Five years ago I would have been 16, starting the first day of preparation for my A-Levels. The next five years would totally reshape my entire life - moving out, meeting my friends, meeting Sarah, going to university, joining Queens Radio, developing goodonpaper - every decision, chance, regret and experience that’s led me to where I am today. Even in the past 3 years, something profound seems to have come along every 6 months and totally changed everything - particularly my decision to drop university in favor of freelancing in web design - which I wouldn’t have seen coming a mile out 5 years ago.

However, in the name of all things meme, I’ve taken up Matt’s challenge to detail what I at least hope to do over the next few years, despite my lifes’ developments being principally determined by chance.

• Learn PHP, Ruby & Javascript. More in the short term this one, but I seem to have caught myself in an ever-deepening hole of Wordpress projects, only really editing PHP or writing basic functions. More CMS experience and a better understanding of the principle languages would be good.
• Develop my business. I’m already really pleased with how freelancing is going - but I’d like to continue to legitimize, expand, pitch for bigger contracts, offer more services - just continue to build upon what I’m already doing to really make it a guaranteed long-term enterprise.
• Don’t develop my business. My startup ideas, The Carbon Collective, Coworking, Mucho Danke and the associated podcast, promotion, blogging, photography and every other thing I end up getting involved in over the next few years - I’d like to find time to manage all my “side projects” without neglect.
• Move into property I own. Getting a bit ahead of myself here since I’m only moving into a new flat today, but by the time I’m 26 I would at least like to be seriously considering buying a house. This resolution may also have to factor in a potential change of city.
• Travel. We’ve already began chipping into our Europe plan with the trip to Prague earlier in the year, but there’s still a lot of ground to cover - Paris or Italy are being considered as the next move (after the food in Prague, we’d like somewhere with a little less … pickling) - just have to dedicate some savings to the cause as soon as those savings exist.

It wouldn’t be a meme if it wasn’t passed on - so, whats your five year plan?