Have you ever been asked:
What’s your 5 year plan?
It’s a dreaded question.
Some days we wake up and don’t even know our five hour plan.
Sometimes the thought of waking up and doing what we are doing today, for the next 1825 days over five years, can overwhelm us to the point of inaction.
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Mute “stay in the box” advice
When you’re working on a passion project or growing a business, you have to keep the big vision in mind, even if you can’t yet visualize the realization of your dream. Think of what you want “it” to become and grow into.
Sip Bite Go came out of another site – a millennial type of event and promotional marketing blog. I love sharing my marketing background, but it was too limiting of a subject. I wanted to write about all the topics that interest people like me that juggle multiple skills and dreams. I quickly realized that, instead of getting stuck in a box, it was better to focus on all of the things that felt like “me” – creating, traveling around the country, sharing my best meals and experiences, creating recipes that are easy enough to do at home, celebrating life events and experiences, finding inspirational ideas and exploring them, using photography to share moments.
Thinking big to find untapped energy
There’s a lot of encouragement out there to dig yourself a niche. It might sound tempting to only build from one particular subject or perspective, but a lot of people who end up failing bury themselves along the way. Fads come and go, but the way to keep your passion burning from the flame in your heart down to your fingertips tapping the keyboard (the motivation that keeps you cranking out the promotional posts and answering customer service emails at 9 pm) is to allow your dreams to burst the bubble that seems safe and comfortable.
Consider the series I did on my blog about gift wrapping tips and ideas in December. I shared how to create super cute pom poms from yarn and a fork. At first I shared it as a Christmas tip, meaning it had a life span of 1 month a year. I set up all the photography to be Christmas-centric and put up the post. But I was going to be missing out on all the cute gift wrapping on Pinterest boards come Valentine’s Day. And for birthdays. And for anniversary gifts. That is a lot of gifting throughout the year, and a lot of people would be missing out on this cute pom pom making trick because of the limits I had imposed on myself. Thinking broader helped me keep the passion going for more than just that one blog post. I now promote the DIY project throughout the year and get visitors every week to my blog from that one post as a result.
Imagine what can happen when you think broadly about what your business can become – you create something that can touch more people at more times in their life, and on a regular basis. It’s a no brainer to invest time and energy into something with big potential.
Inspiring thought: Bet on yourself
Take the airplane view of all the territory your ideas can cover on your blog, your Instagram feed, and through networking activities. Stay true to your one recognizable brand, but know when to branch out. You really never know who you will become or what your passions will evolve into. Try not to back yourself into a corner from the beginning. Become what you’re meant to become.
“If you have an exit strategy, it’s not a passion.”
inspirational quote by Mark Cuban
I have a five year plan but it doesn’t involve an exit!
Until recently I couldn’t even think about five days ahead, let alone five years!
Working up to my exit strategy now. I have some time to go. But, I definitely will be ready when it happens :-)!!
This is a thought provoking post. I definitely had an exit strategy for leaving the workplace to come home to my little guy. The big picture is his speech development and overall health.
like somebody said .. “Go hard or go home”. You have to give your 110%!
I’m living my passion now! I work for an awesome company doing what I love 🙂 I certainly don’t have much of a 5 year plan though other than getting married next year!
Congrats on your engagement, Shaylee. So excited for you. Its great to have areas of your life settled (like finding your dream job) while anticipating big events – like your wedding. Cheers!
My five year plan includes finishing off my Occupational Health and Safety Certificate program, getting debt free (besides the house) and work towards another certificate in Travel.
Heather, you definitely embrace a life of pursuing multiple passions! I love how you are just checking off steps and working towards big goals. Thanks for visiting + sharing.
5 years is a long time and whilst I try to have a plan it changes so frequently that trying to stick to more than a few months would be silly at this time.
I don’t have a 5 yr plan. Only a 1 yr plan. I need to work on that.
I have been asked that but thankfully I do have a mental plan and I just expound on it. Sometimes it can be invasive being asked this but I just take it in a way that it forces me to have a more concrete one.
Love this post, so inspiring! I will save this. Glad you share about it.
what a great way to really help find something inside yourself to help you write!
That is truly inspiring. Thank you for the reminder to never give up and keep taking risks so we can achieve what we want.
Honestly, with kids it is near impossible to plan that far ahead. I take it one day at at time.
Amen to that blogging is my passion, it is the best thing in the world and it makes me so happy!
You’ve turned your blogging into an art! I love following along. Your photos on IG are stunning. Thanks for sharing, Ana.
I have a day to day plan. Maybe a year plan but no more for me.
No exit strategy in my passion of writing for sure.