Let’s Talk: Change and 5-Year Plans

As a blogger, I often have multiple working drafts of various blog posts that haven’t been made public yet — some of which I haven’t decided if I’ll ever really make public. This is one of them. Keep reading for a chat on change, 5-year plans, working toward the life you want and overcoming things not going as planned.

CHANGE

I’m beginning to realize that around this time every two years or so, I hit an “itch,” if you will. I know that’s kind of vague and I’ll share more when I can, but that’s the best way I can describe this feeling. Whether this itch is initiated by me or outside factors, it seems to be a trend in my life at this point. It always calls for the next step, change and sometimes decisions that I don’t want to make because they’re not necessarily easy.

When it comes to change, I truly can’t decide if I’m someone who is resistant to it or not. I think it’s fair to say though that I get very comfortable and I’m easily content, so change isn’t always something that I necessarily crave. As long as things in my life are okay, I’m okay. I’m not usually looking for the next bigger and better thing unless I’m unhappy where I’m at. Now that I’m typing this, it seems like change isn’t really my vibe… 😅

Like everyone else, I hate when good things come to an end, or the “good” things are no longer as good as you once thought they were. I think it can be difficult to love change because it’s now always your choice when and how it happens. It can come out of nowhere and completely derail your life and push you on another course. There are so many outside factors that aren’t under our control, and as someone who likes to be in control (me), it’s a tough pill to swallow at times.

Change reminds me that I have so many constants (if those even exist, right?) and variables in my life presently to be thankful for. I have the best husband, the sweetest pup, good health, a beautiful home of our own and a day-to-day life I enjoy. I feel good about myself (usually at least, I’m human) and the people in my life.

I think change is difficult to be prepared for, and that’s what scares me. I don’t like to be thrown for a loop, scrambling to put the pieces back together. I understand that change is necessary though because it’s what pushes our lives forward and evolves us as people. Not everything can stay the same, which is great when you’re going through tough times, but not so great when you’re enjoying how things are presently playing out. We don’t always get to consent to change and it can feel like it’s controlling us rather than us controlling it.

WHAT’S MY 5-YEAR PLAN?

The prospect of change has me thinking about my 5-year plan. Where do I want to be this time next year, a couple years after that and so on? I wouldn’t say I’m necessarily a big planner when it comes to longterm goals and aspirations because it can take away from the present moment and my current contentedness (which, as I said, is usually a constant for me), but I think it’s helpful to think about it when you’re struggling to get your footing.

In my experience, life loses its set schedule once you’re done with schooling. From that point, we start framing it around life events and careers. Now that Justin and I been married for two years and bought our house back in September 2018, the next big life change for us will likely be starting a family. Our plan, though not strict or on any sort of dated timeline whatsoever, was always to get married, buy a house, get a dog and have a baby with no particular amount of time in between each step. I think it’s safe to say that starting our family will be the biggest change yet, and thinking about the lifestyle I want to have and where I want to be in my career at that point seems especially relevant.

Would I want to be a stay-at-home mom? Not necessarily, but I think we can all agree that it would be nice to have the option regardless. Someday, I’d love to be in a position where I don’t have to rely on other people for my income (as I’m sure you can guess with my blog and freelance business). I think all of us dream of having a life where we’re in the driver’s seat choosing when we work, who we work with, etc. I grew up in an entrepreneurial family and the sense of whether I think that is possible/realistic or not for me changes day to day. In all honesty, I would love to do media kits (my personal favorite!), logos, resumes, websites, etc. for people (especially bloggers) all day long. I’m a hard worker and I know I manage myself well, but the steps to get to this point seem uncertain for me. In my DNA, I’m not someone to give up financial security, and pursuing a life like this is a risk because consistent income isn’t necessarily promised.

I see us staying in our house for a while (I’m guessing until be outgrow it) because we love it. Justin and I don’t see ourselves living outside of Indiana, but I would like to travel here and there over the next 5 years and beyond. Neither of us likes to blow money on tons of trips and have only been a couple places together, but I think it would be fun to budget for that and make it happen. I see us maybe getting a second dog years down the road, and would you believe that I already have a name picked out? 😂

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Anyway, that’s my little chat on change, 5-year plans and life lately. Are you someone who adjusts well to change? Do you crave it or hate it? Do you have a rough 5-year plan or a more strict one that framing your life around? I’d love to hear your perspective in the comments! As always, thank you so much for reading and check back for another post later this week!