The Importance of Planning Where You Want to Be in Three Years
Knowing where you want to be in three years is one of the most significant things you can do for your career, your personal life, and your business. It gives you a clear destination to work towards, a direction of travel, and helps you to make the most of your time and energy.
Some of the many benefits to planning where you want to be in three years, include:
- Clarity: Having a clear vision of your future goals will help you to make better decisions. You will be more likely to say no to opportunities that are not aligned with your goals and focus on the things that will help you to achieve them.
- Motivation: Knowing what you are working towards can help you to stay motivated and focused, even when things get tough. When you have a clear goal in mind, you are more likely to push through challenges and keep going.
- Accountability: Having a written plan makes you accountable for your own success. You can review your plan regularly and make sure that you are on track to achieve your goals.
How to plan where you want to be in three years
The first step to planning where you want to be in three years is to think about your long-term goals. What do you want in your personal life, and what does your business need to give you for you to have it? Once you have a good understanding of your long-term goals, you can start to break them down into smaller, more manageable objectives and tasks.
A useful framework for setting goals is Three One Ninety, a system I picked up from Simple Logical Repeatable, a book written by Marianne Page. Here’s how it works:
- 3 years: What is your big, hairy, audacious goal (BHAG)? This is something that is challenging but achievable, and that will make a big difference in your life.
- 1 year: What do you need to achieve in the next year in order to make progress towards your BHAG?
- 90 days: What are the most important things you need to do in the next 90 days in order to achieve your one-year goal?
Once you have broken down your long-term goals into smaller, more manageable objectives, you can start to develop a plan for how you are going to achieve them. Your plan should include specific tasks and steps that you need to take, as well as timelines for each step.
It is important to be realistic when setting your goals and developing your plan. Don’t try to do too much too soon and be prepared to adjust your plan as needed.
Tips for success
Here are a few tips for success when planning where you want to be in three years:
- Be specific. The more specific you are about your goals, the easier it will be to develop a plan to achieve them.
- Be realistic. Don’t set goals that are too challenging or unrealistic. You will be more likely to stick with your plan if you know that it is achievable.
- Be flexible. Things change, so be prepared to adjust your plan as needed.
- Be accountable. Share your plan with someone you trust and ask them to hold you accountable for your progress.
- Review your plan regularly. Take some time each month or quarter to review your plan and make sure that you are on track.
In conclusion then, planning where you want to be in three years is an important step in achieving your goals. By taking the time to think about your goals and develop a plan, you can set yourself up for success.