I recently attended a fantastic seminar by local author, David Hazard. It turned out to be quite popular and as the starting time approached, enough people were there that we brought in more chairs to accommodate everyone. As people began to fill the room, I looked around and one thing was very clear: I was, by far, the youngest person there. In fact, I may have been the only person under 50.Everyone went around the room and shared their stories of why they were there and for nearly everyone, it was the same: They were retirees who now had the time to actually pursue something that they had wanted to do: writing. After decades in the traditional workforce, they could now focus on themselves and things that they were truly passionate about. While that certainly is the most common path that people take, it does beg the question: Why are so many of us waiting until we are retired to do what we really want to do? Why are we postponing happiness until the very end? That doesn’t mean that those people were never happy before, but why wait so long to write, or paint, or do whatever it is that you really want to do?At least twenty years younger than almost everyone, I was there for the same reason as everyone else. The only difference is that I don’t want to wait until retirement. I want to pursue whatever interests and excites me right now. That is exactly how and why WorkSmart Career Counseling was born, in fact.What truly matters here is not whether or not you work for yourself, or for someone else, but that you are happy and fulfilled. At the risk of sounding like a Hallmark card, I really believe that anyone can achieve that. I have gotten over the notion that work has to be “work” and there’s nothing you can do about it. There is always something you can do to improve your situation.Is there something else in your career that you feel called to do? Do you have a side business that you are running? Or an idea for one? Maybe you just sense that there is something out there more meaningful for you, but you don’t know what it is, or if you can support yourself with it financially.The bottom line is this: You can be happy right now, if you are willing to take responsibility for it and take action towards it. Give yourself permission RIGHT NOW to do something that you find fascinating and rewarding. And I don’t mean in 20 years. Take action now. And if you’re stuck, contact me and let’s figure out a game plan together for how to take inspired action towards your goals.