ZZ: What's Your 5 Year Goal?

By MJ Whitworth

I always thought that ?5 year goal? question was hog wash. Hooey. Just something an interviewer asks. Frankly, I thought of it as an opportunity to remember the job listing and give it back in two paragraphs or less ? with some personal twist or flare or a surprise answer at the end.

Whatever worked, I would do. It was never a serious question to me, really, until one day, when I heard myself expounding on the joys of account management to the interviewer?s delight. It was at that moment that I realized that it was me who was full of hooey.

At that precise moment I finished my answer abruptly and thought, ?I don?t want this job! I hate the idea of doing account management! Why, when you ask me what my 5 year plan is, do I fall in lock step with your expectations? Why?? I frantically searched my mind while the HR director ruffled papers, looking for my references and mumbling her apologies. I just sat there silently sweating with a smile pasted on my face, listening for the answer inside my own heart. Luckily, she left the room, leaving a trail of papers like breadcrumbs. I gasped aloud when I heard the answer coming back to me: ?Darling, you don?t have a 5 year plan.? Had the interviewer been there, she probably would have called 9-1-1.

Luckily, the interview was almost over and I could leave without more auditory revelations. But by the time I got to my car, breathing heavily into a paper bag, it was clear to me that I had never thought about where I wanted to go and how far along that path I wanted to be five years from now.
I was 26 ? who cared about 5 years from now? I cared about getting a job that would keep me in Cole Haan shoes and Coach bags. No, I wasn?t proud of it, but it was the truth.

Whose goal is that?


To be perfectly honest, I didn?t even have any way of judging whether that job was something that would be good for me or not. It paid well and had lots of perks ? that was all I knew. It immediately became clear to me that her question pointed out a bigger flaw in my plan: it wasn?t just about where I wanted to be 5 years from now, but what was my plan in general? What was my philosophy of work? Why do I do what I do? What was going to make me happy? What was my definition of success? It was a wash of reality that seemed to come from deep inside. When I finally finished that carton of ice cream and 6-pack of root beer, I knew I would have to start asking myself some tough questions if I ever wanted to figure out my goals in life.

Problem was, I had no long-term goals beyond ?to be happy and successful and comfortable enough to travel and live by my own schedule.? That sounded great ? was and is true ? but it lacked something, like, how the heck was I supposed to get to that place without marrying into money or sticking up a bank? The truth was, I hadn?t a clue.
I think I was like many women who have a vague outline of what they want in life and think that many paths will get them there. Many of us are content to let the river?s current do the work and don?t go out of our way to make tough or unpopular choices ? or we barge through, tough as nails, and choose based on other?s expectations. Many of us are possessed by the goals and expectations of our parents ? what they think will be best (and safest) for us to pursue ? long into our 30?s. It?s not so much that those aren?t exciting, motivating, exhilarating or fulfilling paths, the trouble is that they are not ours. When you come to this revelation, whether it comes to you at 16 or 26 or 36, it?s clear that you must find your own path, your own philosophy and your own goals in order to find what you want in life. Sometimes, that?s a pretty tall order.

Show me the money!

I have plenty of friends who laugh at me when I talk about ?philosophy,? as if it?s a ridiculous thing to consider. They are the same friends who say ?I just want to make money ? a job is a job.? That may be true, but you spend quite a lot of time working; you spend at least a third to a half of your waking hours (for many of us, more than that) working. Wouldn?t it be better to do something that meant something to you? And if you think the mantra ?I just want to make money? drives you, then think a little deeper. There are lots of ways to make money. How you get there will make all the difference in how fast you get there and how much you enjoy the ride.

I?m here past 10 years since the interview to tell you that the details are in your hands. The disease of the young is to think time is unlimited. Or, that things will come along to show you your true path. Things might indeed come along, but how on earth do you know they?re for you if you haven?t thought about what makes you happy?

What?s your definition of success?

It might be good to first clarify your parent?s version or the version of success you have had imprinted on you by other means. We are all consumers of advertising marketing and branding, it?s bound to make an impact. Listen to the ?shoulds? and the ?I gottas? in your own speech. Those are strong clues to the parts of your current philosophy that don?t really match what you feel inside.

Next, take some time writing or thinking or talking about this concept with your friends, your significant other, and even your kids (if you have them).

Ask yourself, What brings you joy?

What do you do as a decadent treat? Do you read? Do you run to the fabric store? Do you spend hours at the bookstore? Do you appreciate how a movie is made?

