Should You Create a Top 100 Things to do Before You Die List?
At a certain time in everyone's life there comes a realisation that the years are speeding by and that little you want to do has actually been achieved. As young people our heads are full of dreams, plans and ambitions and life seems so exciting. Suddenly, however, it seems that we are middle aged, sunk under the weight of responsibilities and that our fond dreams of the past remain exactly that.
Does this mean that we should just bow to the inevitable, accept our fate and continue to drudge slowly through the rest of our existence with our shoulders getting increasingly bowed? I think not! If you, like me are sitting at this crux in your life, wondering if the future is going to be more of the past, if years are going to continue to fly by so fast that it seems you exist from Christmas to Christmas, then now is the time to take a stand!
I am a very lucky mum of three, I have several jobs that I enjoy online, a nice home, regular holidays... nothing to complain of there right? And yet it seems that life is just a round of the same days repeated over and over and all my dreams of great and wonderful things seem to disappear further behind me as life moves forward. So I have brought myself to a stop. I have started to assess things in life and begun the process of making some changes. Some of these things are little things, like trying to keep my nails nice, others are huge life shaking decisions, like finally changing the terms of a very damaging long term relationship. All together they amount to the same thing and it is something I have felt increasingly lacking in over the years - control over my own destiny.
It recently occurred to me that this seems a bit mid-life crisis like, but then logic compelled me to admit, that if I am in my mid life and facing crisis, no matter how you couch it, something needs to be changed. So I have started to do a list of 100 things I would like to do before I die! Some are things that every parent wants to see, their children grow up and be happy, maybe spend time with your grandchildren, that kind of thing. Others are a bit more wild and wacky, some are rude, some probably extremely boring to anyone but me.
I shall not bore you with the whole list, partly because of the things of a more personal nature, but also because 100 things that someone else wants to do, is likely to bore the rest of the population! I will share the top 10, however, just to give some examples of things that you might like to include upon your list. I am also not including the things like the children growing up on this list, as I am sure you do not want to see the entire top 10 list about my children and potential grandchildren!
So this is ten of the items from my top 100 things to do before I die list:
1, Go on a Caribbean Princess Cruise.
2, Learn to drive.
3, Visit The Netherlands.
4, Get a tattoo.
5, Go in a hot air balloon.
6, Reach my target weight in my diet and stay there.
7, Become a PADI qualified scuba diver.
8, Learn how to decorate cakes to a professional standard.
9, See Celtic Woman live on stage.
10, Earn enough money from my business to become a millionaire!
Well as you can see its a strange old list, some things I may be able to achieve and some that are only ever going to be dreams ( I am counting on the millionaire one working out so I can do some of the others!). There will be things on my list, others can totally relate to and other things that people will think, oooh no, I could never do that!
The thing is it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if the things on the list are all achievable, all realistic or not. What is important is that you have a list to focus on, to try. Which brings me to the main point of the whole exercise and something that I believe is really important. No matter what age, or station you are at in life a list like this is something everyone should treat themselves too. It is a treat, it requires that you spend time reflecting on all the things the world has to offer that could bring you some measure of joy, for what ever reason. One of the things on my longer list is to visit an orphange and become involved in making the children that live there a bit happier. Another is to be swept of my feet by a gorgeous man. These are two very different things, one I could do almost immediately, the other I have to wait to chance, but just sitting down, creating the list gives me time to contemplate these things. This makes me smile, makes me feel good for a bit. Everytime I go back and either read my list, or add something new to it, it is something to smile about.
The thing is that now I have dreams I can see, I also can see ways to realise some of them. Some of the smaller ones are easy to do, the more outrageous will need a little more planning, but they give me something to focus on. I can make plans, price things up, open savings accounts, get brochures... anything that is possible to start checking some of these items off my list.
I am 40 next October and there are things I have done, granted, but also so many things I haven't. Well they say life begins at 40, although I am inclined to disagree slightly, as I am going to the Netherlands in August and getting the tattoo for my 39th birthday... so that will be two items checked off - 98 to go! I feel like a teenager again full of dreams, hope and ambitions only now I have the age and experience to actually make at least some of them happen.
So I urge you all, make a list of 100 things you want to do before you die and start making some of the dreams on the list reality. What ever age you are now, do not get to the 80 milestone and look back at a life filled with what ifs and I wish I hads. Instead look back at a life rich with dreaming, laughter and hope, with ambitions fulfilled and at least 80 out of the 100 things on your list checked off!
If anyone already has a list like this I would love to see the top 10 of yours and compare notes, what an exciting journey to be sharing!
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You go girl!.....what a great article. I surely enjoyed the read. Thank you!
Thanks Venetia, for stopping by and your kind comment.
xxx
1) move back to Europe permanently (someplace warm, like the south of France)
2) remarry (anyone know a nice, single, nonsmoking, middleaged Russian Orthodox man?)
3) get my house completely in order
4) make $50 per day in passive income
5) fill my teaching schedule
6) find a recording partner and finish up my recordings of French Baroque drinking songs to publish and go on tour performing
7) publish the series of four books that I am working on (classical composers of Mexico, Central and South America from Cortes to WWI) and go on a speaking tour about them
8) learn Slavonic
9) train at least one voice teacher and one piano teacher
10) get at least some people to understand the value of etiquette and grammar
If I do all that I'll die a happy woman!
Wow! That is an impressive list. Well you can tick of number ten classical one :D I understand and appreciate the values of both etiquette and grammar. I may not always get them right, but I do understand them. Sadly I do not know of any men such as the one you seek, I am still struggling at the nice part personally. I am looking forward to hearing your album of French Baroque drinking songs, however, so do give me a heads up when you get that one completed!
xxx
I usually set mini goals each year. But I think it might be fun to do a top 100 things. