Five years ago, you were a different person…

…with different goals and ideas and experiences. You can say the same about the person you’ll be in five years down the road.

Think back five years.

How did you get to where you are right now from where you were then? Do you see the line? Perhaps you started in the same cubicle or office you’re in now. You might even have the same position you’re in now, but the work has changed. You have changed. 

What will you be in five years? Who will you be? And most importantly, where do you want to be? 

Often people will hold the same position and do the same things — even if you’re the boss — for several years, waiting for any change to come to them. One day they find that nothing has changed and they are mired and stagnant.

If that’s happened to you, trace the line that led you to where you are now. Extend that out further. What will you look like in five years at the same pace of growth? Ten?

Is that where you want to be?

If not, how can you use that time to your advantage?  How can you break the line and jump ahead?