Ever since I was in my early 20’s (damn that was a long time ago!) I have always had a 5 year plan. When I was a recruiter, I would always ask people who I interviewed where they saw themselves in 5 years. To employers, it is important that the person they hire, have a good sense of where they want to be, where they see themselves going and they want to have a sense of it because they want to hire an individual who is in control of their life and has plans, goals, dreams. They want to hire someone that has vision. Also, they want someone who is going to be part of their organization for a long time. Retention is a big deal these days in Corporate America because it costs money for companies to have a high turn over rate, so, when interviewing a candidate for a position, it is important for this individual to know what they want in terms of their future.
Besides asking people where they saw themselves in 5 years so that I could then go and brag to my client why my candidate was awesome and suitable for their company. I was also nosy and just wanted to know people’s business. Yes, this is why I want to be a therapist one day or at least go back to my previous industry and work in a role that allows me to be nosy. In thinking about turning 40 and planning out my next 5 years, there is something that I wanted to put on my journal that I felt was very important and relevant. In addition to writing this journal to put my thoughts out in the World Wide Web for anyone to read. I also constantly go back to it myself and re-read posts to sort of make sure that what I am writing or that what I am “preaching” I am practicing. Whenever I loose site or focus, I reference my journal to sort of get myself on track.
A few months ago, I told someone that his world, extended beyond the world that he lived in and that I was sorry that I had come into his life and made him realize that there was a life outside of his town/city/state. I told him that the world was a huge place and that whatever we set out to do in this world, if we do it with love and passion, we can accomplish it. We are given all the tools in life to make things happen. I have witnessed how some of my friends who come from poverty, have made it to where they wanted to be. They did it, with hard work and dedication. This is why I know that anything is possible.
Most of my life, I have done everything that I have set out to do. I for the most part have always set these five year goals for myself, in order to have some direction and to have a vision of where I want to be. I believe that it is truly important to see beyond today, even if I preach practicing living in the moment. Living in the moment however, does not necessarily mean, that you don’t plan for tomorrow. But, that is a whole other post.
The reason why I am writing about this today, is because for the last few months after I told this person that his world went beyond his town/city/state, I began to think about myself and how I was telling him this, yet I wasn’t looking at myself and my situation and my wants/needs in the same way. Meaning, that as I was saying these things to him, I didn’t realize that the same thought and idea I was expressing to him could apply to me as well. I needed to take my own advice and think outside the box. Envision and see that the world goes far beyond NYC.
I went out to LA a few years ago and I have to say, that I fell in love with it. Ever since then, I have always said things like, I want to live there someday. A few months ago, after getting to know this awesome individual that I had, had the pleasure of meeting by chance and preaching to him. I realized that I to needed to take my own advice. That leaving NY had always been in the back of my mind. That my world too could extend beyond this box that I am in, I realized that I too could leave NY no matter how much I loved this city. Getting to know him left me feeling like there is this whole other world that I want to explore and that it is way beyond the world that I live in. Knowing him, gave me a new vision and almost a push to go for what would really make me happy. I want to leave NYC some day. So, what am I going to do about it you ask? Well, I decided to incorporate in my 5 year plan, relocating to another state. The more I give thought to this idea, the more excited about it I get. I feel overwhelmed by all the people and all the things that NY has to offer, I feel like I have exhausted all of it’s resources.
When I visited my friend in Nebraska, I remember I kept thinking how lovely it was where she lived, how my run was so peaceful, how people were so pleasant and kind. When I went to Pennsylvania to visit my other friend, I felt the same way, when I go to Connecticut to visit my family it’s the same thing. My heart is a New Yorker, but my mind is no longer content here.
I have decided to start researching different States and options as to where to go within the next 5 years. But first, I have already made plans to visit Indiana and South Dakota next summer. I joined a new social network site, which will enable me to meet people all over the US. I have been talking to people that I work with that come from all over the US to tell me what their cities are like. I’m so excited, because everyone is so encouraging in my ideas. I have never been afraid of taking chances so I most certainly will not start being afraid now. I think it’s time that I let go of NY and find a peaceful place where I can finish raising my two younger children. I have to admit though, that I don’t think I will go anywhere that is not near a beach, I am a beach bunny I need to be near a cost and I don’t mean the East Coast.
Anyway, I’m not saying this is all set on stone, but it’s definitely in my 5 year plan…….. What about you? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
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