what's the plan?

After reading Liz’s post on plans, I thought I would talk about my own plans.

I’m a planner. I plan everything. I am a meeting coordinator by trade, nuff said.

When I was little my dad was always accusing me of having planed things too far in advance, he always thought I was exaggerating. So when I was little it always went something like this “But Dad I’ve been planning this sleepover for 5 months” and it was usually true, but he always thought it was me trying to force him to say yes by exaggerating.

When I was in the 5^th grade my teacher asked the class to write a list of goals. At the end of the year she returned them to us, and lo and behold I had accomplished everything on the list without even having it as a reference.

The same thing happened in my sophomore year, and again my senior year of high school.

When I was moving out of my parent’s house into my new home I happened to find the list I wrote my senior year. It was divided by 1 year goals, 5 year goals, and 10 year goals. To my surprise having been out of high school only 6 years I had accomplished everything on my list, save for one thing. Get my masters. My 10 year goal? Buy a home. Done and done.

So I had to come up with a new list of goals.

Here it is…

This year:

• Get a new-better paying job I love

5 years:

• Get my masters
• Start my own business
• Travel more

1. New Zealand
2. Scotland
3. Cambridge
4. Ireland
5. Spain

10 Years:

• Pay off my house

As you can see I have already accomplished my goal for this year and we are only in July. My job offers tuition reimbursement after a year of service, so expect me to get on the GRE bandwagon next year. As for traveling, next year should be my New Zealand trip and I am soooo excited. So all that is left, is to pay off the house, and I have a plan for that too. I’m not too stupid to think that I will pay off my first house. But I plan to sell it in 5 years or so, buy a new home with the money from my townhouse, and maybe that home I will pay off, or maybe the one after that.

The point is that plans work for me. I need them to keep going. Without a plan or a list of goals I think I would be a bit empty. So for those of us that need plans and goals, I encourage you teachers to try the same project with your students and see where it gets them.