don’t really matter in the grand scheme. They seem nice on paper but aren’t worth it if you’re not fulfilled in your self, your health or relationships. What really matters is finding a job that allows you to live your DREAM LIFE, one where you experience joy, ease and flow.
Erin Ratliff is a holistic business coach and consultant specializing in organic growth + visibility for heart-led soul-preneurs and energy-sensitive self-starters in pursuit of personal and planetary healing.
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