Randall Wright -some of you may know him from education week at BYU, some from our ward:)-- He came and spoke to our Young Women last week about writing a life list, or goals you'd like to accomplish in your lifetime. He shared the Life List's originator-John Goddard's list with us, which I have to say is CRAZY!!! But amazingly enough he's completed almost all of the items on his list!...You can check it out HERE
After reading John's , I thought , I don't want to write one...I don't want to set myself up for failure and disappointment..but as Bro. Wright instructed, set realistic goals...things you actually REALLY WANT to do and WILL do! For example--as much as I would LOVE to climb Mt. Everest, I did not include this on my list because #1-I hate to be cold, #2-I can't breathe at 26,000 feet. #3- I'm against getting frostbite, pulmonary edema, and embolisms, and #4 I don't think it's a good idea to die from climbing a mountain...did I mention I hate to be cold? So, CLEARLY, this is not a good thing to put on my "Life List"
My items on my list aren't nearly as ambitious as Johns...but as I look back on my life so far, I've been able to do a lot of things I've always wanted to do...I still have MANY more to go, but it's a start! So, in writing my "life list", I actually cheated a bit I guess, because I started writing it as if I were younger, because, even though I didn't necessarily have it all written down then, they were definitely goals of mine, and it makes me feel better to have a bunch of things checked off as done! :)....here are a few of mine:...actually 100 of mine,(the ones marked with "x's" are the ones I've already done...) so if you don't want to bore yourself, go to the bottom, where it tells you how to start your own!! I'll be adding to mine!
x 2- get married in the temple
x 3- get a nursing degree
x 4-work in surgery
x 5-have children
x 6- be a stay-at-home mom
x 8-buy an RV , take kids on trips
x 10 go on a Disney cruise
x 11 see ruins in Mexico
12 See ruins in Guatemala
13 tour Italy- see all of Michelangelo's works
14 go to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
15 visit the Louvre and the catacombs
16 See Big Ben and Buckingham Palace
17 See Stone Henge
18 ride a camel in Egypt, see the Great Pyramids
19 give medical aid and help build homes and schools in a third world country
x 20-See the Statue of Liberty
x 21- see a play on Broadway in NYC
x 22- tour Washington D.C. incl.
x 23- visit the North east in Fall
x 24- go to Boston and follow the Freedom Trail
x 25- See the light houses on the Oregon coast
x 26- See the light houses on the east coast (saw some in Maine)
x 27- See the Redwoods in California
x 28- Learn to go crabbing and clam digging
x 29- Snorkel in Hawaii ( note, Hanauma Bay is closed on Tuesdays...) :)
x 30-visit the Polynesian Cultural Center
x 31- Go to a Luau--a real one
x 32- visit the Bahamas
33- Read as many of "the classics" as I can ( I've made a dent, but got a long way to go...)
x 34- Record a song in a studio (I was 15...don't know if that really counts)
x 35- learn to Ice skate ( can't do many tricks though...and I fall a lot..)
x 36- See Mt. St. Helens
x 37- go whale watching (saw both Humpback and Orca in the wild)
x 38- visit San Juan islands
x 39- go to the top of the space needle
x 40-go to the top of the Empire State Building
41-go to the top of the Sears Tower
x 42- See Mt. Rushmore
x 43- See a buffalo and the "hot pots" in Yellowstone
44- visit Yosamite in California
x 45- go to Disneyland and Disney World
x 46- go on a hot air balloon ride
x 47 go white water rafting
48- go sculling on a lake
49- catch a big honkin' fish deep sea diving
50-See the Taj Mahal
51- walk on the Great Wall of China
x 52-go parasailing
x 53- NEVER run a marathon (I know I can check that one off because I have no desire whatsoever to do that ...EVER.)
54- learn to speak Spanish enough to have a simple conversation
x 55-pay cash for everything except house...although that would be nice
56- ride an elephant in India or Thailand
x 57- design my own home, then build it (in the process)
58-own a horse
59- learn to ride horses English style, learn to do Hunter /Jumper
60- serve a mission with my husband (Lance as mission president would be awesome!)
