Where do you see yourself in 5 years? This is a very common question that is asked in interviews. People sweat over it. They Google how to answer it. Some will look at LinkedIn or SHRM for advice on how to answer this question because they think it could make or break their interview and quite honestly if their interviewer is lazy that would be correct. I don’t ask this question and this is why. I DO NOT CARE.

Yep, you read that right, I don’t care where the person sees themselves in 5 years because the world just doesn’t spin like that anymore. People don’t stay at companies like they used to. The average Millennial (before the pandemic) changed jobs every two years. It will be interesting to see if that trend changes.

Another reason is because honestly I have never known where I wanted to be in 5 years and I still don’t know, not career wise anyway. I am actually thinking about changing careers altogether…more about that another time.

Here is what I do see happening in my life. I see myself hanging out with children and have the laugher of little people in my life. I thought I would be a Grandma by now and I am not. And you know what? That is o.k. My children have their own lives to live and if they chose not to have children I will borrow other people’s grandkids spoiling them as I do now. The laughter of little people is intoxicating.

I will continue to grow in wisdom. The last 5 years have SO NOT been what I planned on that I have had to learn some life lessons the hard way such as, “When a person shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” (Maya Angelou) I will pay more attention to what my gut tells me. I will also spend more time garnishing wisdom from Brene’ Brown who has studied and written about Vulnerability, Shame and Empathy. Three things I believe society has really messed up.

I will be there for the people I love – in sickness and in health. Those words are not just for weddings they are for all of the people that we love… and we are not getting any younger. We will find out who our true friends are in the next few years when our physicality starts to dwindle.

In 5 years I want to be striving to be the best version of myself that I can be. I can’t change the last 5 years… but I can learn from it, move on and start the journey of the next 5 years and I will start that journey today.

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