Work hard in school. Get good grades. Land a good job. As long as you do those things, you'll set yourself up to live your happiest life.... Right?

Well, Anna followed that formula to a tee: got good grades, went to the best law school in the country, and landed her dream job. But there she was, sitting in the floor of her bedroom at 6:00 am on a Tuesday morning, sobbing about how debilitatingly inadequate she felt. How the hell did THIS happen?

Join Anna today as she explores why the first few years of any career is so difficult. She talks about the ways that school conditions us to think in ways that are not representative of real life and why the "A+ students" are the ones who sometimes struggle the most in the real world.

The Article: When The Gold Stars Stop Working: Why A+ Students Struggle in the Real World

Share Your Story: The Confessions Vault

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefiveyearplanpodcast

IG: https://www.instagram.com/thefiveyearplanpodcast

Substack: https://substack.com/@thefiveyearplan

Email: annashuyizhang@gmail.com

Anna thought she did everything right. Built the resume. Followed a path. Checked all the boxes.

And yet, at 28 years old... she's completely lost and confused, with big question marks about her career. Did she pick the wrong path? Is it too late to start over? What happens when the life you worked so hard to build doesn't feel like yours anymore?

In this first episode of The Five Year Plan, Anna shares the story behind starting this show, what it's all about, and what you can expect. From interviewing guests who have had crazy career pivots, to normalizing the uncertainty that so many people feel in their 20s and 30s, she aims to debunk the myth of having a perfect "five year plan."

Because maybe the best "five year plans"... are the ones that don't go according to plan at all.

Share Your Story: The Confessions Vault

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefiveyearplanpodcast

IG: https://www.instagram.com/thefiveyearplanpodcast

Substack: https://substack.com/@thefiveyearplan

Email: annashuyizhang@gmail.com