<commit_before>---
layout: post
title: Plans
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I've read a number of books recently that are staunch advocates of having concrete plans. Plans for today. Plans for the week ahead. Plans for the year ahead. Some even encourage people to regularly keep dream-like lists of what should be happening to them in 10 years from now. If you write it down then you commit to it. You can even get a friend to share their own plans so that you can hold each other accountable.

If I was to admit that everything that I've done was due to a solid plan, then I would be lying. When I was doing my undergraduate degree, for over two years I was convinced I'd be going to work as a software developer as soon as I'd graduated. I digested job boards and mailing lists, making shortlists every month. However, as I approached my final exams, there was a great chance to apply for Ph.D. funding. It felt right and I went for it, and that experience taught me more about myself than anything I've ever undertaken.

Similarly, during the Ph.D. itself I was completely convinced that I was going to be going into a post-doctoral research position afterwards. I had interviews at Imperial College London and Royal Holloway, and I was applying to anything I could find advertised. Yet, completely out of the blue I had a call from a small Brighton-based tech company called Brandwatch. They were looking for engineers and it was a 15 minute walk to the office. It felt right and I went for it, and that seems to be working out OK as well.

Plans that are too solid can often set you up for failure and disappointment. If you tie yourself to achieving specific objectives, then the chance of not attaining them gets higher, which leaves you at risk of being disappointed even if you are doing brilliantly well. Instead, isn't it better to aim for fuzzier things, such as being secure, being passionate about what you're doing, and making a difference no matter where you are in the world? It respects the unpredictable nature of the infinite outcomes of any moment of your life. It might encourage you that it's OK to do something more wild, or that it's OK to stay where you are and be appreciative of what you already have.
<commit_msg>Update 2015-12-18-plans.md<commit_after>---
layout: post
title: Plans
---

I've read a number of books recently that are staunch advocates of having concrete plans. Plans for today. Plans for the week ahead. Plans for the year ahead. Some even encourage people to regularly keep dream-like lists of what should be happening to them in 10 years from now. If you write it down then you commit to it. You can even get a friend to share their own plans so that you can hold each other accountable.

If I was to admit that everything that I've done was due to a solid plan, then I would be lying. When I was doing my undergraduate degree, for over two years I was convinced I'd be going to work as a software developer as soon as I'd graduated. I digested job boards and mailing lists, making shortlists every month. However, as I approached my final exams, there was a great chance to apply for Ph.D. funding. It felt right and I went for it, and that experience taught me more about myself than anything I've ever undertaken.

Similarly, during the Ph.D. itself I was completely convinced that I was going to be moving into a post-doctoral research position afterwards. I had interviews at Imperial College London and Royal Holloway, and I was applying to anything I could find advertised. Yet, completely out of the blue I had a call from a small Brighton-based tech company called Brandwatch. They were looking for engineers and it was a 15 minute walk to the office. It felt right and I went for it, and that seems to be working out OK as well.

Plans that are too solid can often set you up for failure and disappointment. If you tie yourself to achieving specific objectives, then the chance of not attaining them gets higher, which leaves you at risk of being disappointed even if you are doing brilliantly well. Instead, isn't it better to aim for fuzzier things, such as being secure, being passionate about what you're doing, and making a difference no matter where you are in the world? It respects the unpredictable nature of the infinite outcomes of any moment of your life. It might encourage you that it's OK to do something more wild, or that it's OK to stay where you are and be appreciative of what you already have.

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