We’re just a few days away from 2016 and I’m sure many of us have been thinking about the future. This time of the year does that to you. And if you’re enjoying a few days holiday, why not spend that time thinking about planning? Not the spatial variety, but your life. And who knows – you might find there’s crossover between the two. Here’s my 5 tips on making a good 5 year plan.
Don’t Make it All About Work
Professional goals are probably going to be high priority in your plan, but I’m sure you’ve got a lot more going on besides work. Maybe you want to travel somewhere new? Learn new skills? Keep those personal goals in mind and part of the mix. Maybe you moved to the city for work, but a good city has more than just a business district. Mirror that when planning your own life goals.
Be Realistic +10%
It’s easy to give up on something that seems totally unachievable. Don’t try and make your five year plan the utopia of five year plans, unless you are aiming for someone to academically critique its failings some point in the future. If your plan is realistic, you can effectively put it into action and start feeling the benefits more quickly. But don’t be totally boring. Think about what you want to do with your time, and what you think you can do, and then add 10%. It’s good to have something to push for!
Be Specific (Enough)
Want to make your home city a better place? Not tangible enough. What do you want to make better and how do you hope to do that? And how can you tell if your plan is really progressing without clear milestones? Make sure there is enough detail so you can effectively realise your plan. Get it down in writing. And make sure to be clear about how you will get out onto the streets to make it happen.
Spread Out the Highlights
A good city tour has highlights spread evenly throughout. If all the positive things you’re working towards come at the 5 year point, you’re going to struggle to maintain your motivation. Make sure your plan has highlights – like great coffee shops dotted along a walking route – so you’ve always got something to look forward to, and enough time to enjoy the peaks along the way.
Don’t Be Too Rigid
Even if you love planning, truth is you can’t plan for everything. And like a last minute city-break, things will surprise you en route – some good some bad! Maybe you’ll achieve some goals and realise they weren’t as important as you thought. Or maybe you’ll face a personal or professional dilemma that makes you rethink things. Your plan should be able to accommodate these surprises. It’s important to allow yourself some flexibility.
Keep checking in along the way so you can see how you’re doing and if you need to make any adjustments. Have a great 2016! And here’s to 2021!
Photo: Andrew Neel
