3. Five years ago, did you see yourself here?

This perhaps is the real question—the contemplation of where you thought you were going and where you have ended up. Five years ago. Fifteen. Your minutes of fame dutifully performed, downplayed and passed away.

To see yourself in the future or to regard yourself in the now, you must track where you were and how it relates to your previous plans.

Even poor designs are better than none. Without a map to life, existence tempts death, lacking coherence and discernible milestones to indicate growth.

Let’s presume you had goals. Let’s assume they were exceptional and, being realistic, unrealistic. The average person thinks he or she is above average. Aiming to achieve more than you’re cut out for doesn’t set you back, it keeps you right on track. As such, however, a five-year assessment commonly requires you to adjust your ideals to suit your current motivation.

What have you accomplished?

If your accomplishments deserve congratulations, by all means, think highly of yourself. But do not bruise your ego if you know you have failed. In fact, you should reward failure if by recognizing oversight you regard yourself in a new light—a light that wants to be brighter. Just don’t claim disadvantage or conspiracy.

Falling short is not your fault.

True

False

It is anyone else’s.

True

False

Climbing high is not to your credit.

Truth

Lie

The success of others wears off on you.

Truth

Lie

Everything is true: Life is a series of patterns—waking up and falling asleep to your attention-seeking, glee-hoarding, emotionally inefficient wholesale delusion. Determine what factors contributed to these patterns so you can replicate or avoid them.

What’s been done to you that’s proven productive?

What have you done pale of progress and merit?

What is wrong with you?

What is right with you?

What did you mean to change that instead changed you?

What is left of you that you’re proud of?

What remains that you abhor?

Why are you like this, and why don’t you care?