Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
It’s more than an just an interview question.
It’s a question you should be asking yourself. Where DO you see yourself in 5 years? Because before you know it, 5 years is going to creep up on you, and if you don’t like where you are you can’t get those years back.
As much as you may want to, you can’t get a do-over.
What you can get though, is a chance to plan what you want right now.
It might sound hard to project yourself that far into the future, especially with all the unknowns. With all the demands that you have placed on you right now you might think that you have no way to course-correct even if you wanted to.
But I promise, it’s not nearly as hard as it seems.
In fact, I would be willing to bet that you know a lot more about where you see yourself in 5 years than you give yourself credit for.
Actually, clients that have started working with me have been astounded at how much they have figured out so quickly.
So today I have a challenge for you. Go ahead and try to answer that question for yourself. But with a twist. I’m not going to ask, where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I’m going to ask, where do you realistically want to see yourself in 5 years because you worked to get there?
I find that if I don’t put those qualifiers in, people will tell me that they want to be hosting Richard Branson on their own private yacht in St. Tropez. It would be nice, and it could happen, but . . . what I really want to know is what you’re prepared to do and the kind of success you’re prepared to create for yourself. What does that look like?
Or are you content to stay on the path you’re walking? If you are, that’s ok. There’s no judgement at all. But if not, you’re going to have to take a turn off that path.
That means:
DO. SOMETHING. DIFFERENT.
It’s Not About Interview Preparation
“Where do you see yourself in 5 years” can’t just be about interview preparation.
It has to be about what you need to do differently in your life right now so that you end up on that different road.
While you probably know this in your heart, it’s time to do something so that you end up where you actually want to be in 5 years.
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It truly isn’t impossible.
You have to ask yourself, “what is my future worth to me?”
Is it worth spending some effort and energy trying to figure out where you’re going?
Is it worth some of the emotional work that it takes to get really clear on not only your dreams and goals, but on what’s holding you back and how to overcome that?
Is it worth making yourself emotionally vulnerable and admitting that you’re human and that maybe you don’t have all the answers and could use some help planning?
After all, why do we spend more time planning our finances, our vacations, our weddings (and divorces), and our kids college decisions than we do the course of our careers and lives? So tell me, where DO you see yourself in 5 years?
Do you think you’ll be there? And what are you doing to make sure that happens?