Five Years

It has been said that we greatly over estimate what we can accomplish in one year, and greatly under estimate what we can accomplish in five. An interesting theory, particularly when you are in a state of transition.

There are two books which sit on my nightstand in honor of the number five. Both were suggested to me by friends and they are interesting tools when you wish to gain some perspective on your life.

The first is my Five Year Diary. It was gifted to me by Jürgen as part of our first wedding anniversary, for I had always wanted one. Unlike a regular journal with blank ruled pages. this notebook has a page for every day of the year and each page is divided into five sections. The idea is that you simply jot down a few things you did that day, or perhaps a few thoughts you had. After a period of five years you can look through each day and see how life changes from year to year. Admittedly it takes some dedication, and there is a period of time from last year when I fell way behind with my journal. Now I am trying to recollect certain days to fill in the gaps, but as far as this year I am up to speed. I am excited to see how the next few years pan out and what happens.

The second is a workbook aptly titled "5" by Dan Zadra. It requires that you pull out a pen and maybe even some extra paper and leads you through a series of exercises to help you envision and create intentions for the next five years and, ultimately, your life. I am very early into this process, but I am eager to begin to dedicate more time to this work. Who knows where my life will be in five years? I do think its important to be malleable and open to possibilities that you may not have thought possible, but at the same time it's important that we take control of our own personal journey. This is a great tool to oil the mind and get the gears working.

All things considered it's also a good idea not to dwell too much on the future but be present and take things one day at a time.  It's a delicate balance, one that we all struggle with I imagine. However I don't think it's ever a bad idea to do some self work and question asking.

Do you think it's a good idea to think about your life five years from now, or do you prefer to take it day by day?