As I write this, I ask myself, "does anyone else organize their life into 5-year increments?". I think I know the answer, I feel many people would find a 5-year plan incredibly stressful. For me it is the way that I have rolled for twenty years. Don't get me wrong, I have left decisions to the very end of the fifth year, but I usually finish the plan. A 5-year plan works for me.
I have written about my retirement story many times. It was quite possibly the one and only thing in my life that I followed to the T. I have been following 5-year plans since I was 50, but turning 65 was when I really embraced it. Well, look at that, those 5 years have flown by at warp speed. That means it is time to launch another 5-year plan.
I usually prepare to write a post by doing a google search on the topic. Google says that a five-year plan is a strategic roadmap that outlines personal, professional, or organizational goals to be achieved over the next five years. They suggest it should include actionable steps and measurable milestones.
Well, my first thought was that was an elaborate explanation. Way more information than I needed or wanted. I don't need to make any professional goals so that has left me with personal and organizational goals. One thing I have learned is to not get carried away, and to only put things on my plan that I know are attainable.
At one point in time, I thought I would move somewhere. I struggled to decide where that somewhere was. I went back to one of my favorite mantras which is, "if you don't know what to do, do nothing". I think the moving ship has sailed and one of my first decision on my new 5-year plan was to continue to live in my condo. I enjoy condo life; it is designed for people like me. I have staff that come regularly and mow the grass and remove the snow. On the rare occasion they weed my shrubs and I am happy with the results. I find that 960 square feet is the perfect amount of space for me. I am not someone that needs a lot of storage and that is a good thing because I don't have storage space. Many of the people in my condo life moved into the community at the same time I did. In the 18 years that I have lived in my condo the surrounding area has exploded with houses, apartments and recently a massive school. I once lived in a new, underdeveloped area in Brandon, now I live in one of the very populated areas.
When I think about travel, there is one missing piece in my travel log. Nunavut is the only territory, and Iqaluit is the only capital city that I haven't visited. I think a visit to this very northern capital city would be a great goal to put on my 5-year plan. I am going to throw in Churchill while I am at. There are some travel options here. You can take a day trip to Churchill. Yep, you fly out of Winnipeg early morning with your bagged lunch. When you get there, you get on the buggy and go to watch the polar bears. I am assuming that is the same option for whale watching. You eat at a local restaurant and then fly back to Winnipeg. A friend recently went to Churchill, and her advice is to drive to Thompson, then take the train to Churchill. She visited in June and saw hundreds of whales and some polar bears. I think I would fly out of Churchill to Iqaluit. It will be an extremely expensive trip, but it checks many boxes. I will get to say I have been to every capital city of every province and territory in Canada. That is not anything that is going to be put on my tombstone, but nonetheless an accomplishment.
I know I will have to buy a new vehicle in the next 5 years. If I could I would never buy another vehicle, ever! Buying a vehicle is not my thing. I have no clue what I am doing. My decision is based solely on if I like the color of the vehicle. Is it different and would it stand out in a parking lot, when I am searching for it. How do people ever find their "white" vehicle? I bought my condo in 30 minutes, and it takes weeks for me to make a decision on a vehicle. I like driving an SUV and I will buy one again. I plan to drive for the next 5 years. I say that because technically I fall into the category as elderly. There are already many elderly people driving in Brandon. They seem to be easy to pick out. I don't want to be the person crawling down the street, turning from the wrong lane or unaware the effect I am having on traffic. The struggle is real for me, and I want to recognize in myself when I should stop driving.
The four decisions I made five years ago, will continue into my new plan. I plan to continue to go to CrossFit. It is an exercise that works for me. I could care less about being fit, I do care about being strong. I will continue to do my volunteer work. I still get excited and look forward to the time I spend volunteering. I plan to continue to paddle. This past year has been full of paddling, raising money and non-stop events to attend. All of that falls right into my wheelhouse. Lastly, I will continue to send a blog out every Sunday. Writing is good for me. I am so grateful for the red and blue lines that appear under words that help me create a nice-looking post. That is the structure and routine that I needed to get me through the last 5 years, so it only makes sense for me to carry them forward.
I don't want my 5-year plan to be elaborate, that is just too chaotic for me. I don't need to get in my head about what I should do, I just want to be able to do it. I have decided to have simple ideas with attainable goals and rewards, that will work best for me for the next 5 years.
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