What makes you laugh? What if you won the lottery? How would you spend your time? What do you do in your spare time now?

Think back on all the jobs you?ve had, the ones you?ve hated and the ones you?ve loved. What do they have in common? How are they different?

Ask your close friends and members of your family, what talents and leanings did they see in you? What do they think you?re great at that you don?t even recognize?

Remember back, what were your favorite games? Did they involve sitting alone or organizing a neighborhood play? Did you lip synch to music or perform in the mirror every day? Did you write in a journal? Did you love to listen to stories and ask loads of questions? Do you secretly analyze how people start their own businesses? Do you love success stories and want to hear more? Do you write about anything in particular? Is there something you?ve longed to do but were too afraid to try? Regional theatre? Inventing something? Taking a class in business management?

Another great way to figure out your definition of success is to think about the people you would like to model your life after. Mother Teresa? Madonna? Oprah? Tom Brokaw? Ted Turner? Read biographies or watch them for clues to your own philosophy. Also, be sure to ask yourself, Is the part that I like about this person, that they are famous and rich or is it the choices they have made? The people they help? The kind of work they do?

These questions are little spark plugs to your imagination that will make it easier to see what your feelings are about success and what it means to you.

Clearing the decks ? your own philosophy


This is a writing exercise. For those of you who think you can?t string a sentence together, it matters not. It?s only for you, no one else will read it.

Dig in! Just start writing every day on this topic, What is important to me? Answer some of the other questions I?ve put to you as well. 30 minutes every day should do it. Also, as some of the best writing coaches have told me, resist the urge to do it on your computer. Use pen and paper. There?s something about that connection, your hand on the paper and guiding the pen that brings out things from deep inside. Do this for at least a month. It?s better the longer you do it. Writing on this topic for several months should get you working toward defining your own philosophy of work, life, and happiness. Meditation on this subject wouldn?t hurt either.
If you?ve been able to answer these big, philosophical questions, then the 5 year plan question should be a snap. Let?s give it a try with my own personal work philosophy so you can see how it works.

My personal work philosophy is to do work that allows me an outlet for creative expression. Every day, I want to do work of some kind that expresses my creativity. I want become a voice through as many mediums as possible ? print, television, radio, art, gardening, calligraphy etc. My definition of happiness is to be able to do these things for a living and enjoy the company of my family and animals unencumbered by an outside work schedule or cubicle farm (i.e. work from home). I want to do this kind of work as a way to travel, meet new people, and as a teaching tool for others. I want to employ my chosen avenues of creative expression to connect with others and develop meaningful community and good relationships.

You?ll note that nowhere do I mention ?account management.? Also, detail work is not mentioned. That?s a clue to me to stop applying for jobs that include those skills. Also, I do address the money issue. It?s not a curse! I want to make enough money doing what I love to do to be able to have the things I want to have ? like a house on the coast of Maine (check) and travel (check). Pretty good, so far.
Also remember that once you get it, your philosophy can grow and expand with you. As your life changes, it will be a touchstone to which you can compare experiences and opportunities as they come your way.

So, where do you want to be in the next 5 years?

Ah, I knew we would come back to this eventually. If you?ve thought through your philosophy and what makes you happy, this should really be a no-brainer. To do this, break this huge philosophical statement up into little bite-sized pieces.

How am I going to get there from here? If you?ve mentioned working from home, can you do some kind of job-share on a short-term basis? Can you develop clients in your spare time?

If the kind of work you want to do is completely different from the kind you do now, how do you get over there? Do you need to take classes? Does it need another degree? I recommend finding people who already do what you want to do and asking them tons of questions. I even have a friend who has a one-on-one mentor relationship with an accomplished writer. They meet once a week and talk about how they are coming along toward their 5 year goals (getting my first book published, for example). It?s a great way to get advice and keep yourself on track.

Remember to keep moving with your 5 year goals. Keep a list of things you want to accomplish that will get you closer to those goals. And as you accomplish the goals, add new ones. Also, don?t forget to challenge yourself. Joy is also found in climbing mountains that we thought we could never scale.

Now, do you have an answer for that HR Director when he or she asks you that question? Hopefully, you?ll be able to give him or her a meaningful peek inside your philosophy that gets you closer to your vision of happiness far sooner than you ever could have imagined!

About the Author: Mary Jo Whitworth is a former TV news producer and media relations consultant, who runs her own television production company, Workhorse Productions, LLC based in Brunswick, Maine.