Happy New Year! I’m inspired by the turn of the calendar page as I look forward to 2007 and make plans for how I hope my life will take shape. Every year I make resolutions for my personal life, professional life and in my relationships. Most years I’ve resolved to work harder, but for the last two, I’ve been embroiled in a search for balance.
I like to work and I’m good at it. I like that I can control the pace and drive myself to new lengths. That’s an empowering feeling to know I’ve done what I set out to at the end of a day. For me, that feeling was almost addictive and I gladly lost myself in that fulfillment for years on end.
But two years ago I pulled out a Life List I had made a decade before—a list of one hundred life goals and things I wanted to do with my time on earth. Not many of the goals had to do with work or writing. There were lots of places I wanted to visit and things I wanted to see. Moments I wanted to capture. Experiences I wanted to have. My list was a huge wakeup call for me not to get lost in the minutiae of day-to-day accomplishments. While I truly love writing, I could easily fall into my stories and never come out if I didn’t give myself a sharp kick in the seat. And honestly, what kind of writer would I be if I shut off my intake of life experiences in favor of writing? Soon I wouldn’t have any fresh thoughts or perspectives to offer readers. My work would be remembered feelings and ideas from a time when I actually ventured out of my house to do more than take the kids to basketball practice. You wouldn’t want to read what I had to say then, and I probably wouldn’t be having as much fun writing it.
Since finding that list, I’ve written a little less in the last two years. I’ve taken a few more vacations and I’ve made an effort to turn off my computer when the weather is especially beautiful. I don’t browbeat myself when I take an afternoon off. One day comes to mind from this past summer when I took the boys to the beach and just sprawled on the hot sand all afternoon, listening to the waves roll in. Those were the moments I had been missing in my love affair with work, the sensory experiences I needed to give me deeper joy and to give my stories more authenticity.
I’m really glad I took the time to make that life list. If you have an extra few hours this week, I encourage you to start one of your own and tuck it away somewhere safe to refer back to over the years. By committing a few dreams to paper and spelling out a few mundane moments you’d like to enjoy to the fullest, you take the first step in making those wishes come true.
***If you were to start your list today, what five things would you put on it? Is there a historical site you’d like to visit? A person you’d like to get in touch with? A hobby you’d like to explore? Share with us on the boards and I’ll reward one random poster with a new copy of my February Blaze, Don’t Look Back. Winner posted Thursday morning.
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1) Take a trip to England with my grandmother before she passes away. This is where she was born and raised.
2) Take my mother on a trip to Charleston, SC during Spoleto. Just the two of us - no kids or spouses!
3) Acquire a house on the coast for my family. A place to enjoy and pass down through the generations.
4) Take my son on a vacation to a working ranch out West when he’s a little older.
5) Finally write that novel I’m always taking about!
Have a great day!
by Sandra M.
on January 8th, 2007 at 8:17 am
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1) Work harder with my son on his speech
2) I would like to be more proficient at sewing.
3) Do some volunteer work
4) Read more books than I buy– hard one to accomplish.
5) Try to visit my family in New Jersey more often.
Once I started thinking about it, this list could go on and on.
by Janet
on January 8th, 2007 at 9:07 am
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1) Take a trip where my family and I go whale watching and pet manatee’s. Something we have always wanted to do.
2) Rent a cabin up in Alaska and go panning for gold.
3) Walk along the musical beach in Japan. The one where the sand makes music under your feet as you walk. Dont know the name of the beach but its something I always wanted to see and hear in person.
4) Volunteer on a Paleontology dig to some remote place.
5) Take that trip with my brother out to Ireland that we are always talking about.
by April
on January 8th, 2007 at 9:17 am
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1. Take a trip to Australia. It is my fantasy vacation.
2. Go on an African Safari
3. Become proficient in interior decorating.
4. Spend more time with family and friends
5. Learn to be more outgoing and confident.
by Crystal B.
on January 8th, 2007 at 10:35 am
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1. Loose my shyness and be more outgoing
2. Take my mom on a trip to Scotland
3. Write the novel that is in my head
4. Take a trip through the US
5. Teach my mom English
by Danny
on January 8th, 2007 at 11:11 am
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1. Spend more time with family and friends
2. Take a trip to the East Coast to finish family genealogy in U.S.
3. Take a trip to England, Scotland and Ireland (my 1st dream trip)
4. Take a U.S. cross country road trip (northern route one direction and southern route the other direction)
5. A summer home up North and a winter home down South (both near water)
by Wanda S.
on January 8th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
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1. Take a cruise to Alaska with my husband
2. Take a trip to Sweden ~ my Great-Grandfather immigrated here from Sweden when he was a young man. He lived next door to us until he passed away at age 100
3. Spend more time reading and less time feeling guilty about it
4. Take a class on vintage and antique jewelry that I’ve wanted to take for the last 3 years
5. Learn to be nicer to myself ~ be more confident and secure
by Christy
on January 8th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
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1) reach a ‘healthy’ point in my life
2)bake for my siblings who are busy working or otherwise
3)babysit for grandkids so parents can have fun
4)take a trip down East in Canada
5)work on scrapbook to include Mom and Dad’s memorium
6)finish remodelling our home
by RobynL
on January 8th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
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1) open a huge dog sanctuary in the heart of Ireland.
