Succession plans are put in place so that when spots open up in the store or in the district there is someone ready to fill that spot. That said, you can be on a succession plan indefinitely if no one promotes, quits, or is termed. The good news is that most districts and stores aren't stagnant. If you have your degree and your execs are actively prepping you for interviews and/or seriously talking you up to be an ETL then you are probably not spinning your wheels (although it may feel like it). Just keep your area/store green, drive sales, team engagement, and guest satisfaction and you'll be pretty solid going into interviews. Be sure that your DTL knows who you are. Go to district events, take on leadership roles and captainships in the store and possibly district. Basically the more you represent the brand, the faster you move up the ranks. I've seen good ETLs stay at that level because they don't espouse the Target virtues, while vapid idiots move right up the ladder.