Planning ahead has never been my strong point. In fact, I'm just plain bad at it. Short overnight trip coming up? I'll be packing the night before. Moving out of the country for a year? I'll be packing the night before. And a lot of the time by "night before" I really mean "morning of".
This works for me. It doesn't, however, work for everyone. And when you're in your early 20s lots of people want to know your future plans, what you're going to do when you grow up, or (dare I say it?) your GOALS. In my world this is a dirty word. I've never liked having to think too much about my future, and the idea of deciding what I'm going to be doing in 5-10-20 years TODAY is unthinkable. It's simply not how my mind works. People change, plans change, the world changes. And I like the uncertainty. My (often seemingly random or last minute) life choices have taken me to many interesting places, people, and experiences I wouldn't have been, met, or had otherwise.
But people are still going to ask about life goals, so I figured I should have some. So sitting down one day I decided to make a list of what I want to be when I grow up, what I want my life to look like. And my answer?
Happy. Healthy. Joyful. Inspired.
And this is enough for me. I don't know where my life will take me, what my future career will look like, if I'll be married or not, or what country or continent I'll be living in. But I know I want to be Happy, and that's how I'll gage if I'm in the right place for me.
The rest of my goals? Those I write retrospectively. If I haven't accomplished it, experienced it, lived it, tried it, made it, then it doesn't make the cut.
Live in Scotland for a year - check!
Learn to scuba dive - check!
Spend a summer in Belize - check!
...and it goes on and on.
The amazing thing about this approach?
I can honestly say that I've accomplished all my life goals.
