What the career daydreaming is really telling you

Sometimes I truly consider becoming a dog walker.

Like, in the middle of the workday.
While I’m staring blankly at my third “final_final_v3.pptx” file of the week.
Someone’s talking about “alignment” and “cascading metrics” on Zoom, and I’m just… gone. Mentally outside. In the sun. Surrounded by golden retrievers.

Just me, a leash, and no deadlines.

And then I remember:
Rent. Groceries. Bills. Career trajectory. Small children.
So I check my Slack and go back to formatting bullet points like a fully functioning adult.

But the dog walker fantasy? It’s not actually about dogs.
(Okay, it’s a little about dogs.)

It’s about freedom. Simplicity. Doing something that feels clear and calm and yours.
It’s your brain’s way of saying: “Hey… I don’t think this is it.”

Here’s the good news:
You don’t need to quit your job and invest in biodegradable poo bags.
But you can start making small shifts toward work that feels better — more aligned with you, and less like you’re stuck in a life that accidentally happened while you were busy being “reliable.”

Here’s how to move closer to something that fits — without blowing up your life:

1. Catch the fantasy before you dismiss it

The dog walker moment isn’t random. It’s data.
It’s telling you something — probably that you want more autonomy, time outside, fewer back-to-back meetings, or something tactile and immediate.

Instead of brushing it off as ridiculous, ask:
What’s the feeling I’m craving in that fantasy?
That feeling is your career clue.

2. Start a “More Of / Less Of” list

Not roles. Not titles.
Just a super simple list:

• I want more: creativity, collaboration, visible impact
  
  
• I want less: reactive emails, siloed work, endless status updates
  
  

You don’t need to know your dream job — you just need to start noticing what feels right (or wrong) in your day.

3. Do the values check

You knew this was coming.
But seriously — your values are your internal career compass. If they’re totally missing in your day-to-day, you will absolutely start Googling “jobs with no meetings” at 11PM.

👉That’s why we created the Free Career Diagnosis.
Takes 5–7 minutes. Get an instant report with clear insight on what’s off and what to do next.
It’s short. It’s sharp. It’ll help you figure out what actually matters to you, so you can start making choices that align with that whether you stay, shift, or slowly transition into your next chapter.

You don’t need to make a huge leap.
You just need to stop ignoring the tiny whispers (or barked metaphors) telling you it’s time to shift.

And if you want to go deeper — if you’re ready to map out your strengths, work out your real options, and finally figure out what you want your career to look like — that’s what we do in the 30-Day Career Strategy Challenge.

But no pressure.
Start with the dog daydream. Listen to what it’s really saying.

Then build from there