You have (or have had) a detailed plan for your future? That's more than I can say, although I identified with your old signature "Everything I have would be enough for someone else, but I want more" not a little. What's your story, Jakob? What was the plan? What have you seen as the end goal of all this "productivity"?
Before I delve into these plans, let me be the first to admit that I have been both a planner and an idealist. A foolish combination, for sure! My plans often hinged on the best-case scenarios falling into place. Oh, to be young and naive...
From the time I was about 14 years old, I had a year-to-year plan for my life. It started out RIDICULOUSLY idealistic. I strongly believed that I could be in the White House at the age of 37. (It did not help matters that I grew up in a fundamentalist Pentecostal Christian setting and that a couple self-proclaimed "prophets" fueled this fire). Once I recognized that my plans were more than a bit rushed, I continued to embark on a more spread-out version of the plan. I knew that I wanted to major in education with an emphasis in social studies and take some political science courses. I actually had every class picked before I ever took a college course (and only had to stray from this course once, which only happened because a professor decided to take a hiatus). I wanted to teach for a few years in order to pay for law school. After law school, I would dive into the world of politics at the local level, working my way up step by step until I broke into the national scene. Of course, I had timelines for getting married, starting a family, etc., but I won't get into too much detail there.
Things went mostly according to plan until I was 21. I did well in college. The only non A's I received were in classes that had harsher grading standards. I was doing well and was looking forward to the next step. Then, out of the blue, I received notice that May that I had lost my student teaching placement. It was no fault of mine; the school at which I was scheduled to teach decided to break their contracts with every one of their student teachers due to budget cuts, and the education department at my university chose not to fight it. I was left on my own to scramble and find a school by September. My university had no urgency to place me. Thankfully, I found a place to teach, but that experience was the first crack in the armor of my planning.
The next crack came that summer. My growing disillusionment with my church shifted my worldview. No longer was I the staunch conservative who agreed with the majority of political opinions you would find on
The 700 Club. I became more moderate. I was weary of the Bush Administration, and that caused me to become weary of politics in general. Over the course of that summer I lost all desire to enter into the world of politics. Plans had changed.
Instead of going to law school after a few years, I decided that I wanted to teach for 10-15 years. I estimated that due to my teaching style, I would become burned out somewhere between the age of 35 and 40, After that point, I intended to move on into some other enjoyable field, possibly writing or administration (though I've never given up my dream of working for the WWE!) Unfortunately, the job market has not been agreeable. Substitute teaching has burned me out far more quickly than having a class would have. It is far from an optimal situation.
So, what is the current end goal to all of this productivity? I live my life with a number of simple but broad-encompassing goals.
1) To live with purpose
2) To maintain balance
3) To be exceptional (I know you are going to ask further questions about this goal, and I kindly ask your patience, as I am working on a blog post that will explain this goal in further detail)
4) To find peace within
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Let NOTHING stand in your way.