A little over a year ago my bishop gave a talk in sacrament meeting where he outlined for goals for our ward (congregation). One of those goals was for each of us to create a plan for ourselves. From what I remember he specifically talked about a one year plan. At the time I remember sitting down one day and establishing that one year from then I'd still be in school. In other words my plan was to keep doing what I was doing. Plan made? check. So I kind of checked that off my list and every time my bishop has mentioned making a plan since then I haven't paid too much attention, I mean I'd already done it.
A month or two ago I met with my bishop about something else and he asked me about my three year plan. I thought really hard, and decided that my three year plan was only as developed as my ability to do the math to add three to my age. He encouraged me to work on it. On my way home that day I was thinking "wait a minute, where did a three year plan come from? Last I remember it was a one year plan!" And then I realized that it didn't matter what he'd said back then, because either way I'd already lived out my one year plan.
So, now I'm working on a three year plan. Except, I can't even begin to fathom where I'll be in three years. I mean, I want to have gainful employment (read: a full time job), but I don't really know in what field of librarianship. And I don't really know where (read: where ever someone offers me said full-time job). This week I think my struggle is in trying to understand the difference between a plan and goals. I feel like making specific goals is dumb because a lot of what will impact my life three years from now is semi out of my control (I don't get to decide if/when I'll be offered a job). I think the other thing that worries me is that if I make specific goals then I feel like I'm limiting myself somehow--like if something totally different (and better) came along then I'd feel guilty to abandoning my goals or something. I don't know why this is such a struggle for me.
What do you think? Do you have three- or five- or ten- year plan for yourself? How did you go about making it?
A month or two ago I met with my bishop about something else and he asked me about my three year plan. I thought really hard, and decided that my three year plan was only as developed as my ability to do the math to add three to my age. He encouraged me to work on it. On my way home that day I was thinking "wait a minute, where did a three year plan come from? Last I remember it was a one year plan!" And then I realized that it didn't matter what he'd said back then, because either way I'd already lived out my one year plan.
So, now I'm working on a three year plan. Except, I can't even begin to fathom where I'll be in three years. I mean, I want to have gainful employment (read: a full time job), but I don't really know in what field of librarianship. And I don't really know where (read: where ever someone offers me said full-time job). This week I think my struggle is in trying to understand the difference between a plan and goals. I feel like making specific goals is dumb because a lot of what will impact my life three years from now is semi out of my control (I don't get to decide if/when I'll be offered a job). I think the other thing that worries me is that if I make specific goals then I feel like I'm limiting myself somehow--like if something totally different (and better) came along then I'd feel guilty to abandoning my goals or something. I don't know why this is such a struggle for me.
What do you think? Do you have three- or five- or ten- year plan for yourself? How did you go about making it?
2 comments:
I struggle with this too. Once I make plans and goals I often get so attached to them that it stresses me out to think they might not actually happen. I just have to remind myself that things have always worked out in the past - usually in a more roundabout way than I would have liked - and they will continue to work out in the future.
Lately I've been stressed about the next step in my careers. It's helped me a lot to just tell myself to do the absolute best I can today and in a couple of years, when I'm ready to make a move, things will fall into place. On the days when it would be easy to coast, I remind myself that making the best use of my time today is an investment in the future. Yes, there's a little element of "earning" my blessings in this line of thinking, but I choose to think of it more as exercising faith.
Hey, I know this isn't about life plans, but I've been thinking about you since Monday. Hope you're doing well!
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