Believe me, I’m fully aware that suggestions along the lines of making a five-year plan fully sound like something your school guidance counselor or parents said while you rolled your eyes. I get it. But the awkward thing is, that years after I did my eye-rolling, I’ve realised it’s actually kind of a good idea. Hear me out.
1. You’ll Have Some Idea What You’re Doing
I know the whole ‘living free and damn the man’ mentality can be super alluring, but can’t you damn the man and follow your dream path at the same time? It’s actually really soothing to have a basic idea of what you’re doing with life. And that can include those adventurous and super fun things like when to live abroad for a bit, and when to move out of home.
2. It’ll Prevent You From Wandering Aimlessly
You can take time off, like a gap year or something, without wandering around like a headless chicken wasting time. There’s nothing more frustrating to me than realising I could have achieved something I really wanted a lot sooner if I’d just taken the time sooner to work out it’s what I wanted.
3. Goals Keep You Motivated
That whole wandering aimlessly thing? It’s the most unmotivating thing ever. Even if you are studying, or travelling, or working, having no idea what you’re doing it for can make the whole thing seem pointless when actually it should be an amazing learning experience.
4. You Can Always Adjust It
People act like making a plan means you’re whole future is set in stone. It’s really not. Sometimes your plans won’t change, but other times you have new experiences or changes of heart or opportunities that affect what you want from life. Great! Growth is fab. Just readjust the plan and go from there. Easy.
