Why I Don’t Use a Five-Year Plan | by Maia Rocio Gonzalez
So, it’s the start (kind of) of the New Year and you’re thinking about resolutions.
‘New Year, New Me’, and perhaps even thinking about doing some planning.
Maybe you’ve even bought yourself a new diary! One of those with fun dividers, or maybe not.
You’ve probably heard of a Five-Year Plan before, and maybe you're even considering doing one yourself as the new year begins.
BUT STOP!
First, is a Five-Year Plan right for you?
What is a Five-Year Plan?
It’s fairly simple. You write out subheadings for years one through five, and under each subheading you write down some goals you wish to achieve for each year.
E.g Year 1 - Learn to Surf (not my own goal)
Year 2 - Visit France
etc
So if it’s so simple, why would I advocate against using a Five-Year Plan?
Planning Half a Decade Away
A lot can unexpectedly change - even just in a year or two. Planning for the next five years is difficult, and when a surprise comes your way it can immediately derail plans (trust me).
Goals too far in the future are hard to work towards! It makes it simple to:
- Lose motivation towards completing goals
- Forget goals (and forget you even made a Five-Year Plan in some instances!)
- Feel bitter! Things change too quickly and your priorities could change. Uncompleted goals can feel frustrating!
Another reason is, maybe you just don’t know what you want to be doing Five-Years from now. And that’s totally fine! You don’t need to have a plan for everything.
So what could you do instead?
How to effectively plan your year?
If you’re really eager to try a Five-Year Plan - I would recommend first starting with a Two-Year plan.
This means you can give year planning a go without a long term commitment! If you need to change plans for year 2, then at least you haven’t wasted effort planning 3 more years!
If you’re brand new to a Five-Year Plan, it’s best to start with a Year Breakdown Plan (trademark pending). And if you’re keen on a Two-Year Plan you can still apply a Year Breakdown approach to it!
Maia’s Guide for a Successful Year Breakdown Plan
First, Set yourself realistic goals !
Don’t do something like climb Mount Everest if you’ve never climbed before!
Instead you could do: try indoor climbing.
(You can definitely get to Everest, just start with baby steps first!)
Try Small Goals
Small goals add up! They make a big difference, and it helps you to keep motivated.
You can try something like the below:
- Each week - try go on a walk at least x times
- Each month - see friends at least x times, save X amount of money
- Each quarter - do something fun e.g. go to a concert, visit somewhere new
This way you constantly have something to look forward to, while doing small tasks that keep you energised!
HOWEVER, if you’re neurodivergent you’ll know that even everyday tasks can be big goals. Sometimes you need the little dopamine boosters that can derail plans.
If you’re on the same boat, then the next point is especially important!
Embrace Spontaneity
Life isn’t going to stick to your plans! Get into the mindset that even with a plan, things may not work out that way!
For example, you could plan a trip for two months’ time but then have to move house.
Or you planned to go to the gym three times a week, but then pulled a muscle the first week (or just feel drained). And that’s OKAY!
It feels like a burst bubble, but that isn’t the case!
Set Yourself Up For Success
Small prep work ahead of your plans goes a long way.
- Set yourself an alarm every time you want to do a repetitive task.
- Create visual reminders e.g. putting your painting supplies somewhere visible!
- Be reasonable with how much you’re investing in your goal! You don’t want to drain yourself completely or invest a fortune on tools you may never use again!
Have Fun With It!
Don’t make it a clinical task! Throw some fun things in there - live life, try new things, and all that jazz.
If you make the planning boring, the rest will seem boring too! Planning can be really fun, you just have to make it fun!
Now you’ve got the tools to venture into the world of planning! Bust out the colour markers and 2024 diary!
What’s one thing you really want to do this year?
Maia Rocio Gonzalez is a Payment Fraud Specialist and Level 4 Data Fellowship apprentice at Multiverse based in the UK. Maia’s writing for the Apprentice Lens as part of the Blogging Team. Here’s more about her:
‘Hey! I’m Maia. Aside from working in fraud prevention, I like to get stuck in with all things artsy. I love to paint, draw, knit, sew, crochet - if I don’t already do it, I’m certainly open to learning it! Fun fact about me - I used to tell people I’d never have an office job or work with numbers and now I do just that and love it.’