Since high school, I’ve been no stranger to the idea of constructing the perfect five-year plan. Parents, family friends, and professors encouraged me to “think big” and dream up a grand scheme of how my life would look in the next half-decade. Where will I go to college? Once I’m in college, what will I major in? Where will I intern? Will I study abroad? At the end of it all, where will I accept my first ever full-time job? Where will I build my life?
At the GWWIB (GW Women in Business) Sixth Annual Spring Conference Gillian Gorman Round, President of The Lucky Group, told us to do something I’d never heard before: “Rip up your five-year plan right now, because it’s not happening. And that’s a good thing.” After that, I started hearing the same message in career development articles, at internship events, from career coaches.
Who wouldn’t be left wondering whether a five-year plan should be, well, part of their five-year plan?
I think the need for a five-year plan comes down to a having sense of determination, passion and confidence, which develop with time and practice. A five-year plan is a great tool when you’re young, learning what you love and what you want to do in your career. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve parted from the plan I originally made for myself. I trusted my drive and passions to lead me in the path that was right for me. As I’ve gotten older, inevitably, my five-year plan evolved past a few dates and bullet points.
In the past year, I’ve held three Board positions with GWWIB, interned in NYC for a summer, and started my own blog – three things that I never considered in making part of my five-year plan, but that I know are taking me to where I want to be.