Where Will You Be Five Years From Now?

image: cvattached.wordpress.com

Yes, where will you be five years from now?

This is the one question no one is humble in answering. Everyone ends up exaggerating and trying to sound as logical and ambitious as possible. 

In 2011, where did I see myself being in 2016? Well, I am definitely not where I saw myself being. And if I try to rationalise things (the one unique ability of humans) I will say though things haven't gone the way I expected and planned, where I ended up isn't a bad place. In 2011, I wasn't seeing myself running my own business. In 2011, I didn't think I will be this very knowledgeable about things outside of telecommunications engineering. In 2011, I wouldn't believe that I will become a highly sought-after trainer, conducting trainings for all levels of professionals and across all the major industries. (Just this past weekend I was in Enugu teaching close to 40 mid-senior bank staff on Microsoft Excel). I am now usually booked four weeks solid, and sometimes several weeks ahead. In 2011, I thought by 2016 I will be a fluent French poet. I still remember the lovely poem I wrote in French then as an assignment from my French class teacher at Centre Culturel Francais, Abuja. It was about Lagos. You can read it here Pouvez-Vous Deviner La Ville? Most discouraging is my financial change. I am not as rich as I thought I would be five years into the future.

Overall, I can't say if I have progressed satisfactorily in the last five years.

The main reason is that I faced a lot of unexpected events too early in my career. Like losing my first job 6 months into it (in same 2011). Losing most of my savings in my pursuit of French and fighting off the depression of a job loss. Reminds me of the quote that says, "When your neighbour loses his job it is recession, but when you lose your job it is depression." Then a sudden career shift, from the core technical I started and trained for to the business side (analysis and business reporting). Then a merging of those two career lines in my third job.

In five years from now, I am sure I will be where I never imagined. Again.