Why do we not pursue our dream job?

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

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SPEAKER_2 (1:00)

The Hard Shoulder, with Ciara Kelly and Shane Colman. On Newstalk, with Ciara.

Shane Colman (1:08)

We are joined, as always, at this time of the week by our resident professor of psychiatry, Brendan Kelly. And Brendan, you're here to talk about why people don't pursue their dream job.

Brendan Kelly (1:22)

So almost everybody has an alternative reality, a fantasy job that they would like to pursue, or they would like to be that person. I guess pursuing it is a different matter and not always possible. And maybe we all have these imaginary alternative worlds where we became something else.

So I guess sometimes we don't pursue them because they're simply not possible. They're utterly unfeasible, at times absurd and entirely ridiculous.

Shane Colman (1:47)

Yeah, like my one, for example.

Brendan Kelly (1:49)

No, I would not say that about anything that you think about doing, Shane. I support you in whatever it is.

Shane Colman (1:55)

And in this case, it is what I wanted to be like many young boys. I wanted to be a professional footballer. I wanted to play football for Ireland. I didn't really care what club, but definitely for Ireland. And obviously I was nowhere near good enough to do that. So my dream job was gone by the age of kind of 14 or 15, pretty much.

Brendan Kelly (2:13)

Was it there? Was that not something you could pivot towards at this point, Shane, that you could really knock it down and put in the work and, you know, at least progress towards that goal? Or are you only interested in the ultimate goal of playing for Ireland, or would you be satisfied with something along the way?

Shane Colman (2:29)

Well, I mean, I did play football along the way, but nowhere near at the level I would have wanted. Nowhere near to the point where it was a job.

Did you have a dream job?

Brendan Kelly (2:39)

Yes, I did. And my dream job has changed considerably over the years in a most unexpected way. When I was in secondary school, I desperately wanted to be an economist.

Shane Colman (2:48)

Wow.

Brendan Kelly (2:48)

Of all things, everyone else wanted to play football for Ireland or have some other glamorous role.

Shane Colman (2:53)

The Dismal Science.

Brendan Kelly (2:55)

I thought it was the most fascinating thing ever. And for my leaving cert, I decided for my chosen subjects, economics, business organization, and accounting. That was what I loved. And that's what I'm willing to do.

Shane Colman (3:07)

Look, I'm guessing you were really good at. Did you like, did you ace the leaving cert in economics?

Brendan Kelly (3:11)

Well, look, I changed two of those three subjects in sixth year to move towards science and medicine, so I retained the desire to be an economist for quite some time until I met some economists. And then I radically changed my fantasy job. And it's a new one now. I have a fantasy of running a surf school, a surfing school. I can see it.

You can see it. You can see me as this sort of muscular, bronzed Adonis of the beach out there on a surfboard, teaching younger people.

Shane Colman (3:41)

So to be like in sort of Sligo, are you thinking kind of Summer Bay in Australia?

Brendan Kelly (3:47)

Oh, I'm thinking West of Ireland for sure. Best surfing in the world, I'm told. Probably County Clare. Now I should add something here. I am unable to surf. There isn't the faintest notion of me ever surfing or engaging in any water sports whatsoever.