Vent: Thinking a 'five year plan' is the worst advice for actually designing your life

Everyone acts like you need this big, rigid map for your future. I think it just locks you in. I made one and it just made me ignore good chances right in front of me. Like, I skipped a cool part-time job to stick with my 'plan' for a different career path. It felt safe but I was just bored. Real life design happens with the small choices you make every day, not some far-off goal. Staring at a plan just makes you miss the path you're actually on.

3 comments

3 Comments

betty_shah1mo ago

Ha, my five-year plan lasted about FIVE minutes!

river_wright26d ago

Actually, I think it's great when plans change like that! Sometimes the best opportunities are the ones we never see coming. Your friend found something she really loves, and that's way better than sticking to a plan just for the sake of it. Life has a funny way of working out better than we planned anyway.

mary4751mo ago

My old roommate had this whole five-year plan to become a lawyer. She even had it color-coded on a big poster in our dorm. But then she took a summer job at an animal shelter just for some cash. She ended up loving the work so much she changed her major. Now she runs her own rescue and is way happier. It's funny how those random side jobs can totally reroute your life.