Keep a grip on reality!

Oct 11 2005 By Evening Gazette

There's nothing wrong with having dreams when you are young.

After all, no-one gets anywhere much if they don't try to aim as high as they possibly can when it comes to a future career.

Developing as much of your potential as possible is definitely a good goal to have.

But the problem is when people's ambitions veer into the realm of flights of fancy.

For all aspirations have to be tempered by a bit of reality.

After all, it's no good wanting to be a singer if when you open your mouth you sound like a caterwauling cat.

There are some young workers out there who believe they will earn more than £50,000 a year by the time they reach 40.

But the reality - according to the research which threw up this fact - will be very different.

A finding which will have come as no real surprise to us out here in the real world.

The average salary for today's 21 to 35-year-olds will only reach £25,000 when they are in their 40s, the report predicted.

Direct savings bank ING Direct said its survey of 860 workers showed that many dreamt of a luxury car, a house abroad and taking exotic holidays in their 40s.

ING Direct chief executive Lindsay Sinclair said: "Unfortunately, today's young adults are in for a rude awakening as there is a huge gap between their expectations and the salaries they will actually be earning and they show no sign of reducing expenditure now in order to save for later in life."

Most people starting out on a career plan to pay for their expected lifestyles with huge salary increases, but their expectations are unrealistic, said the report.