Saw a guy use a spreadsheet for his entire life at a coffee shop last Tuesday

I was grabbing a coffee between shifts on Tuesday and this dude next to me literally had a color coded spreadsheet for his career goals, broken down by month for the next 5 years. He was updating it on his phone with this little stylus. It hit me that I've been just winging it for 15 years as a retail manager, never tracking anything about my progress or what skills I'm building. I asked him about it and he said he started doing it after missing a promotion twice at his old company. Has anyone else tried something like this for their own career planning?

3 comments

3 Comments

lopez.quinn20d ago

Actually his spreadsheet had a section for "unexpected stuff" - like a buffer column for random projects or opportunities that pop up. I asked the same thing and he showed me it's more of a loose guide, not a jail cell for his career. He said the color coding helps him see patterns over time, not lock him into one path.

wendyprice17d ago

Bet the color coding shows what he learned even from the stuff he didn't chase.

emery_flores20d ago

Did he mention if he builds in time for random opportunities or just sticks to the plan? I feel like a strict 5 year spreadsheet could make you miss the weird sideways moves that sometimes turn into the best career growth. Like what if a random project comes up that doesn't fit any of his goals but teaches him something unexpected.