Saturday, April 24, 2010

The 5 year plan

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” - C.S. Lewis



I have been thinking very seriously about where I would like to be in 5 years. 

A lot can happen in 5 years, certainly.  A new opportunity may present itself, or something unexpected may befall us.      A 5 year plan is definately not to be written in stone.    It should be adaptable to our evolving perspectives and needs.

There is a high correlation between how far people plan into the future, and the level of success they achieve.  If you only live for the moment, you are probably not going to be prepared for those  life changing opportunities when they occur.    If you do not have some sort of destination in mind, you may wander aimlessly and never get anywhere.    (Although, I concede that wandering aimlessly is probably okay and good for you  in very small doses.)   In fact, without taking the time to sit down and come up with a plan, most of us will think about starting and almost none of us will actually take the first step toward making our dream a reality.

A few tips for writing your 5 year plan:
  1. Imagine where you will be in 5 years.   Will your kids be grown?  Will you be retired?
  2. Think about your ideal state.   Is there someplace you would like to see?  Is there something you have always wanted to try?  What skill or shape will you need to have in order to be successful?
  3. Write down your goals.   Then say them out loud to a friend.   (Accountability!)
  4. Break your goals into baby steps.   What will you need to accomplish in the first year?   the second? the third? fourth and fifth?
  5. Begin.

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