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I Stopped Chasing My Dreams the Way Everyone Expected Me To

Here’s what I did instead.

Itxy Lopez
4 min readFeb 16, 2022
Photo by Liza Summer from Pexels

If I told you I was working from home, as my own boss, you’d probably think it was great. That’s the dream, isn’t it? Over and over I read about people who are desperate to leave their nine to five jobs and chase their own dreams.

I enjoyed it for a long time, actually. I had a goal, and I worked toward it. I had a productive writing routine and lots of time to learn and hone my skills, all on my own schedule. I wouldn’t change anything about the last five years.

So why did I end up hating it?

The Problem With Pursuing Your Goals Without Caution

I took the route most people think they need to take: I made my dream my everything. Most people do, and it works for them. It didn’t work for me.

Before I knew it, I wasn’t a person who likes to write. I was a writer. Nothing more, nothing less. I became so focused on my work and making money that I accidentally ended up tying my entire identity to my goals. What does that mean exactly?

Before, it didn’t matter whether I completed a story or not. There were good days and bad days, and that was okay. After, it went like this:

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Itxy Lopez
Itxy Lopez

Written by Itxy Lopez

I’m a self-discovery writer: I write as I grow, make mistakes, and learn.

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