why your 5-year plan is a joke

back in the day, i used to think life worked like a well-organized google doc.

step 1: make a solid 5-year plan.
step 2: follow the plan.
step 3: live happily ever after.

but here’s the thing: life does not care about your spreadsheet.

let’s be real. how many people actually end up doing what they planned 5 years ago? almost no one. because life is messy, unpredictable, and full of weird plot twists. you think you’re heading in one direction, then boom! one random conversation, one mistake, or one unexpected opportunity changes everything.

i once thought i’d have life all figured out by 21. news flash: i don’t. and neither does anyone else. the people who pretend they do? they’re just better at faking it. five years ago, i thought i’d be doing something completely different from where i am today. what changed? everything. from the skills i picked up to the people i met, none of it was in my “plan.”

why 5-year plans don’t work

1. the world moves fast

five years ago, tiktok wasn’t a career path. five years from now, who knows what will exist? betting on a rigid plan is like trying to predict the weather in a month, it’s mostly guesswork. and in an age where ai is disrupting industries overnight, adaptability isn’t just useful, it’s necessary.

2. you don’t even know yourself yet

the things you care about now? they’ll probably change. the things you think you want? you might outgrow them. making a 5-year plan assumes you won’t evolve, which is just… not how being human works. even between 18 and 21, my interests have shifted drastically. if i had locked myself into a rigid plan back then, i’d be miserable right now.

3. opportunities you don’t see yet will appear

if you only stick to a plan, you might miss better opportunities that come out of nowhere. the best moves often happen when you’re open to surprises. i once said yes to a project i wasn’t even sure about. turned out, that decision led me to meet someone who completely changed my career trajectory.

what to do instead

1. skill stacking

get good at things that compound over time (writing, sales, coding, creativity). these open doors you didn’t even know existed. instead of planning where you want to be in five years, focus on becoming the kind of person who can thrive in any situation.

2. bias for action

say yes to things that make you curious. start small, test ideas, and pivot fast. the sooner you stop waiting for “the right time” and just start, the faster you figure out what works (and what doesn’t).

3. optimize for learning & relationships

the best investments in your 20s aren’t stocks, they’re experiences and people. go where the energy is. surround yourself with people who challenge you, expose yourself to new perspectives, and don’t be afraid to take calculated risks.

4. embrace short-term experiments

instead of locking yourself into a 5-year plan, set 6-month experiments. try new things, reflect, and course-correct. it’s a much better way to grow without boxing yourself in.

life isn’t a straight road, it’s more like a maze with secret tunnels and trap doors. the best things that happen to you won’t be in your plan. so stay adaptable, take smart risks, and let life surprise you.

long story short: make plans, but don’t marry them. life’s better when you let it be a little unpredictable.