In Your 30s or 40s and Wondering ‘What If? 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.

👉 Take the free Career Values Challenge
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