Childhood dreams often begin from a place of imagination and enjoyment. Whether it was to learn a language, sing on stage or write a book, our ambitions often get sidelined as we get older, and life takes us in a different direction.
But it’s never too late to rekindle those aspirations. Here are five main reasons why you should consider pursuing your childhood dreams, regardless of what age you are.
1. Inspire your passion
As we navigate through life, it’s easy to lose track of what excites us. Rediscovering your childhood aspirations is a great way to get to the core of what your true passion may be.
Despite not performing for 15 years, Chaachi Deane found her passion (and singing voice) with a musical theatre course at City Lit. “It was like all the love for [performing] just rushed back into me,” she said.
“I was so back to where I was as a child, just obsessed basically.”
WATCH: Chaachi Deane explains how she went from dreaming of being a performer, to appearing on-stage all over London
2. A sense of accomplishment
There’s a unique sense of accomplishment from achieving something you’ve always dreamed of doing. It’s a testament to your perseverance and dedication.
You may find when pursuing these dreams, you end up finding a niche that you didn’t know existed when you were younger. That’s okay too; the effort and progress you make can be incredibly satisfying. It’s slightly cliché, but sometimes it really is about the journey as much as the destination.
3. Motivate others
Pursuing your own dreams can be very motivating for others around you, especially for younger generations. It gives others the confidence to be able to chase their own passions, as you have yours.
Shani Akila was inspired to become a writer by author Bernardine Evaristo. She came to City Lit to help make that dream a reality, taking several writing courses. Following her hard work, Shani is now a published author herself. She recently released her book of short stories ‘For Such a Time as This’.
Just as Bernadine Evaristo did for her, Shani wants to motivate her peers too. “I’m really passionate about speaking to people about my journey… and helping others along,” she said.
“I want to use this opportunity and this platform to help others achieve their dream.”
4. Have no regrets
There’s no instruction manual of how to live your life. It’s easy to find yourself looking back on the choices you made years ago with regrets, once you have the benefit of hindsight. Following your childhood ambitions now is one way to limit future dissatisfaction.
This is the case for Wendy Bowen. She was a commercial director when she started taking illustration classes. While attending, she realised that by studying full-time she could turn it into her career.
“Making quite a big change is quite scary,” she explained, “but if you don’t do what you want to do in life, then you’re never going to…be as happy as you could be.”
After studying at City Lit, Wendy found an agent and agreed on a book deal with a publisher to illustrate three of her own children's books.
WATCH: Wendy Bowen talks about her journey from commerical director to full-time illustrator
5. Age is just a number
Perhaps the most important thing to remember when pursuing your dreams is that age is just a number. Society often imposes arbitrary age limits on when we should achieve certain milestones. But these limits are by no means set in stone.
Many people have achieved great things later in life, proving that it’s never too late to start something new. For example, City Lit Fellow and 2018 Booker Prize-winning author Anna Burns didn’t publish her first book until she was nearly in her forties.
Your age does not define your ability to pursue your childhood ambitions. What matters most is your passion, willingness and dedication to take that first step.
Achieve your Dream at City Lit
At City Lit, it’s our mission to help you inspire your passions and realise your ambitions.
We have a wide range of courses spanning everything from Art & Design to Business, Marketing and Technology. Our state-of-the-art facilities and expert tutors are here to facilitate your learning.
Join us online or at our campus in London’s historic Covent Garden and soon you’ll be able to say:
‘Dreamed it. Did it.’
Study at City Lit
With over 5000 courses on offer, City Lit has a course that can help you achieve your dream.
Our classes take place during the day, in the evenings and at weekends, to make sure there's a time which works for you.
