I love dance so much. How do I decide if I want it as a career or just a hobby? | Life and style

I’m very confused. I really like dance a lot that I’ve been working in the direction of a profession in it since eternally, however now I’m wondering whether it is only a enjoyable interest. I’m undecided I could make it as a dancer, as I really feel I’m not that good and I preserve getting accidents. I’ve additionally heard that dance careers are onerous and the working environments should not good. How do I determine if I need this as a profession or simply as a interest?Eleanor says: Nice query. Not, do I be a dancer, however, how do I determine whether or not to be a dancer?The professionals and cons you in all probability know. Inventive fulfilment on the one hand, monetary insecurity on the opposite; feeling ardour about your work versus an extended profession timeline. You’ll be able to put the professionals and cons in two columns and spend an terrible lot of time simply staring on the tally. How are you presupposed to weigh “inventive fulfilment” in opposition to cash? Damage in opposition to ardour? What sort of standardised unit are this stuff meant to share?“Do I chase my goals” selections are so onerous, partly as a result of they solely deal in potentialities. You’ll be able to’t determine to be knowledgeable dancer. You solely can determine to attempt to be knowledgeable dancer. And you’ll determine how a lot else you’ll sacrifice to enhance your possibilities. However that final, essential distance between attempting and succeeding can solely be bridged by luck.So it’s not fairly a call about whether or not to be knowledgeable dancer. It’s extra like a big gamble. What are you keen to guess? This is usually a extra useful means to consider the selection than weighing the professionals and cons.It’s not simply that you could be get injured or chances are you’ll succeed. It’s additionally about which type of misfortune you’d moderately keep away from. What do you most need to assure you don’t face: harm, or the remorse of not following a ardour? An unstable profession, or a boring one? You see the sample. “What would you like” and “what would you most prefer to keep away from” develop into barely completely different questions. When deliberation stalls on one, it may be useful to modify to the opposite.As a result of I feel we stay in a reasonably strive-y tradition with ample “go for it” cliches, let me add two notes of warning.One is, your priorities could effectively change as you age. Although it’s actually onerous to think about being some far-off future self, attempt to discover any methods your choice now may cease you revising your priorities later. For example, say, monetary safety doesn’t matter tremendously now. That’s advantageous however to a point you may’t take it again. Compound curiosity received’t allow you to. A future self who values monetary safety greater than you at present do may need the choice had been completely different. Similar with harm, having a household, the place you reside; we weigh issues otherwise in several chapters of life. In the event you’re going to take a big gamble which will complicate a future self getting what they worth, I feel that’s price being cautious and clear eyed about. You’re your greatest protector.The opposite is that turning the exercise you like into the way in which you earn a living can alter the exercise. You need to compete, and apply for cash, and get observed by the folks distributing the cash, and also you internalise their requirements of success. Over time you begin to make inventive selections for the payments. That needn’t outweigh the eagerness. However for those who make dance your job there can be occasions the place it appears like nothing however onerous work.There’s a world through which dance could be a part of your profession selection with out being a part of your livelihood. In that world, you determine a job with the type of hours and revenue that allow you to bounce for pleasure.This letter has been editedAsk Eleanor a query