It’s kinda funny that I have such a dearth of normal careers I like and can realistically enter, because it’s struck me more and more, both for my New Year Resolutions for 2022 and for my birthday the other day, that I might actually have too many interests and hobbies. Well, I guess that would fall under good problems to have; I’ve had times in my life when I’ve had little going on, and it sucks far more than keeping myself busier does. Nevertheless it is a problem for me.
I’m an investor, a self-published science-fiction author, a blogger, an artist, and a ballroom dancer. Maybe that should be enough for anybody to have on their plate, but I want more! My big aspiration for the near future is to get hot, smart, and rich. I’m already really smart and well-educated, so that’s taken care of. Rich? Eh, I’m riding the train of the secular bull market as much as I can, but I yearn for a business I could start that I’d really love to work on and has high earning potential; still trying to figure that part out. Hot? I’ve recently stepped up my efforts to lose weight and build strength; I’m blessed with attractive features, so they just need to be brought out to make me a prime catch.
That’ll be a major aid in my quest to be a social media influencer, since to make video, audio, and so forth, and to be a performing artist to my satisfaction offline as well, I’d like to look my best. I’ve passed 3000 followers on Twitter recently, so I’m on my way; you can make a career out of just being a social media influencer in a variety of ways, and having a following helps you with basically everything else you want to do.
Ballet: because we’ve all gotta go sometime!
Recently I’ve taken up ballet, at the beginner level, for the first time in my life, which sort of expands my passion for dance into a new area, rather than representing a whole new field; nevertheless it’s a big new thing for me, and I’m quite enjoying it so far. I have no illusions about ever becoming a professional ballet dancer or some such; I’m too old and even if I wasn’t I wouldn’t like the lifestyle much. I’m the wrong body type too, but interestingly I’ve got fantastic natural turnout. Hmph.
Anyway, the real purpose of doing ballet for me is to improve my dance skills more generally; I’ve seen people greatly improve from just a few weeks of beginner classes, and even more from months or years worth of instruction. I want those benefits for myself, and I’m already noticing it; by this time in 2023 I suspect I’ll be at a whole new level! And I’m already gushed over at social dances and place well at competitions; who knows how far I’ll be able to go?
I’m gonna be a Choreographer!
I’m determined to get more into choreography this year as well; from what I’ve seen choreographers do, and what I’ve read about the field, from start to finish I felt like “boy, that must be fun!”, and having gotten a bit into choreographing a dance routine for myself recently, it is indeed really fun. Even more than I expected! Doing choreography, along with dance instruction, is honestly far and away my favorite choice for a career, and I’m on track to get there in the near future; the way for me to learn it and start my business is clear and wide-open.
So many Hobbies, so little Time
As for hobbies, I’ve also tried other things. I went horseback riding once, but I didn’t like it that much, even if the ride was pleasant. I also once took a few ice-skating classes, but I didn’t much like it; looking back on it, my natural turnout, an asset in ballet and Latin dancing, made it much harder for me to ice-skate properly.
I’ve never gone skiing or snowboarding, but I’d love to learn and do them someday; I’ve always thought I’d really like those sports, but who knows? It’s all so expensive, though, and a big new expense wouldn’t exactly be good for my finances; the killing blow for me, however, is how all the places I’d like to visit and do it are still requiring face coverings. Sure, in a place where you’d be wearing a balaclava and goggles outside much of the time anyway it’s probably not as bad as if you’re in some swamp in the Deep South or some such, but I fail to see the point of paying thousands of dollars to go to a ski resort only to have to put up with such a drag. It’s all so demoralizing and tiresome; at least I don’t have to put up with that nonsense in any of my dance lessons or classes, so I try to focus on that pleasant reality instead.
Another thing I’ve had an interest in taking up is that ever-rich and infinitely-deep companion field to dance: music. I’ve said on many occasions both on- and off-line that I really should learn a lot more about music sometime. I’ve never been into musical instruments or singing, and know very little about music theory, but what I have glimpsed of the field is fascinating, especially when I combine it with my passion for dancing. For all I know I might have a good singing voice (even without any training I seem to sing better than most people I know…), and maybe at this stage in my life I’d really like it. But again, it’s yet another thing to work on, and I’ve got to prioritize! So I file that down under “maybe someday”.
