Do you want this to still be your life in five years?

A coaching client said to me recently: “I’ve never liked the idea of a five-year plan”.

And I had to agree. It feels too much like a corporate box-ticking exercise.

Like something you're supposed to have rather than something that's actually useful.

When I was 40 and working with a coach, she asked me a question:

"What do you want your life to look like when you're 45?"

I remember resisting it at first.

I didn't want a five-year plan. I didn't know exactly what I wanted and I didn’t see the value in mapping out my future in that way.

But the question stayed with me.

The clarity I wasn’t expecting

When I properly thought about it, it helped me lift my head up from the day-to-day and look at where my life was heading.

What became clear was that I didn't want to still be living in our house in five years' time.

I didn't want to still be doing the same job.

I wanted more freedom and work that felt more like me.

That didn't turn into a neat five-year plan.

But it did lead to some big changes.

We moved house. I retrained as a coach. I left my corporate career.

Not overnight - but steadily over the course of the last four years.

Of course it hasn’t all been smooth sailing but I’m proud of what I’ve achieved.

Proud that I was honest enough to admit something needed to change and brave enough to do something about it.

I see a lot of men in their 40s and 50s who are in a similar place.

Life looks good on paper but there's a nagging sense that it isn't quite right anymore.

So I’m not recommending you sit down and write yourself a five-year plan.

But I do think there's value in asking yourself:

If nothing changed, would I actually want this to still be my life in five years' time?

You don't have to make any big decisions today.

But I bet the answer will give you some useful data to work with.

If you’d like support to help you figure it out, book a free half hour chat with me and we’ll see if there’s work we can do together.