The Five(ish) Year Plan

Half the time I’m not even sure what I am going to eat for dinner.  How am I ever to figure out where my life will be in one year or even five years?  Looking back over the past five years of my life, I wouldn’t have been able to predict that my life would be where it is today.  Five years ago I was broke, working at a low paying retail job that I absolutely hated.  I was floating bad checks to pay my bills and had no intention of changing.  I started working after graduating and had no desire to continue my education.  I was on a dead end path to a meaningless existence.

Things have changed since then.  I have eliminated my consumer debts and have money in the bank.  I am a year and a half away from graduating college with a Bachelor Degree in Environmental Science.  I am focused on succeeding at everything I do and am doing so.  Last semester I earned a place on the Dean’s List and was elected Vice President of a student environmental organization.  My life is a stark contrast from what it used to be.

Without capturing my desire and chasing after my ambitions my life would not be where it is today.  No doubt I could still be working the same retail job if I hadn’t made a conscious decision to quit.  I could still be broke if I hadn’t made a decision to change.  I might not have gone to college had I decided that a Diploma was good enough for me.  Without taking an active role in my own life, I may not have found myself living the life I am today.  For better, or worse, my life is a culmination of every choice and decision I have ever made.

Five years ago looks very different from today and I have no doubt that five years from now will look even more different than life today.  Then again, without goals, my life might look exactly the same as it does today.

So, what do I have planned for my life over the next five years?

In a year and a half, I will have earned my Bachelor Degree.  I have every intention of continuing my education in pursuit of a Master’s Degree.  The University of Minnesota offers a Peace Corps Master’s International program in Natural Resource Science & Management, which I will enroll in.  I will spend one year taking classes then two years volunteering with the Peace Corps before I return home to complete my Master’s Program.  Following this route will allow me to accomplish 3 of my personal life goals; 63) Attend college in another state, 116) Earn my Master’s Degree and 107) Join the Peace Corps.

By this time I will be about 5 years into my future and I have no intention of giving up here.

For a while I have known that the plan outlined above is what I want out of my life but had no idea where to go from there.  Recently, I have come to a conclusion.  My ambitions in this life do not consist of punching a time clock, yet I need to earn a living.  My desire is to live a life of meaning, one where my actions directly impact the world in a positive way.  I wish to control my own destiny and create my own reality.  With these guidelines in mind, I have decided that the best option might be for me to begin a non-profit organization to help improve the quality of life for people in developing nations, primarily in Central and South America.  Exactly what or where or how have yet to be determined but I expect much of this to be figured out while serving in the Peace Corps.

That is my five year plan.  Creating this map will help guide me to my goals.

What is your five year plan?