Do you remember five year plans? Do you remember your high school counselors and motivational speakers telling you that you needed to have one, that you needed to see yourself successful all the way down each step of the path for at least the next five years? I remember being completely freaked out about not knowing what I wanted to do in the next week, much less, five years from now. I remember thinking I was not going to succeed at anything if I couldn’t pick something and see it through the next five years… what if I picked wrong? I’d have wasted all that time. Why don’t authority figures ever tell us to make a rough outline about what we want, in pencil, in case it changes?
Seth Lester went to school for Philosophy, and realized along the way, that the five year plan for that profession didn’t appeal to him at all. So, he scrapped that idea, picked something he wanted to learn more about, and now travels around the country learning about coffee, making a living doing it as he learns, and adjusting the plan when needed. Seth is a perfect example of what living in perpetual beta is about. It’s certainly not about a solid five year plan, and less about flying from the seat of your pants, but more about pursuing your passionate without the shackles of knowing exactly what’s next or even being completely prepared for it. I personally love all the metaphors I can draw from Seth ditching his car full of possessions and making due with what fit in his backpack. It makes me think, what I am holding onto that I can let go of to ease the pursuit of my own passions?
I’m thinking that instead of a five year plan, maybe we need to start advocating instead for a rough outline of a five year adventure. What do you think?
This post is tagged "goal setting", americano to go, barista, coffee, Five year plan, life in perpetual beta, life purpose, life's passion, melissa pierce, reinvention, seth lester, traveling barista, unplanned life
4 Comments
This holds true for me aswell. Even though I haven’t packed my backpack and chosen a life on the extreme beta path, I have long gone realized a five year plan is for someone who is very focused on a specific goal when it comes to education, possessions, etc – and not for me having very non-specific goals. I have reached educational goals and I have gained positions and possessions, but without ever thinking five years ahead. I did listen to my dad way back, when he told me an engineering degree (of some kind) would be a very smart move. I believed him, but all this time I became an engineer without ever becoming a happy engineer. I was a happy student, because student life to me was “life in beta” and I did a lot of stuff I liked (and some I didn’t like). 13 years after starting to work, I once again took to studying, and it was very much an eye-opener to me. This time I am mature to see that the things that fills me with desire are not the engineering at all, but the innovation and the discovery of new knowledge. Basically the same things that made me happy 13+ years ago, but I didn’t realize the implications back then. I don’t have a clue where the way goes, but it goes ahead, and I expect to have fun – being less of an engineer and more of the other stuff.
I really identify with this post, thanks so much for continuing to interview both interesting people I have heard of and inspiring people I may never have heard of if it wasn’t for your blog.
I have been lucky enough to have a very clear direction and purpose throughout most of my life. I do find it’s necessary to adjust my expectations every now and again. I tend to get a little too tied to concepts that were once extremely important and then seemed to morph a bit without my adjusting my plans. Though, I do think it can be dangerous if you’re easily-distracted type, if you never complete anything, or if you’re constantly changing plans to avoid hard work.
I try to ensure that I have a strong enough direction that I can gain a good sense of accomplishment from hard work and perseverance, but not working so hard that I’m not having fun anymore.
Thanks for the thought-provoking perspective!
Hmmm. I think I could handle a 5 year adventure. I don’t think I’ve EVER made a 5 year plan in my entire life. Ever. Maybe that’s my problem?!?
I’m not a super planner. A mini-one, at times, but 5 years? In 5 years so much can happen. In ONE YEAR so much can change. How can I account for all of the changes (internal and external) that 5 years will surely bring?
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