Why I Don't Have a 10-Year Plan

I tried to create a 10-year plan but couldn’t even sort out the next 10 days. Here’s why I’m going with the flow instead.

I don't have a 10-year plan. I don't even have a 10-day plan. I literally have no idea where in the world I will be or what I will be doing 10 days from now. Currently, the extent of my life planning is on a week-by-week basis, and even that is a bit shaky.

And this isn’t just in the sense of no one being able to predict the future and so can’t really know what to expect. Of course, no one knows what tomorrow will bring, but most people can make reasonable assumptions about the general set up of their life a month or a year out. Given the phase I'm in at the moment, I can't even do that.

Now I am not just wandering aimlessly. I have always kept a detailed vision of my desires and a vivid mental picture of what I want my life to look and, most importantly, feel like. The strategy is there, and the tactics are too, it's just that everything is more free-flowing than bounded by any particular timeframe.

To overcome the anxieties and depressions of contemporary life, individuals must become independent of the social environment to the degree that they no longer respond exclusively in terms of its rewards and punishments. To achieve such autonomy, a person has to learn to provide rewards to herself. She has to develop the ability to find enjoyment and purpose regardless of external circumstances.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

On top of that, I don't have a job, or a home, or tons of belongings. I have no bills or liabilities, nor any significant relationship obligations. So there is nothing tethering me to a particular way of life. I am free and living on my own terms.

I'll be honest that 80% of me loves this alternative lifestyle while the other 20% is freaking out constantly at the instability, as I am 100% uncomfortable with uncertainty. The majority of my friends and family have learned to stop asking me what, where and when questions about my life. Despite the stats and general sentiments, the freedom-loving part of me is winning out.

Just about any reputable voice on personal growth will speak about the importance of having a one, three, five and 10-year life plan. As a business strategist, consultant and coach, I understand the appeal of having your personal and professional life fully charted out.

Yet, if you've ever wondered what it's like to just go with the flow, I'm here to tell you that it's absolutely terrifying and not for everyone. But for those who have the audacity, it's the most thrilling and liberating experience.

In full transparency, there are some logistical issues with my lifestyle too. For instance, I'm fortunate to be able to bankroll this way of living but my funds are not unlimited, especially with my expensive tastes. I've got a nice run rate but at some point I'll have to start thinking about generating new sources of income (preferably by only doing pleasurable, purposeful work).

On top of that, I don't exactly fit in. Most of my female friends are (or want to be) married with kids. They are working moms, wives supported by husbands, or single women looking for one. I'm indifferent (perhaps resistant) to bearing and rearing children, and just ended a long relationship so can't say when marriage will enter the equation.

I don't know any woman (or man actually), at my age, who would ever have the nerve to live like this even if they found it appealing (which they probably don't). So there are challenges, and I ponder them daily. Still, there is nothing like the feeling of waking up when you want and doing whatever you want, every single day.

Though I'm sure many judge me, I do not look down on those who have chosen a more traditional route. There is safety in conformity. I haven't felt safe in a long time and I envy those who can rest easy in that feeling. I wish my life were more conventional. It would have been easier to ignore my unorthodox longings.

So no, I don't have a 10-year plan. I have an inspiring life vision with a lot of leeway. I'm unrestrained by timelines and expectations, so can give, love, and contribute to this world the way I want to. Each day is unstructured and unsettling to an extent, yet I'm self-aware and self-assured. I feel somewhat out of control, but have never felt more powerful. My free spirit has turned life into the most wonderful adventure.