Where do you Want to be in Five years?

Five years ago, I desperately wanted to have a baby. We had just moved to New Jersey about a month prior and were still living with my parents. COVID had been in the news a lot, but we had no idea we were about to enter a global lockdown that would change everything. My mind was consumed with the dream of starting a family, of creating something meaningful in the midst of so much uncertainty.

Five years before that, I was living in Florida, trying to figure out my life and how to have a partner in it. I had left my job at Dartmouth, coaching college swimming, to move to St. Petersburg and build the life I wanted. I loved coaching, but I knew I had reached a crossroads: either dedicate my life to the sport or take a leap toward something new. I didn’t know exactly what that looked like, but I knew I needed change.

And five years before that? I was at Dartmouth College, passionately building a team of young men and women who would go on to make history. I wasn’t just recruiting swimmers—I was curating a culture, surrounding myself with athletes who believed in something bigger than themselves. During my time there, we achieved more than any team at the college had in 30 years. One of my athletes became an All-American. The entire men’s record board was rewritten. And one young man, in a moment I’ll never forget, looked me in the eyes and told me he believed in me, that I was exactly where I needed to be.

Looking back, these five-year increments tell a story—not just of achievement, but of transformation. Of stepping into new chapters before I was fully ready. Of trusting that I was meant for more, even when I didn’t have all the answers.

Meeting My Future Self

A few weeks ago, during a mastermind call, my coach led us through a meditation. She asked us to meet our future selves—to imagine who we are five years from now and what that version of us would say. It reminded me of the social media trend where people imagine having coffee with their younger selves, telling them what’s coming, reassuring them that they’ll make it through.

But this exercise felt even more powerful.

In my mind’s eye, my future self appeared. She was so confident—something I already believe I am now, but I could immediately see it in her at a whole new level. She walked toward me, took my face in her hands, and looked at me with gratitude.

She thanked me.

She thanked me for pushing through every fear, every hardship, and every obstacle. She asked me to look around at the life I have built and to see the beauty and happiness in it. She thanked me for being open to change, for never giving up, and for believing in myself.

And as I sat with her, I realized that I could say the same things to every past version of myself, too.

Thank you for believing in me.
Thank you for following your heart.
Thank you for finding the mentorship you needed to succeed.
Thank you for building this life.

The Only Certainty Is Change

No success happens overnight. No transformation happens without change. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from these reflections, it’s that every version of me has had to embrace uncertainty to create something better.

And that’s the truth for all of us. The only thing that is certain in this life is change.

So, I ask you: What change are you willing to make to create the life you dream of?

Where do you want to be five years from now? And what steps—big or small—will you take today to make sure that future version of you looks back with gratitude, knowing you had the courage to begin?