Five-Year Plan

So what’s your five-year plan? I’ve heard this phrase several times this week and it got me thinking. Sometimes I think I’ve got my life sorted out but when someone asks me about my five-year plan, I realize I have a ‘general overview’ plan (things like 'I want to be happy') and not a five-year plan.

Should I worry? Not really but I’m starting to think that my life isn't as organized as I thought it would be. See, I’ve always been a bit uptight about planning. I love making a checklist of things to do. I plan how my every day should go. Here’s an example:

Monday
- Lunch with sis
- Dinner at home, coffee with sis
- Bed by 11

Tuesday
- Watch The Apprentice, hence, staying in tonight.
- Bed by 11

Wednesday
- Lunch with Mia and Wilson
- Rearrange CDs alphabetically
- Evening, reading time, bed

Thursday
- Spend time with Lester in the evening
- Read some more, bed

You get the pic. And the thing is, it’s such a struggle for me to ‘interrupt’ my schedule. I’m a bit more flexible these days because it makes sense that not everyone can fit into my plans at my whim. It’s not a steadfast rule. Say on Tuesday I want to watch The Apprentice. I can still squeeze dinner with friends as long as I get home by nine.

My god. I sound like Monica from Friends.

I even plan my weekends in advance. Those who know me well are familiar with my ways. If I’m dressed to go for a drink at the beach, announcements such as, “Change of plans! We’re going clubbing!” doesn’t bode well with me. You have to tell me these things earlier. I have to have the right mind set, y’know what I mean? But since I met Lester, I have to say that I’m starting to loosen up a bit. He’s a lot more ‘let’s-just-see-how-it-goes’. It used to drive me crazy. Plans would get cancelled, plans would crop up…Nuts I tell you! So now, I try to just ‘wing it’ with him. Apa-apa pun jadi la, right honey? But the sweet thing is, he’s trying to be a bit more ‘predictable’ for me, heh heh. Life is good again.

But I digress. Back to the five-year plan. Let’s see. I’m 25. So what do I hope to achieve in five years? I love my job now, don’t get me wrong, but within the next five years I see myself getting a better job. Or at least going one step higher. Also, I think it’s practical to think that I’ll be focusing on saving money rather than spending it luxuriously. By 30, I would like to think I’ve settled down. In fact, I think it’s ideal to have one child before you hit thirty. I want to be one of those young mums who can still run around with their kids. But that’s just my opinion anyway.

So that’s about it. Better job, more money and kids by or before 30. What about you?

“Your love is better than ice cream, better than anything else that I’ve tried…”
- Sarah Maclachlan, Ice Cream