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Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

Anything related to matters of the mind

WJS

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If you are a working adult, at some point in your life you would need to answer this question, be it during an interview or during a performance review. I absolutely hated this question, and have always thought about giving sarcastic remarks like:

“Wait, let me consult my crystal ball”
or
“Geez, I haven’t even thought about what I want to have for lunch and you’re asking me about 5 years later? Get a grip!”

Those are of course the “wrong” answers and would result in you getting booted out of the company faster than you can say “goodbye”. The “correct” answer would be somewhere along the line of:

“I see myself contributing greatly to the company both as an individual and as a team member. My goal is to be in a managerial position within 5 years.”

I’ve always find this question meaningless, because i couldn’t care less about my future in any of the companies that I worked for. However, now I’m starting to take this question seriously. Thinking about the future forces you to put things into perspective. Can you see yourself still working at a job for more or less the same pay, while your buying power shrinks due to rapid rising cost of living? Would you regret not forcing yourself to try, forever wondering about the possibilities of “what if”?

So I took the first step and handed my resignation early of this month. I’ve been working on something since February and it’s starting to bear fruit. This is not the first time I quit a job, but this is definitely the very first time I quit a job and have a sense of relief and purpose.

The management didn’t stop me even though I was performing relatively well. After all, nobody is irreplaceable in a company. A few days later I got the exit interview survey.

exit.png

It was pretty standard stuff. I didn’t say much as I’ve already voiced out many issues and suggestions while I was working there and most of them fell on deaf ears.

So here’s to a new start. In 5 years’ time I see myself having enough cash-flow to semi-retire. It’s a very long shot but I’m going to work on it.

Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
 
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Danweebly

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I'm 17 now, I see myself having the freedom to live my dreams without having to work for anybody in the next 5 years. My business is still in its early stages and I'm working on it part-time while in college.
 

John Clancy

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Great question.

You know, this is one of these questions that I've always thought is pretty hard to answer. As you've alluded to in your post, we often just say whatever we think is appropriate for a particular situation.

We want the job, so we pretend like we truly care about what the business does.
We want our parents to be happy, so we tell them what they want to hear (might just be me!).
We don't want our partners to leave us, so we pretend like we know where we're going... Even when we don't.

I bounce around. Some days, I see the dream in all its Technicolor glory: financial freedom, early retirement to pursue my interests, the ability to create outstanding value in my field, on demand...

Then there's other days where I see nothing. The future is a road turning round a bend out of sight, and I have no idea what lies ahead.

I guess you can never really know what's in store. Illness, tragedy, and death are an unfortunate reality for lots of people (hopefully something we can avoid). These things rarely appear in our five year plan... But they still happen.

But that's no reason to roll over and ignore the opportunity that lies before you. If you want to submit to life and give up your chance to have some influence on your future, you're finished.

So where do I see myself in five years?
  • I hope to be in a comfortable position financially (making a full-time income working <20 hours a week), able to devote myself to growing the nonprofit I've got brewing in my mind.
  • I hope to have strong relationships with my family, friends and girlfriend (in no particular order).
  • I hope to be in good health... Something which has often eluded me (working on it though, one day at a time).
I think those are reasonably flexible outcomes to pursue. Come what may, I'll keep these targets in mind.
And sure, I have processes I'm employing (i.e. pursuing certain ventures, etc.), but I'm less attached to these than the ultimate objective.

Anyway... Rant/rambling over.
 

Olimac21

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I like to call 5 years from now question my vision: a space in the future where can aim for a very good outcome. And then from there work in separate areas, start exploring the how behind my what and why. For instance you can divide in 3: health, relationships and finances, then work from there and ask: What would be the best case scenario for me?

If you establish a good vision and you are disciplined enough to follow through amazing things can happen.
 
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Andy Black

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A friend was interviewed for a senior technical position.

When they asked him where he wanted to be in 5 years time he let rip at them.

“Can we stop wasting time with these bullshit HR questions and talk about the role?”

He got the job, although I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that angle for job interviews.

(Not saying it’s a BS question to ask ourselves btw.)



In five years time I’d like to be fitter and healthier, and be taxi driver taking my kids to sports and other activities.

Maybe we’re in a house with a bit of land so they can stretch their legs a bit more.

Maybe I’ve sold a business by then. I’m not too fussed.

I’ll keep chipping away and I’ll be where I’ll be. 24th March 2023 is just a date on a calendar. It’s just a small waystop on a lifelong journey.

It might sound weird to those who like goals and numbers, but I like movement more than destinations.
 
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XxThelionxX

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Lol I would like to put my family in a beach house but let’s put that as the tougher goal. The one to get would be sitting on a beach. Spending my time reading a book. I’m in Atlas Shrugged, and have just barely hit the tip of the ice berg!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

GMSI7D

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Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?


in 5 years, the world will be complety diffrent from now so i will be living as an hermit in the woods or something like that

like most guys in France wanting to be free from the matrix

i won't explain further because i will be labelled a " conspiracy theorist " or whatever BS that people say when they don't understand things in the world

the point is that big economic problems are at the door

the few guys that can understand are already prepared

the rest will be shocked by what's coming
 

Raoul Duke

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SmoothNiftyIzuthrush-size_restricted.gif






i am not joking here.
 