x 61- give money to homeless while waiting at stop lights whenever I can
x 62-Decorate other peoples homes
x 63- learn to use the computer better ( work in progress)
64-learn to sew a quilt, then make one for each of my children and grandchildren
65-help motivate others for good
x 66-laugh every day
67-make someone else laugh every day
x 68- see shows in Branson, Missouri
x 69 see a volcano and lava ( saw in Hawaii)
70-tour Greek Isles
71-always be close to my siblings (relationship-wise)
71-help others any way I can, whenever I can
72-get veneers on my front 6 teeth
x 73--fly in a helicopter
x 74- fly in a private plane
x 75- visit all National Parks in Utah
x 76- learn to ski (tried it twice...sucked at it)
x 77-spend a holiday in a cabin in the mountains in the snow (did in Oregon and Utah..would still like to in Colorado)
x 78- see Niagara Falls
79- visit all of the Church History sights ( been to Nauvoo, Kirtland, Palmyra,Independence, Far West, Liberty and Carthage jail, Sharon, VT)
x 80-see the Hill Cumorah Pageant
81- Travel to as many countries and places that I can
82- drive through the Smokey Mountains
83-go to the Kentucky Derby with my daughters
84- become efficient at suturing
85- lose 40 pounds
x 86-own a mountain bike and bike "Slick Rock"trail in Moab
x 87-go off-roading in Moab
88- yodel in Switzerland (doesn't have to be very well..)
89- See all of my kids marry in the temple to worthy companions
90- see all of my kids get a college education/degree
91- see my boys serve honorable missions for the church--and the girls if they choose to
92-read the Ensign every month
x 93- read the Book of Mormon and the standard works cover to cover
94- read the New and old Testament cover to cover ( this one will be harder)
x 95-learn to play the piano
96-learn to play the cello (Lauren's TRYING to teach me)
x 97- attend General Conference at the Tabernacle
98-take my kids to see general conference at the conference center
99-get a family picture in front of as many temples as possible (this one is inspired by my sis.)
100-Tell my husband and my children how much I love them every day ( I know...a little corny...but I want to!)
Writing a Life List: Dos & Don���ts
by Jill Smolinski
A life list���a list of things you hope to do before you die���can be a great tool for helping you get more out of each day. Here, some dos & don���ts:
DO put your life list in writing. Experts say the very act of writing down goals increases the chance you���ll achieve them.
DO aim for a good number of goals. Between 10 and 50 is typical. Too many, and you may feel overwhelmed���too few, uninspired.
DON���T include a goal because you think you ���should.��� Yes, many people dream of climbing mountains or visiting exotic locations, but if those types of things don���t appeal to you, they���ll only get in the way of what does.
DO include different types of goals: ambitious (write a novel, tour Europe, start a business), crazy (dance in your underwear, audition for American Idol), fun (go on a roadtrip, make a mud pie), self-improving (get organized, lose 10 pounds), skill-based (learn French, take a cooking lesson), world-changing (volunteer, buy a hybrid car), personal (get married, get a tattoo), risky (skydive, speak in front of at least 50 people), or even give yourself a quest (meet a celebrity, find the best taco stand in town).
DON���T worry if you can���t come up with a lot of ideas for your life list at first. Momentum is an amazing force. The more you do, the more you���ll want to do. You can add to it as you go.
DO involve other people. Together, you can brainstorm ideas and tackle any shared goals. Plus, with friends checking in on your progress, you���ll be less likely to lose steam.
DON���T be vague. If you say, ���be a nicer person,��� it���s hard to know when you can check it off your list���one grumpy day can throw the whole thing off. Try instead, ���do a kind gesture for someone I love��� or ���go a week without yelling.���
DO be realistic. If your goals seem beyond your grasp, you���ll stop reaching. Sure, it���s great to dream big���after all, if no one envisioned the impossible, we wouldn���t have space travel or cures for diseases. But a list you can do is a list you will do.
DON���T etch your list in stone. That was fine for the Ten Commandments, but a life list will serve you better if it remains a work in progress. Some things are beyond our control. If you lose your hair, for example, ���grow a Mohawk��� will not only seem ridiculous, but maybe even depressing. It���s okay to drop goals when they���re no longer relevant to you.
DO consider giving yourself a deadline, at least for some of your items, i.e., one year to check off five things.
DON���T stress yourself out. A life list is supposed to be a catalyst, not a chore.
DO jump-start your life list with at least one task you can do immediately. Try a new food or restaurant. Cuddle puppies at a pet store. Call an old friend. Crossing off a task right away will put things in motion and give you the impetus to keep going.
And lastly, DO have fun with it.
So, in conclusion...start a life list...or a "Bucket List" ( a list of things to do before you 'kick the bucket'..I've not seen this movie yet, but want to)
If you need ideas to start your life list, you can click HERE to get started...then post it on your blog, so I can see ! :)
4 comments:
This is awesome. Sort of reminds me of the movie we just saw, "The Bucket List" -- anyhow, your list is wonderful.
this is great, steph! i've been meaning to do my list. in fact, i have a post-it on my nightstand that says "go to a Denver Broncos game with my Dad" and "go to Ireland with Chris" but that's as far as I've gotten. Perhaps you've inspired me...
Those are amazing things you've done Steph, but I think you need to check #65 and #67 because I believe you have well completed those goals, especially with me!
wow-you've already done a lot of cool stuff! a life list is such an awesome idea. thanks for reminding me to start mine!
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