Forget the Map. Find Your Compass.

🎣 Quick Catch

You don’t need a five-year plan to move forward. Not knowing your exact destination doesn’t mean you’re lost — it means you’re open. Let curiosity, joy, and what lights you up be your guide. Sometimes, a compass is better than a map.

Last week, someone asked me that dreaded question: "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

I laughed.

Not because it's a bad question, but because five years ago, I would have given you a completely different answer than the reality I'm living now. Five years ago, I couldn't have predicted:

• Being a mom

• Losing my mom

• Living in North Park, California

• Running a half marathon (still can't believe I'm doing this)

• Most of what my life looks like today

I still don't have a clear answer to that question. And I'm finally okay with that.

I've spent years feeling like I was somehow falling behind because I didn't have my entire life mapped out. While others seemed to be following their carefully plotted career paths, I felt like I was wandering through a maze without a map.

But lately, I've been thinking about mazes differently. What if the point isn't to have the route planned out? What if the point is to learn something at every turn?

Society loves to celebrate the stories of people who "always knew" what they wanted to be. You know…

• The doctor who played with a toy stethoscope at age five

• The writer who was crafting stories before they could spell

• The entrepreneur who was selling lemonade before kindergarten

But what about the rest of us? The ones who are:

• Still discovering new passions

• Changing directions mid-journey

• Finding unexpected joy in unplanned paths

• Building something without knowing exactly what it will become

It's taken me several decades to learn this. Not knowing your exact destination doesn't mean you're lost. It means you're open to possibilities.

Think about it:

• Some of my most meaningful work came from saying "yes" to unexpected opportunities

• My strongest relationships grew from unplanned connections

• My biggest growth moments came from challenges I never saw coming

There's something liberating about admitting that you're still figuring things out. It opens you up to:

• Learning without pressure

• Growing without predetermined limits

• Exploring without fear of veering "off course"

• Finding joy in the journey itself

So, instead of asking "Where am I going?", I'm learning to ask:

• What energizes me right now?

• What problems do I enjoy solving?

• Who do I like helping?

• What makes me lose track of time?

These questions don't give me a five-year plan, but they do give me a compass. And sometimes a compass is more useful than a map.

Next time you feel the pressure to have it all figured out, pause. Instead of planning your path, notice where your energy naturally leads you. Let small steps and genuine curiosity chart your course. Life’s richest journeys are often the ones we never planned for.

xoxo

Miss Swedish Fish