Martial arts as a physical discipline is adjacent to dance, and from what I’ve seen of it I suspect I might really like it. Ditto for fencing. But again, yet another thing to be on my plate, and another expense. So I file that too down under “maybe someday”.
I’ve immensely enjoyed the precious little sailing I’ve been able to do, so I might really like sailing and yachting, but that’s like a whole new lifestyle, one I cannot afford to indulge at the present time. So again, maybe someday! I might also like flying as well, but I haven’t gotten into that either due to the time and expense involved.
Drawing Closer with Friends…Must…Draw…Closer!
I’d also like to host super-fun parties; it’s difficult for me to find anybody I genuinely connect with to the extent I’d want to befriend them, but I nevertheless have a few people in my life I like to talk to, and one best friend that I’d describe as close. My social network is probably big enough to make a decent-sized party. But the problem is that I don’t have any space to entertain people in that I feel is remotely presentable; as in I’d feel embarrassed entertaining a dog there, let alone a man. Oh well. Maybe someday when I can afford something better!
I probably should try to draw closer to my friends, and pay purely social visits to my dearest ones; recently I tried to open up more and visit just to talk to some not-so-close friends it made me feel a lot better, so that makes me feel more optimistic about my social life. I do have people who care about me! Maybe. In any case I have people who make pleasant company.
I’ve also been engaging in some foreign language study for the past few years, but it’s been very half-hearted; maybe if I could connect with my friends more (some of whom do speak the language I’m studying!) I could make a lot more progress, but it all links together, all these aspects of my social life. If they don’t have time or inclination to meet up for a dance social or something, I’d like to meet them at an atmospheric coffee shop or something, but I haven’t found such a place in my region. Eh, one more thing on my plate, I guess; we all text each other about every day, though, so it’s not like we go incommunicado for long stretches of time out of lack of interest or anything. I think they’re a bit too busy for their own good, but I’m one to talk, what with everything I’m trying to do! Hehe.
Interior Decorating by Adamas Nemesis?
Yet another thing I’ve brainstormed about recently is the idea of going into business for myself as an interior decorator (not a designer, as that involves architectural changes, working with general contractors, and the like, which I’d rather not deal with), with a focus on making people’s environments more beautiful and wholesome, with plenty of plants (think green walls!), plenty of natural light (opening up windows, putting in mirrors, lighter colors, etc.), and plenty of fine art. In my region, interestingly, there seems to be literally nobody offering that kind of interior design; instead the prevailing styles all seem to be what was current in the New York and Los Angeles magazines from like 5-15 years ago, not anything truly hip, fashionable, or avant-garde.
Maybe a bit too avant-garde for the rather stodgy and incurious types that seem to dominate my region, but there might be a relatively large under-served market for that kind of thing, and a business often does better when it targets a niche anyway.
The only real handicap would be the fact that I don’t seem to have the same passion for interior decorating as I do for dance and choreography, so I might flame out before I begin. In any case I’m intent on redecorating large sections of the interior of my own house, which is what got me on that line of thinking in the first place, so I’ll see how that goes and what I can do.
Artistry and Finance all in one Package!
Given my knowledge of and interest in finance and investing, I might also do well for myself as an independent financial advisor, but that requires me to get an RIA license, which is a bit more complicated than the other occupations I’m interested in.
Conclusion
Well, going over everything, it seems I want to be a…
- Ballroom dancer
- Investor
- Artist
- Science-fiction author
- Social media influencer
- Dance instructor
- Choreographer
- Skier and/or snowboarder
- Airplane pilot
- Musician
- Singer
- Martial artist
- Sailing enthusiast
- Party host
- Fluent foreign-language speaker
- Interior decorator
- Registered investment advisor
Is that all? Hehehe. That doesn’t even count the stuff I’d like to do but is not realistically achievable in the near future even theoretically given my current resources. My list amounts to pursuing something like three to five different careers simultaneously, which sounds crazy, but if you think of it as building three to five lifestyle businesses simultaneously, which is closer to the mark (as I’d be self-employed throughout), it’s not all that weird.
Indeed, with the way my mind works I actually find a lot more happiness in pursuing multiple goals simultaneously and shifting between them, probably because it keeps me from getting bored. I’d like all my dreams to come true right now, but I feel like I’m making real progress now: I just have to keep going step by step, and eventually I’ll get there! Just gotta believe!