Where will we be in 10 years?

I just learned that someone from my high school class died in a house fire a few days ago. She past away trying to save her baby girl from the blaze. I am sorry that I didn’t get to know Dana better when I was in school, but given the small size of our town; every one of us seemed to have a connection and deep friendship. My heart, thoughts and prayers are with her, her family and her baby girl; who is currently in the ICU.

It’s natural to wonder where people will be in 10 years when you graduate high school. Who will be the professional sports player? Who will be the multi-millionaire? Who will be the college professor? Who will end up in jail? Who will stay in town? Who will have kids? Who will get married and to whom? We never think about the fact that at 10 year reunion some people won’t make it. 

When I graudated High School I didn’t have a very clear picture of where I would be 10 years into the future. I knew I was going to college. I knew I was going to get a job (business related) that would last for a couple years. Beyond that everything was a guess. Grad school was something I always assumed I’d do. Ultimately, I thought I’d be working on wall street and settled down on the East Coast near my family (but not too close!). The markets have always fascinated me. I was sure that I’d take advantage of true freedom (i.e. having money and no family of my own!) to really see the world and experience new things. I thoughts I’d know everything there is to know in 10 years.

Life has taken me in a different direction.  I’m on the opposite coast. I’m not in and haven’t gone to and have no plans to go to grad school. My career is moving further away from the financial world that captivated me as a kid. I am really far from my family. I have travelled the world, but at the same time haven’t made full use of the freedom made possible by a decent salary and a curious mind. I now realize how little I actually know about the world.

Where will I be 10 years from now?  I will be in a business-related field somewhere, and quite possibly running my own. I will be working on my own terms. I will have travelled the world and immersed myself in different cultures. I will have a family or at least have gotten started on it! I will have a dog :) I will have completed a few more crazy Ironmans just to prove that I can. 

The reality is I can only guess and hope where I will be in 10 years. You have absolutely no idea what the world has in store for you. The only thing you can really do is set clear goals and prepare for them as best you can. The better you prepare, the better you can handle any surprises thrown your way.