Do you ever find yourself feeling frustrated when you really want to feel fulfilled and happy? A few years ago, I was very frustrated with my job. I felt like I was close to getting burned out. I know all the signs, but that doesn’t mean that I’m immune to feeling easily fatigued, being short with people, thinking about other options, feeling hopeless that things will get better, and experiencing physical sickness.
No matter how hard I worked, I just couldn’t keep up. I felt like Sysiphus (from Greek mythology), pushing a rock up a hill each day only for it to roll back down again. Can you imagine how frustrating that felt?
I got into a bad habit of writing psychological reports at home and on the weekends. My health and relationships suffered. Finally, I realized that I needed to talk to someone because my best efforts were not making things better. In fact, it felt like what I was doing was making it worse.
I found a trusted mentor and asked for a few minutes of her time. She graciously listened without judgment, asked thoughtful questions, and shared some of her own experiences. By the time I left her office, I felt much better. Not only did she really listen, she connected with me right where I was.
That probably would have been enough, but she provided even more. She gave me a tool that completely changed the way I thought about my current job and my career as a whole. Without her guidance, I would have probably left education a long time ago.
The tool she introduced me to was the 5-year plan. I’m not new to planning. I had my future planned out when I was in middle school. Of course, my plan has changed a few times since then. But, the point is, I knew how to plan. And, I knew that having a plan made me feel safe and in control of my life.
So, I got started writing my plan. As she suggested, I included ideas for my professional development, ways to make my job more meaningful, and options for other jobs just in case things didn’t get better.
As I look back over that plan, I can see how much I’ve grown. I found ways to do my job better than ever before. I also discovered ways to prioritize activities to create space for things that felt more meaningful, like counseling and consultation. Now, I have the ability to complete the core functions of my job and still support students and teachers in a tangible and purposeful way. I realize there are still areas that I need to work on, but that’s how life goes. The best part is that having my options written on paper made me feel like I had more control over my life.
Research shows that people who feel an internal locus of control tend to be happier, less stressed, more likely to set and achieve goals, and enjoy better physical health. So, the point is this, if you don’t have a 5-year plan, then you should think about creating one. Why? Because it will give you something to work toward and allow you to feel more control over your life.
Most people think it takes too much time to write out a plan. The truth is that you can do this in just a few minutes. Deep down, we all know where we want to be in the next five years. Imagine how your life will be in five years if you keep doing what you are doing right now. Maybe it will be fabulous. Chances are, your life will be virtually the same as it is today unless you make a conscious effort to steer it in a specific direction.
I just wrote a new 5-year plan a few months ago. I review it at least once a week. So far, I’m moving in the direction of my plan. I can’t wait to look back over it in a few years. I have learned that setting and reviewing my goals helps me move in the direction of my dreams.
Even better, setting quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily priorities helps me ensure that I am doing the daily practices that make the most difference. I periodically review my weekly and daily practices to see which activities are the most beneficial and which ones need to be deleted from my routine. This small investment of time has paid off. Now, I don’t feel as busy, and I’m getting more meaningful things done, both at work and at home.
Right now, I’m feeling very grateful for my trusted mentor taking a few minutes of her valuable time to listen and share. I have expressed my appreciation, but I don’t know if she truly knows how much she impacted my career and my life. Fortunately, this lovely lady is still in my life, so I have the opportunity to share my gratitude with her and continue learning from her vast experiences.
Thanks Jessica! I need a five year plan, just as you aptly described.
It’s a powerful process! What’s really fun is when you accomplish your 5-year plan in a much shorter time. That let’s me know I’m not dreaming big enough!