2) live in New York for a year and discover the city.
3)write a book about the different aspects of teenage life, as I experienced it.
4)develop a full collection of Disney dvds.
5)Learn how to cook a Christmas dinner(mom style)
by Maria Duncan
on January 8th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
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1. Visit Scotland, England, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand
2. Visit all 50 US States
3. Learn to knit
4. Go to Disney World
5. Finish my TBR mountain of books
by Jennifer Y.
on January 8th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
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1. Take more pictures. I took so many when the kids were little but have slacked off.
2. Find some different recipes so our dinners can be more interesting.
3. Plan some day trips with the whole family.
4. Start crocheting again.
5. Get said pictures in books and organized.
by Maureen
on January 8th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
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Go to England, most especially London and all Jane Austen sights
Back to Disney World
Back to Kennedy Space Center
Maybe see Phantom on stage, maybe the Las Vegas version
And get more books!! :)
Lois
by Lois
on January 8th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
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1- I’ve always wanted to vacation in Hawaii. 2-Become a partner in my brother’s business 3-Try parasailing 4-Go snorkelingin the ocean 5-Swim with the dolphins
by Teresa Warner
on January 8th, 2007 at 5:54 pm
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1.spend less time stressing about life!
2.visit anywhere and everywhere (that way I won’t miss a thing :) )
3.spend more time w/ friends
4.sit back and decide what a want out of life…instead of always being on the go
5.get a digital camera to take pic’s of all the special moments!
by Kathleen
on January 8th, 2007 at 8:14 pm
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1 sleep
2 visit all my relatives
3 gamble
4 live a long happy life
5 spend time with family:grin:
by kim h
on January 8th, 2007 at 10:21 pm
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1. Lose that last 100 pounds (in other words, get healthy)
2. Find love
3. Finish my graduate degree (Library Science)
4. Edit full time (instead of current freelance work)
5. Take a trip around the world
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1) Visit Greece and surrounding islands- (all those historical monuments!) with my husband of almost 30 years.
2) My children are all growing up too quickly… one getting married, two in college, and one almost out of HS, so I’d like to take a family trip to Glacier and Olympic National Parks, do some camping, hiking etc.
3) Spend more time outside…reading, walking, biking,visiting neighbors
4) volunteer-help others via school, library,church
5) learn how to knit,read more!
by Laurie G
on January 9th, 2007 at 6:01 am
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1. Make more quality time for my husband.
2. Cook healthier meals
3. Take some quality time for myself.
4. Take a cruise.
5. Visit with my kids, who will soon be living out of state.
6. Buy more romance books. :grin:
by Tammy G.
on January 9th, 2007 at 7:28 am
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1. Organize my house and throw out the useless stuff that has accumulated over 18 years.
2. Visit Italy, Ireland, Scotland, and England.
3. Get that tattoo I always wanted!
4. Exercise more and get healthy
5. Keep in closer contact with my brother and try to forget the
horrible things my sister did to me after my mother passed away.
by Angie T
on January 9th, 2007 at 10:12 am
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1. Find a job that I actually want to do.
2. Start up a book club in my area.
3. Look up my family tree.
4. Go to a psychic.
5. Go to a Third World country to help with the aid work.
by Aisling
on January 9th, 2007 at 10:36 am
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1. Get organized
2. Keep trying to get healthier
3. Keep learning to cook
4. Take all of my dream trips (Europe, Australia, etc.)
5. Do volunteer work
by Cat S.
on January 10th, 2007 at 11:46 pm
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These lists are so inspiring! I could read a book made up of life lists like this… they are interesting snapshots into our hopes and dreams, and I think it’s heart-warming to see how much we share in common. Plus the facets where we are different– the goals unique to us– make me dream vicariously and feel like I’m standing in someone else’s shoes for a moment. I hope you all enjoyed these postings as much as me!
***The winner for the prize package is Lois. Congratulations! I’ve sent you a private e-mail, but feel free to e-mail me at joanne@joannerock.com if it hasn’t arrived.
Thank you to everyone who posted and good luck to you in achieving your goals!
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wtg lois
by KIM H
on January 11th, 2007 at 11:43 am
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Big congrats Lois!
by Danny
on January 11th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
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Congrats Lois!
by Janet
on January 11th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
