Next Stop
it might not be the one you imagined but the one you need
Where Do You See Yourself in Ten Years?
I was fourteen years old the first time this question came up in my life. At school, during an extracurricular activity, the students were requested to imagine themselves ten years forward. Back then, I was certain about moving to New York City to manage a multinational. Despite not knowing everything that implicated, I was confident in my ability to do it.
To put this plan into action, I had to make a choice that would impact my life and career path. And I made it but it didn’t go as intended.
Grade ten was around the corner and that meant — besides having a lot more to study — choosing a major. Out of the four available to me, the chosen one was Economy as I started dreaming about managing a company when I was about thirteen.
About two months before classes started, I was prompted to make a final decision on my course. I was given a form to fill with all options offered by the school.
Until that day, it was very clear to me what to choose. However, when I had to tick one box, I couldn’t. The truth is that I didn’t fully love my choice. I liked the idea of being CEO but my heart always belonged to the Arts.
Yet that is an uncertain field, with fewer job opportunities. So, I discarded the idea of pursuing a career in the arts almost immediately.
With a paper in front of me, which I thought was the future of my professional life, doubt filled my mind.
A choice between love and convenience had to be made and I wasn’t particularly thrilled about making it.
But it was time and I chose convenience.
When the school year began, I was nervous not only because of the new school, teachers, and colleagues but also the course.
As classes progressed, I realized that I didn’t belong there. Sometimes, while on break, I sneaked into the other building wing, where the art classes took place.
I picked into the classroom delighted by the art pieces on the walls. The students focused, were creating extensions of themselves with brushes, pens, pencils, paints. It was fascinating!
I started wondering if it was too late to change my mind. I could stay put and become the businesswoman I once dreamed of or I could defy what I thought was a sure path to success to follow my love.
This time, I chose love.
As a consequence, I had to repeat the school year, for the first and only time. On top of that, I decided to change school. A brand new start! — or at least that’s what I hoped for.
Finally, I was doing something I loved but things weren’t quite as I imagined: the classes were very restrictive from a creative point of view and the classrooms weren’t well equipped.
By 11th grade, disappointment took over me and I felt lost, again.
I was sure it was too late to change anything. So, I had to keep going until the end even if that meant falling out of love with art.
And, that’s exactly what ended up happening. I only made art for obligation, not for my enjoyment anymore.
Then, the school year was over and I was left feeling as if I made a huge mistake.
I will, most likely, never know how life would’ve been if I continued to study Economy. But I do know that following my love for art wasn’t a mistake.
It would’ve been wrong to carry on doing something I wasn’t fully invested in. I rather spend my time doing what I love while being fully present than being half the professional I could be while doing something convenient.
“Where do you see yourself in ten years?”
Well, thinking of this question today only reminds me of how pointless it is. Life happens and some things are just out of our control. All the energy wasted designing our plans for the next ten years, could be used to enjoy the present moment.
These days, I tend to make plans daily. You would be surprised by how much more fulfilled and happy this might make you feel. Enjoying the now doesn’t mean not thinking about the future. It just means you’re leaving some space to appreciate how far you’ve come!
Back to the question…
If I really had to think about it, today, I would envision a life filled with creativity, peace, happiness, love, and health.
After putting things into perspective, I realized that I don’t wish for a career that simply pays the bills. I want to do something meaningful, even if that means working extra hard. Besides, a job isn’t the only essential thing to live a happy life.
I do recognize the need to provide for myself, obviously, but money isn’t all I care about. I´ve grown and improved as a human being so it’s natural that my goals have changed.
I’m nowhere near where I thought I would be ten years ago but I don’t see that as a bad thing. On the contrary, the hurdles I was subjected to revealed abilities I didn’t know I had.
I wouldn’t be truly honest if I pretended that, at times, a little voice doesn’t try to convince me that I’m failing because I didn’t stick with the plan. Instead of listening carefully to such an unfair accusation, I focus on what I gained from not achieving what (I thought) I wanted.
I learned to fear change a little less. Staying in an inadequate situation due to the apprehension to leave, is something I wish to never experience in my life again.
Although this might sound cliché, life is indeed too short (even if you live until a hundred years old) to do something we don’t truly care about.
So, whenever possible, it’s good to modify what’s no longer satisfying.
My ten-year life plan has shifted significantly and there’s a chance yours has too. Please remember: that’s okay!
To be able to access your progress means that, no matter how much of your vision has come to fruition, you’re still here, ten years later.
You already achieved something incredible: survived! Therefore, there’s still time to keep trying or to change your goals altogether.
