Is it ever too late to follow your dreams?

Running a marathon, writing a novel – and mastering a musical instrument are among a list of things Brits insist they’ve always wanted to do – but “never got around to it.”

Researchers took an in depth look into our unfulfilled dreams and aspirations, with a staggering 91 percent of Brits saying if they had the option they would leave their current lives behind and take the chance to live out their dreams.

• Becoming fluent in a foreign language•       Being an extra in a movie•       Running a marathon•       Writing a novel

  •       Becoming a successful blogger

  •       Starting your own business

  •       Walking the Great Wall of China

  •       Taking an impromptu trip around the world

  •       Going on a road trip across the States

  •       Winning big in Vegas

  •       Mastering a musical instrument

  •       Going on a Safari

  •       Patenting your own design

  •       Starring in a TV show

  •       Climbing a mountain

  •       Auditioning for a play

  •       Opening a beach bar

  •       Going backstage at Coachella

  •       Doing stand-up comedy

  •       Getting a dream job overseas

  •       Learning to dive and explore the Great Barrier Reef

  •       Volunteering for a charity abroad

  •       Trekking through the Amazon jungle

Spending time daydreaming

The research also discovered the average Brit spends an incredible 19 hours a week, day-dreaming about things they wish they had experienced.

The majority of people (35 percent) would like to be fluent in a foreign language while 29 percent would like to start their own business.

Of those polled, 35 percent said they don’t throw caution to the wind due to family commitments, and a further 33 percent cited their jobs.

Almost four in ten (39 percent) said they regretted letting these concerns get in the way of them fulfilling their dreams.

However, a hopeful 41 percent said that they still believed they would fulfil some of their ambitions, with two out of ten people (21 percent) saying they would complete one of their dreams – and an ambitious 18 percent saying they would complete two or more.

The “Big Apple”, emerged as the place most of us would love to visit one day (18 percent) while 9 percent said they wanted to visit Arizona’s Grand Canyon, and a further 9 percent said their dream was to walk barefoot along the white sandy beaches of Barbados.

A further 26 percent of those polled said they would give up their job in order to embark on a trip of a lifetime, while 14 percent said they would sell their car to raise the funds and a further 14 percent said they would give up most of their belongings to fulfil their dreams.

77 percent of those polled said they regretted not travelling more when they were younger.

The reasons for failing to address their wonder lust included leaving school and going straight to university 13 percent, being too cautious 12 percent, and starting a family too early 11 percent.

But an impressive 82 percent said that they would encourage their own children to travel more and see more things in their lifetime, with 70 percent saying that they wished their parents had encouraged them more to follow their dreams.

And over seven in ten of those polled (74 percent) thought that us Brits have less of an impulsive nature than other nationalities.

Reuben Arnold, Senior Vice President, Customer Experience and Marketing at Virgin Atlantic who commissioned the study of almost 2,000 Brits said: “We’ve all said it – ‘one day I will…’ but all too often we just don’t allow that one day to happen maybe because we’re too cautious of
taking the plunge.

“By encouraging people to think of their ‘one day’ moment, we want to remind them that life doesn’t come to you so go to it. Whether it’s taking an impromptu flight or taking a dream job overseas, we hope that even more people can make their goals a reality”.

Ceri Wheeldon

Ceri is Founder and Editor of Fabafterfifty.co.uk She is a frequent speaker at events and in the media on topics related to women over 50 , including style and living agelessly. With 20+ years experience as a headhunter Ceri also now helps support those looking to extend their working lives.

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