500 Words a Week - Planning Ahead

I remember I had an interview about a year ago, in which I got asked where I saw myself in 5 years. I responded that I didn’t know. COVID brought so much uncertainty to so many people, and this made me think differently about my priorities and values. The interview panel didn’t enjoy or like this response.

Since then I’ve thought about this question and what I want to do, but still have that feeling of uncertainty. Listening to Boyd Varty speak on the Tim Ferris Show (skip to 4:30 to miss the ads) brought about a lot of interesting viewpoints to consider.

“I don’t know where I am going, but I know how to get there.”

At times we can get so wrapped up in thinking of our plan for the future that we let it interfere with the now. I’m committed to planning for the future, but I’m not willing to let this become a burden.

Boyd states there is information in your life to help you along the path, but you must become attuned to it. Things that you need to attune yourself towards are what makes you feel more expansive and alive. Let go of your rational idea about what you feel you should do or think you have to do, and pay attention to the next thing you know you must do. Notice what you move towards and what you are curious about. Notice the people around you that energize you (and the ones that don’t), and the activities that make you feel more alive.

When talking about the training process I like to use the metaphor of a road trip. We roughly know the end destination where we want to arrive at, but we are flexible with how we get there. In training, this relates to not being overly structured with our prescription of exercise and plans we put in place, as people respond in so many different ways that we need to be flexible. Some athletes can keep developing on the same programme, others might need more frequent variation. This should also relate to our plan for the future. We should have some form of end goal in mind, with maybe a few stops along the way of where we would like to go/ what we would like to achieve. However, we can still allow ourselves to be flexible with how we get there and take on what Boyd discusses. Similarly, we shouldn’t feel anxious or worried if we haven’t a definitive plan laid out in front of us.

Be attuned to what energizes you, makes you curious and pulls your forward.