You don't always need to have a strategy - Sometimes, a "no idea" is as good as a good idea.
Ricardo Brito
Helping senior tech and creative professionals navigate their next career move, pivot into new roles, or launch their solopreneur ventures | Work & Career Coach | Solopreneurship Mentor | Advisor
What do you want to be when you grow up? What's your 5-year plan? How do you see yourself in 10 years? These questions are like the annoying relatives at a family gathering—they just keep coming back. We're constantly pushed to have a strategy, to set goals, and to know exactly where we want to be, especially in our professional lives. But let's be honest: there are times when we have no freaking clue where we want to go let alone how to get there. It’s that empty feeling that precedes the anxiety, fear, and despair the question brings: “What am I doing with my life?”.
So, what do we do? We create goals, that deeply, we are not even sure we want. We whip up a half-assed strategy just to feel secure, to have a plan, a direction—even if it's not the right one. At least we can say, "Hey, I have a direction." This pressure to always have it figured out can be overwhelming. We might find ourselves grasping for answers, any answers, just to push away the discomfort of not knowing. Somehow the discomfort does go away. Or does it?
Well, I'm here to tell you something today: You don't always need to have a goal. You don't always need to have a strategy. It's totally fine to admit, "I have no freaking clue what I want to do next." Whether you're fresh out of university or mid-career, it's okay to feel lost. It's OK to realize that what once fueled your passion no longer does, or that you simply want to change.
Don’t make decisions that aren't truly aligned with who you are. Sometimes, it's better to sit in the discomfort and be honest with yourself. What brought me here? Why do I feel this way? What can I do about it? Maybe the lack of a goal or strategy is a sign that other areas of your life need attention, areas you haven't admitted to yourself yet. Or that important parts of yourself and your identity are redefining themselves.
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Use this time to figure yourself out, to explore what you like, what you need, and what’s different. Only then will you understand what your goals are and be able to draft a strategy to achieve them. Don't force a strategy or goals just for the sake of it.
So, next time someone asks you about your 5-year plan, feel free to smile and say, "I don’t know. I'm figuring it out, and that's perfectly okay."
Leadership & Career Coach for Design Leaders | I help you gain greater autonomy & trust from executives | ex-Design Leader | EMCC Senior Practitioner | Heavy Metal & Fantasy Geek ??| DM to book a FREE Career Consultation
3 个月Great piece ?sometimes something is NOT better than nothing ????
Design mentor | life & career coach for creatives
3 个月I can relate to it because I myself experienced this process of letting my life unfold naturally not following any plan in 2023. And I'm still in that with lots of ideas of what's next :) I have to say, this is the most profound moment of my life in terms of connecting with myself and my true needs. Embracing diffuse thinking—allowing ideas to come naturally after periods of rest—often brings about the best solutions in a middle of chaos. Giving ourselves space, trusting the unknown and our instincts, rather than external noise, is a privilege and a powerful strategy in itself. Thank you for exploring this topic and sharing your thoughts with us!
??♂? “out of office” until Dec 2nd. Please reach me via email if urgent or send a msg. Joined recruitment, saved money, quit. Now living by the sea. I’m here to enjoy life and help people. Check About for more????
3 个月I like that you are taking the pressure out of "goals" and "plans." So true most of the time it's just making the decision thats right in front of us and trusting that it will lead us down the right path (which it always does)