Saturday, January 1, 2011

The Master List

I love making lists of goals. Every year around this time, like many people, I usually think about the past year and decide how I would like to improve myself in the new one. I have written many a resolution list. I even write resolution lists when its not January 1st. I know there are notebooks around my apartment littered with them and a few months ago, when I was cleaning and organizing my computer files, I found a whopping number of them--old and new--so many I made a folder for them. I read them and was sort of amused and dismayed to find that list after list, year after year I basically write the same list of unaccomplished things. The lists were so similar, in fact, that I took it upon myself to consolidate the data and create one master goal list. Perhaps this is the only list I need now. Except for lists on how to accomplish my goals on the master list ;)

The master list (in a nutshell):

1. Be a writer. Be my own boss. Create something I am proud of.
2. Have an awesome supportive network of family and friends.
3. Live in a cool home with a garden and big kitchen.
4. Travel all over the world.
5. Be healthy, active and strong.
6. Actively work on creative pursuits (photography, cooking, etc).
7. Find spiritual bliss.

I often think to myself that I am unfocused and that I don't know what I want in my life, but obviously there is a part of me that does know, but I just keep ignoring myself or thinking that my list isn't good enough and I will come up with a new, brilliant life strategy. My new year's resolution is to stop procrastinating (what am I waiting for?), read the lists and just do it.

First thing I am knocking off my list? Learn how to swim. Falling under the be healthy and strong category, I've been writing this on my goal lists for about ten years. I never took swim lessons and was afraid of water as a child so as a result, I can barely swim from one end of the pool to another. Every time I watch the summer Olympics, I get inspired to take lessons but never do anything about. No more procrastinating! My friend Danielle and I signed up for a private class at the YMCA; we start this week.Wish me luck...this is definitely conquering one of my big fears, and I am feeling a little scared!

4 comments:

Brian said...

Happy New Year! I love your master list.

Willy The Prince said...

I love lists!
And, love that you are taking swimming.

Anonymous said...

tell me if I'm crazy, but it seems like you've totally been working on your goals in a pretty focused way already! you write regularly on your blog (writer), you made the leap to freelancer (a concrete step toward working for yourself), you traveled for months solo a couple years ago, you are learning so much about photography and are well on your way to completing our very demanding 365 photo project (creative pursuits) - and you seem to have lots of awesome friends. Plus... you exercise a hell of a lot more than I do, so... from this outsider's point of view, I think you're already kicking this list's ass. Just saying.

Yvonne said...

Thanks Nell...I am trying! But would like to be more hardcore this year and always.