(2) The job of your dreams is a job that allows you to do what you'd do anyway, given the choice. This job is not something you'd retire from; you'd participate in it, ideally, right up till the day you expire. Commonly, we think of these jobs as primarily artistic in nature: acting, painting, writing, composing, etc.; but most would include the sciences as well: zoologists and physicists, for example, don't necessarily "retire" in the ordinary sense of the word. Business can fall under this category, too, but usually only for those at the top, the entrepreneur par excellence. Behind all these vocations lies the idea of creativity.

Of course, creativity can and should come to bear on any task we perform. Thinking creatively is an antidote to boredom and often a pathway to bigger and better things. A telemarketer, thinking creatively and working hard, can soon leave the phones for something more pleasant, and so on. But still we must subtly distinguish between (1) and (2) when thinking of ways to get the job of your dreams.

The key factor to both kinds of jobs is hard work. Phrases like "you should go the extra mile" have become clichés, but for a reason: they're universally true and therefore universally quoted. You can go beyond the cliché and into the deep philosophy of the phrase by reflecting on it seriously and thinking of analogies. If you've ever run, lifted weights, or exercised seriously at all you'll know what it's like to experience physical pain so overwhelming you just have to stop where you are. The idea of the extra mile, however, is that you don't have to stop; you're strong enough to push ahead; you can handle a little extra agony; if your mind is tough, your body will follow. Fitness experts have made a great point of encouraging people to do as many reps as they can, plus one more. It's that one more that makes the difference between an outwardly healthy body and an outwardly and inwardly healthy body. This philosophy will serve you well in getting the job of your dreams, whether you're a (1) or (2) type of person.

Education is vital to both (1) and (2). The difference is that with (1) you generally only need to know enough to get started, and can figure things out from there, and use your extra mile philosophy to climb to the top of the hill. (2) is a different story. Art and science and economics, if one wants to have a "day job" (dream job) in these fields, require not just extensive formal training but also extensive personal training. The painter, for example, doesn't stop painting when he leaves the classroom; sometimes he does his best work at home. The biologist can't afford a nine-to-five mentality if she wants to keep abreast of the changes in her field and stay fundamentally sound in the meantime. It is said of business leaders that they work in their sleep!

Whatever type of dream job you choose, the surest method of building a sure foundation is hard work, by which we mean sometimes agonizingly hard work. You'll find inspiration as you patiently reach goals, move beyond them, and keep moving. Reading the biographies of men and women who have attained dream jobs can be a powerful motivational tool, and also watching those lives as interpreted by the movies. In the end, though, attaining your dream job is up to you, but you should feel confident at least that people at the top started at the bottom. Five pushups a day might seem pathetic, but soon you'll be doing ten pushups a day, twenty, twenty-five, and so on. Start small, work hard, be consistent and patient, and a dream job will most likely follow.