Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years Time?

It’s a question I’ve pondering to myself recently. I have searched high and low online for insightful advice, but its surprising to see that the results were all related to job interviews. It’s about time someone makes an article on this.
 
There’s a reason why employers ask for your long term plans in life. They want the security that you are applying for a job that you will be passionate about. They also hope you will be a long term, happy employee too. Yet, this is a question that should transcend beyond an interview room.
 
Having goals in your life is crucial to living a fulfilled one. In this modern day and age, its all too easy to take the easy street. Society brings everybody up to be a consumer in this capitalist world. ‘The customer always comes first’ is a rhetoric that everybody is familiar with. Putting the illusive customer first, makes ‘the customer’ role in life an easy, quick fix one. Think to yourself when was the last time you made something. By that, I don’t mean the sandwich you just made for lunch… I bet you’re scratching your head.
 
Living life as a customer is all too easy. Everyone panders to your every need. Living for the 9-5 as an employee and then the weekends as a consumer means you aren’t challenging yourself. You can go through life without seeing the bigger picture of what you are missing out on.
 
I started That’s Your Best Bet back in 2012. I don’t know what got in to me the day I took a step out of my comfort zone, I wanted more from the world. Starting my own casino website was a great way to test myself, grow and manage something on the side.
 
And that’s my driving force. I want to leave a small mark on this world while I try new things. I don’t want to simply be a consumer of things till I hit the bucket. You shouldn’t be satisfied with that either.
 
Everybody has an entrepreneurial spirit that seeks independence and growth.
 

Not Doing Anything is Doing Something

 
On to more topical matters. Over the past year or so, I have knuckled down on my book. There’s No Place Like Summer Camp is coming on well and has taken strides as I seek to improve myself as a writer. Do I have the qualifications to be a writer? No. Have I done any courses on becoming one? No. It’s the self discipline and passion which has taken the book from strength to strength. I cannot wait to have it out on the market.
 
While my book has been coming along well, I’ve been refining its contents so much so that I have been building up my wanderlust once again. And I now find myself seeking my next big thing. In doing so, I have been pondering this simple question: Where do I want myself in 5 years time?
 
‘I’d love to be an established member of the team where I’d have more responsibilities as I seek to grow up the company hierarchy…’ is a typical response in an interview. I am not critiquing the answer. But I do think that this question is something we should ask ourselves outside the workplace. Living in the short-term, so you can ‘get-by’ is a simple philosophy which can become a pit with lack of progression. Many people these days take the same monotonous path to make sure ends meet. They do not consider the bigger picture.
 
I know too many people who hate the situation they find themselves in. But procrastinating about making a change keeps them there. It’s only until they hear the words ‘You do realise by not doing something about X, you are still doing something about it? All you are doing is settling for X’ that their eyes open to what they are doing to themselves.
 

Procrastination is my worst enemy

 
I’m now mid-twenties which is probably the reason why for all the gusto and seeking more from normal life. But I cannot understand why people put off doing things so much.
 
Lack of accomplishment is devastating to me. All too often friends, family and strangers have excuses for not doing what they want to do with their lives. “I haven’t got the time”, “I can’t quit my job” and “I can’t afford it” are all pathetic excuses for the deep rooted reason: I’m too scared to take a risk.
 
I watched a TED Talks the other week which sums this predicament up well. Instead of saying “I’m too busy”, replace it with “It’s not a priority”. It’ll open your eyes.
 
Such folk find themselves dissatisfied with where they are in life. Not prioritising their ambitions first has meant they are stuck in a rut. Will they do anything about it? Will they heck.
 
Currently I find myself seeking more from life again. The book has sparked a lightbulb moment to grow as a person once more. Browsing through Skyscanner and YouTube travel vlogs, I can’t help but want to travel. But yet, I find myself looking in the mirror and asking “Where do I want to be in 5 years time?”

So Where Do I See Myself? 

In mid-twenties now, I’ve come to realise I need to ask myself this important question… So where do I want to see myself in 5 years time? Well, I want to have a big fancy car, paying off a mortgage in a job I love. I want to grow in a company, perhapsmaking video games where hard work pays off with a complete product to show for it.
There’s perhaps more I could add, like relationship status, health and more. But for now, I think that will do.
At the moment, my life could be swung in a big way. I can settle down and buy that fancy car and start a mortgage or… seek more while I can. It’s been tearing me up for a while now as I peek through the keyhole in to the adult world.
 

I’m procrastinating.

 
I took to the forums asking for any advice and a flood of messages greeted me. Allow me to sum them up… 
Things are always just that, simply things. If you spend everything on settling down with a fancy car and mortgage, will you be happier? Probably not. Because that’s it: they are just things. You will be sat in your house with a fancy car in the drive surrounded by cool things. You’d be tied down, because you can’t exactly pause a mortgage nor can you sell that car for half the price it cost you. You’ll be unhappy, surrounded by things.
 
Experiences though? Well. That’s what makes a person grow. You’ll find the best of friends in new people as you experience different cultures and ways of living. All that hard work of saving money will be put toward incredible memories while you live the life of dreams, if only briefly. If all you are doing is working for things, then what is the point in working at all? The world is full of adventure, you only need to take that risky step first to experience it.
 
Sure, it’s easier said than done but too many people these days are afraid of taking a leap of faith. A happy life doesn’t get handed to you on a plate, so go out there and grab it. Adventure is out there.
 
I’m going to save the big news for another blog post. I’ve got some planning to do.
 
See you next one,
 
A.
 
P.S Bonus points if you got the very subtle Walking Dead reference