I am working through a career counselling programme with Opus 2. Amongst the exercises I had to do was one on where and how I saw my life in 20 years time, sampling at 5 year intervals. I was so drearily practical about the whole thing, I was tasked to get my friends' views. The rest of this post is the result.
Ask some of your friends to describe for you - in detail if they can - how your life will be in 2029
“Fiona (Wilson) will be living on an American cruise ship; it’s cheaper than sheltered housing / OAP home! She will be in passenger class as that way she’ll meet nice people. She will be exposed to a new set of people to get to know every two weeks and be treated like royalty by the staff.
Should she get injured or fall ill, there is on-board medical assistance and free trips for life in compensation.
She will be buried at see if she dies.”
Fiona Pickering, School Laboratory Technician and Ace Mum.
“Oh this is really difficult; I would struggle to do this myself. Fiona will be in a foreign country.”
Julie Cherkas, Retired Mortgage Consultant and Cat Breeder.
“Fiona will be running her own language school in a Middle Eastern country. She will be teaching English to the locals and her partner will be teaching Arabic to tourists and other visitors. Fiona will be dressed like a local”.
Mary Niker, Yoga Teacher, Thai Yoga Masseuse, and Ace Mum.
“Fiona will be really secure and living a life with no financial worries. She will have fulfilled her dreams and taking things a day at a time.
It is difficult to say where she will be living. She likes to travel but that does not mean to say that she would emigrate.”
Angelina Elliott, Oracle Database Administrator and Ace Mum.
“Fiona will possibly still be living in Reading but travelling regularly, especially in winter. She will be winding down her involvement in her own company, probably with a view to selling it to the employees. This company would be a small, dynamic consultancy (say, 12 people). It would probably be involved in Information Management and have a close, family feel.
Fiona will still be practising yoga and going on retreats two to three times a year, often travelling with friends. She will travel to see friends, including going abroad to do so, and more often than in her forties.
She will have completed the major alterations to her home but still tinker here and there.
There is a 50:50 chance that Fiona will be married or dating but she will not be fixated on finding a partner.
She will be leading a full and active life”.
Cevie Dubreski, Engineer.
“Fiona will still be in Reading, settled and happy. It would take something big to make her move.
She will have a good job and have changed her career. It will be something that she enjoys and that makes her happy. She is a strong speaker, so perhaps as a counsellor and/or working for herself.
Fiona may be with someone and her social life will have improved as a consequence of being happier in her working life. Overall, she will have regained her confidence and made new friends.”
Karen Mocko, Estate and Letting Agent and Ace Mum.
“Fiona will still be living in Reading, possibly in another house. She will share her home with a couple of cats. Fiona will be active in her community (local issues) and will be well known in her neighbourhood.
Fiona’s home will be of a style commonly seen in the Cotswolds. It will have a larger front garden than her current home.
Fiona will be financially stable and still working, probably part time. She will have shifted away from working in IT, maybe not totally. Her job will involve pursuing an objective (campaigning?) in a very serious manner. It may be a charitable concern involving animal welfare or third world development for example.
She will still be doing yoga and social activities associated with it.
I would not be surprised to find that Fiona had a partner, probably also part time (i.e. it would be a committed relationship but they would be living apart).”
Jim Wood, former neighbour, suspected MI5 operative and all round Good Chap.
“You'll be happy, and still caring about other people too much for your own good (apologies, I seem to have forgotten numerous alcohol references in the above).”
Ben Lambert, e-friend, cat lover, and IT Nerd.
Ask some of your friends to describe for you - in detail if they can - how your life will be in 2029
“Fiona (Wilson) will be living on an American cruise ship; it’s cheaper than sheltered housing / OAP home! She will be in passenger class as that way she’ll meet nice people. She will be exposed to a new set of people to get to know every two weeks and be treated like royalty by the staff.
Should she get injured or fall ill, there is on-board medical assistance and free trips for life in compensation.
She will be buried at see if she dies.”
Fiona Pickering, School Laboratory Technician and Ace Mum.
“Oh this is really difficult; I would struggle to do this myself. Fiona will be in a foreign country.”
Julie Cherkas, Retired Mortgage Consultant and Cat Breeder.
“Fiona will be running her own language school in a Middle Eastern country. She will be teaching English to the locals and her partner will be teaching Arabic to tourists and other visitors. Fiona will be dressed like a local”.
Mary Niker, Yoga Teacher, Thai Yoga Masseuse, and Ace Mum.
“Fiona will be really secure and living a life with no financial worries. She will have fulfilled her dreams and taking things a day at a time.
It is difficult to say where she will be living. She likes to travel but that does not mean to say that she would emigrate.”
Angelina Elliott, Oracle Database Administrator and Ace Mum.
“Fiona will possibly still be living in Reading but travelling regularly, especially in winter. She will be winding down her involvement in her own company, probably with a view to selling it to the employees. This company would be a small, dynamic consultancy (say, 12 people). It would probably be involved in Information Management and have a close, family feel.
Fiona will still be practising yoga and going on retreats two to three times a year, often travelling with friends. She will travel to see friends, including going abroad to do so, and more often than in her forties.
She will have completed the major alterations to her home but still tinker here and there.
There is a 50:50 chance that Fiona will be married or dating but she will not be fixated on finding a partner.
She will be leading a full and active life”.
Cevie Dubreski, Engineer.
“Fiona will still be in Reading, settled and happy. It would take something big to make her move.
She will have a good job and have changed her career. It will be something that she enjoys and that makes her happy. She is a strong speaker, so perhaps as a counsellor and/or working for herself.
Fiona may be with someone and her social life will have improved as a consequence of being happier in her working life. Overall, she will have regained her confidence and made new friends.”
Karen Mocko, Estate and Letting Agent and Ace Mum.
“Fiona will still be living in Reading, possibly in another house. She will share her home with a couple of cats. Fiona will be active in her community (local issues) and will be well known in her neighbourhood.
Fiona’s home will be of a style commonly seen in the Cotswolds. It will have a larger front garden than her current home.
Fiona will be financially stable and still working, probably part time. She will have shifted away from working in IT, maybe not totally. Her job will involve pursuing an objective (campaigning?) in a very serious manner. It may be a charitable concern involving animal welfare or third world development for example.
She will still be doing yoga and social activities associated with it.
I would not be surprised to find that Fiona had a partner, probably also part time (i.e. it would be a committed relationship but they would be living apart).”
Jim Wood, former neighbour, suspected MI5 operative and all round Good Chap.
“You'll be happy, and still caring about other people too much for your own good (apologies, I seem to have forgotten numerous alcohol references in the above).”
Ben Lambert, e-friend, cat lover, and IT Nerd.
