The Odyssey Plan: how to figure out what to do with your life.
Create your different five-year plans to see life's options. And other Monday Morning thoughts such as some jolly Christmas adverts and a quote on perception.
“Captain, this is madness! High time you thought of your own home at last if it really is your fate to make it back alive and reach your well-built house and native land.”
📜 The Odyssey Plan
The term Odyssey Plan is another name for the five-year plan (nope, nothing to do with Stalin) and was established by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans in their book ‘Designing Your Life’. This is an excellent method if you have no clue where you’re heading, but also useful if you have already figured it all out.
The Odyssey is a classic poem written by Homerus. It describes the adventures of the Greece hero Odysseus on his way home from the Trojan war. It’s often interpreted as a search for meaning in life.
🗺 Step 1: Your current plan
Take a notebook, an empty page or an empty doc. Take 5 minutes and imagine how your life would look in 5 years if you would continue on the path that you’re currently on. Make it specific:
Where do you live? Location, type of house, ..
What does a day in your life look like?
Who is with you? Do you have a family? Married? How many kids?
Do you have pets?
What’s your job like?
What are your responsibilities like?
What’s your financial status?
What do you do in your free time?
…
Don’t overthink it and just write down everything that comes to your head for 5 minutes.
🅱 Step 2: Plan B
Now, again take 5 minutes and write down a completely alternative path. Think about the options you have. F.e. you made a career switch, you studied a different subject, you now have a big family, you followed your passion, …
🪂 Step 3: Blue Sky Thinking
Once more, take 5 minutes and this time we’re going to think out of the box. What would you do if money and time were no limitations? If societal expectations do not exist. Financial problems do not exist. Social obligations, and what people would think, are irrelevant.
What job or life you would have if none of those factors existed?
Are you just reading all day? Did you become a writer? An Actor? Did you start a non-profit? Or are you travelling the world?
🤔 Step 4: Reflect
Now you have your three 5-year plans. Take a break if you don’t have them yet.
Take a look at these 3 different ways how your life can go. Do you see trends? What are the similarities in terms of values or interests? f.e. It might be that in the first plan you would be writing on the side and in the last one you choose to be an author
You have now 3 options. You have now opened your mind that you have options.
The Odyssey Plan method is most useful before transitional periods such as graduation, career switch or facing a lot of change. It forces you to look forward and play the long game.
I like to think about it more as a north star, rather than a playbook. You choose a scenario and know where you’re heading, but are open to anything that comes on your path. Planning is key, but that doesn’t mean it has to happen that way.
😍 My Favorite Things of last week
🏢 New job: I started last week as HR Data Analyst. I work for the same organization but will be focused on a completely different domain: human resources. It has lots of opportunities, so really looking forward to it.
🎄 Christmas adverts 2022: I love marketing and especially when they spread a great message. Every year I’m looking forward to the Christmas adverts. Here are 3 of the best of 2022
🗨 Quote of the week
“Some people could be given an entire field of roses and only see the thorns in it. Others could be given a single weed and only see the wildflower in it.
Perception is a key component to gratitude. An gratitude a key component to joy.”
by Amy Weatherly
✏Visual of the week
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