Most of us have been there. In an interview for a job or college and someone asks, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” I’ve always hated that question because I think it’s impossible to answer. We never know what is going to happen and how circumstances will change and in turn change us and our trajectories! Ten years ago, I never would have thought I’d be a military spouse, moving every three years, making new friends and heading back to school. Over the last year and a half, many of us have had our plans changed, not by choice, but out of necessity.
For some of us, this instability can be daunting. Others welcome the unpredictability with open arms. Many of us fall somewhere in the middle. While we cannot predict the future, we can set goals for things we know we want to accomplish, AND (hopefully) appreciate the growth that uncertainty can bring. Our military family and support systems can help us prepare for a future, both certain and uncertain.
For example, I KNOW that I want to be debt-free, contribute more to savings and retirement, and eventually own a home on the water. To help me with these goals I can turn to the various money management sources available through Military OneSource. As of this writing, we don’t know where our next duty station will be, which could dramatically impact my timeline/trajectory of finishing my full licensure for my degree. Here, I rely on other military spouses who have navigated this, and again the resources available to me at Military OneSource. And as we are preparing for another record hurricane season here in Louisiana, I have no idea what might happen – but I have my military family here who constantly check in on me while my husband is deployed.
We cannot predict the future. Who knows what will happen in five days, much less five years? But we do have resources and a community that can help us prepare for and build a future. While we are doing it, let’s not forget to live in the moment!
