My career plan was to get a degree, flight instruct, fly freight, go to a commuter, then go to a major. Good plan right? Was working great. By the time I was 22 I had flown freight and been hired by a commuter. By 26 I was hired at a major airline. At 29 I was furloughed from a major airline.
Ok, new plan. Find a place to stay until major recalls me or I can be hired by second major.
Flew for another airline. Whoops furloughed again. Ok, third airline. Now 30 years old. Maybe I'll try corporate. Got hired by a Fortune 500 corporate.
Meanwhile, first major recalls, but they're in bankruptcy and have closed my original domicile. Going back seems risky. Stay corporate.
Corporate has management change, lays off 20% of their pilots out of seniority order with no chance for recall. Ok... Maybe should go back to the airlines at age 40.
Followed the plan. But plans are only good the day they are written. The more time passes the more variables are introduced that the plan was not written to deal with... So you improvise and do the best you can with the information you have at the time.