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WJS

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in 5 years, the world will be complety diffrent from now so i will be living as an hermit in the woods or something like that

Let me see if I get you... In 5 years' time you want to live as a hermit in the woods, cutting yourself completely from the world? or you plan to create your own community and live in your own world, like how it was depicted in M. Shyamalan's movie "The Village"? (terrible movie by the way, I managed to guess the ending before watching it and it was such a disappointment)

village.jpg

Either way, how is being in this forum help you achieve your goal? I have yet to see any member who wants the same thing as you. Maybe you are in the wrong forum?
 
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Raoul Duke

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That's very ambitious. How do you plan to get billions in 5 years?

i was bestowed upon a great gift

i won't explain further because i will be admitted into a "psych ward" or whatever...

the point is that big economic problems are at the door

the few guys that can understand are already prepared

the rest will be shocked by what's coming


P.S. i can see into the future.

P.P.S. i am not joking here.
 
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Kennypaul

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Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

If you are a working adult, at some point in your life you would need to answer this question, be it during an interview or during a performance review. I absolutely hated this question, and have always thought about giving sarcastic remarks like:

“Wait, let me consult my crystal ball”
or
“Geez, I haven’t even thought about what I want to have for lunch and you’re asking me about 5 years later? Get a grip!”

Those are of course the “wrong” answers and would result in you getting booted out of the company faster than you can say “goodbye”. The “correct” answer would be somewhere along the line of:

“I see myself contributing greatly to the company both as an individual and as a team member. My goal is to be in a managerial position within 5 years.”

I’ve always find this question meaningless, because i couldn’t care less about my future in any of the companies that I worked for. However, now I’m starting to take this question seriously. Thinking about the future forces you to put things into perspective. Can you see yourself still working at a job for more or less the same pay, while your buying power shrinks due to rapid rising cost of living? Would you regret not forcing yourself to try, forever wondering about the possibilities of “what if”?

So I took the first step and handed my resignation early of this month. I’ve been working on something since February and it’s starting to bear fruit. This is not the first time I quit a job, but this is definitely the very first time I quit a job and have a sense of relief and purpose.

The management didn’t stop me even though I was performing relatively well. After all, nobody is irreplaceable in a company. A few days later I got the exit interview survey.

View attachment 18841

It was pretty standard stuff. I didn’t say much as I’ve already voiced out many issues and suggestions while I was working there and most of them fell on deaf ears.

So here’s to a new start. In 5 years’ time I see myself having enough cash-flow to semi-retire. It’s a very long shot but I’m going to work on it.

Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
I see myself adding value to people's lives on an exponential scale through a business that I create and to take care of my family.
 

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Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
Maybe, by then, I can finally decide what I want to be when I grow up. I'll only be 69 years old. The sky is my limits...
 

lewj24

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Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

I see myself working harder than ever before. Learning more than ever before. Achieving more than ever before.
 
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Mr.Brandtastic

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I’ve always find this question meaningless, because i couldn’t care less about my future in any of the companies that I worked for.

Oh god yes. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Hopefully as far away from here as possible.

i am not joking here.

I know. Shoot for billions, if you end up with only tens of millions, are you really going to be crying? Probably not.

Where do I see myself in 5 years? Independently wealthy.
 

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not sure, but 5 years ago i asked myself the same question. im not doing incredibly awesome, but definitely better than 5 years ago.
 

p0stscript

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How do you plan to get billions in 5 years?

Richard Branson once said "If you want to be a Millionaire, start with a billion dollars and launch a new airline", so following that logic to be a billionaire start with a trillion dollars.
A million is easily achievable, 10 million is new new bench mark for rich, a billion is only 100x that. To get 10 million do ten times what you do to get one million, to get a billion do ten times and then ten time more again.
(If only it was so simple ;))
 
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Last edited:

WJS

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Maybe, by then, I can finally decide what I want to be when I grow up. I'll only be 69 years old. The sky is my limits...

Yes totally agree! Age is just a number. What you do with your life is what's most important
 

WJS

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Richard Branson once said "If you want to be a Millionaire, start with a billion dollars and launch a new airline", so following that logic to be a billionaire start with a trillion dollars.
A million is easily achievable, 10 million is new new bench mark for rich, a billion is only 10x that. To get 10 million do ten timestwhat you do to get one million, to get a billion do ten times more again.
(If only it was so simple ;))

Yeah if only it was so simple, we'd all be sipping fancy drinks in some exotic island now :hilarious:. But then again, it's better to take action and make things happen than to sit around and daydream about success all day long
 

Kennypaul

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Yeah if only it was so simple, we'd all be sipping fancy drinks in some exotic island now :hilarious:. But then again, it's better to take action and make things happen than to sit around and daydream about success all day long
Yes!....I totally agree with you.I'm sick of daydreaming.
 
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