Where do you want to be 5 years from now?

Have you been asked this question before? And the answer to that is "Of course". Time and again our friends, family and people within our professional circle ask us about our future goals and the big 'long term' picture. Seems like a rational question, right? Yes, it is. 

It seems like a very rational approach to have a plan. Pick where you'd like to be, and how will you get there. Might work really well for most governments, companies and corporate organizations. But individuals may not necessarily function that way. People generally plan life events, professional goals, and overall big picture of where they want to be. Most people plan it along the lines of - "finishing school, finding a great job, planning your career path, finding a soul mate (most people will ask if such a thing exists :-)), getting married, having a family, perhaps buying a house and moving along in life feeling happy and content. 

I am a huge advocate of planning, setting priorities, and being ambitious in life. It is a healthy process, helps you stay motivated and you have things to look forward to! But when I am being asked "are you at the place where you had originally planned to be?", or ever so often someone asks "did your life turn out the way you planned 5 or 10 years ago?" I pause to say "Not exactly". We may tick off several things on a checklist, but life may never be a mirror image of what our past plans reflected. So how do we balance things out?

My suggestion would be to take each day as it comes. Ever heard of "Short Term Goals?" Formulate daily, weekly, and quarterly goals. These are easy to track, easier to achieve and helps people attain a sense of success and achievement.  

Live in the moment! When you start living in the moment, short term plans become more viable. Enjoy the triumphs and failures. Also try and enjoy what's not working for you. Because in those challenges one finds strength and the ability to deal with temporary frustrations. Makes you resilient. Your next 5 years will feel a lot more achievable without having to join the "rat-race" and miss out on the present!