Why I Don't Believe in Five or Ten-Year Plans & What I Do Instead
KAYLI WESTERGARD
Kayli is a writer and blogger, inspiring people who create to live their dreams, take big risks, and think outside of the box. You can find her writing everything from novels and love letters to blog posts about marketing and social media.
“What’s your five-year plan?” It’s a question I’ve gotten during job interviews, coaching calls, and occasionally even in social settings.
Personally, it’s a question I’ve dreaded in the past, especially when I was fresh out of college. I wanted to grow as a person, expand my horizon, and try several career paths, hobbies, and even cities before I settled on what was right for me.
Having a five or ten-year plan sounds like a great idea in theory. Nothing wrong with having measurable goals, right? I’d beg to differ.
In short, there were opportunities that I didn’t know existed one, two, or five years prior. I never would have known to add these life-changing opportunities to my plan, but now, I can’t imagine not having these experiences. If I had been chasing a particular goal or a particular plan, I may have passed up on experiences that in retrospect, I both needed and wanted. Some parts of life can be planned for; other parts of life unfold as you progress. Oftentimes, the unfolding doesn’t happen until right before you need it, which isn’t very conducive to prior planning.
If I stuck to a five-year plan, I never would have graduated from college at 17 years old. When I was in high school, I had no clue that graduating college at 17 years old was even an option for me.
If I stuck to a five-year plan, I never would have taken a job in an industry that I completely enjoy. I didn’t know this career path existed until I was offered the job.
If I stuck to a five-year plan, I may have never taken so many risks and detours that ended up leading me exactly where I wanted to be. Life is a journey, not a highway!
So, should goals of any kind be thrown out the window? Absolutely not. Having dreams that you want to achieve or a vision for who you want to be gives you purpose and direction.
I’ve found five strategies to be particularly helpful to pursue my dreams and goals without putting myself or my dreams in a box. However, don’t let these ideas simply evolve into another goal post or benchmark for your plan. These strategies are meant to inspire you to live your dreams without the need to plan your life in charts and checkboxes.
Have a very broad, high-level vision
This vision can be as high level as “I want to live by the beach.” Envision these goals by each area of your life that is important to you. One of mine was to have a job that I felt was cool. Can a vision get any vaguer than that? I was working as a receptionist and had zero vision for what I wanted in my career. All I knew is that I wanted a job that I simply felt was cool to me. Shortly after, I accepted a position that I didn’t apply for (I had applied for a different position at a sister company) and didn’t understand what 90% of the job description meant. I quickly realized it was an epic job and an industry that I’ve now fallen in love with.
Create little goals
These goals are likely smaller and accomplished within hours or several days. They’re something you’re excited about, and while they might not be the end-all-be-all, they’re pointing you in the direction of your dreams. Focusing on little goals allows you to be more flexible to pivoting towards new opportunities while still gaining encouraging, short-term wins.
Don’t be afraid to abort the plan for another plan
Life happens. Plans change. If you find yourself straying from one dream to follow another, don’t sweat. If it feels right and if you’re excited about the new plan, chase it with reckless abandon. You may even end up returning to the original plan eventually, but the detour may be a necessary step you couldn’t foresee!
Do things on a whim
That networking event your previous coworker invited you to? That paint and sip class you’ve been eyeing? That dinner you got invited to join at the last minute? Sometimes the most seemingly random events cause the biggest shifts in our lives. You don’t know who you are going to meet, what you are going to discover about yourself, or what you’re going to learn.
Keep reaching for more
Never stop learning. Never stop exploring ways you could expand your skills, your mindset, and your life. Never stop reaching for everything you want in life. While lack of planning won’t hinder you from accomplishing your dreams, stagnation might.
At the end of the day, if having a five-year plan gives you peace of mind or direction, create that five-year plan. But if a five-year plan feels like a burden, or feels like tying yourself down, know that you can still reach - and even exceed - your goals without it. The right way is the way that works for you.
Now, when I get asked what my five-year plan is, I’m not afraid to redirect the conversation and explain why I simply don’t believe five-year plans are right for me. I’ve even explained my reasoning in response to the question by a potential employer during a job interview (and was still offered the job). Purpose, vision, and ambition don’t need to be tied down to one route or one socially acceptable way of planning for the future.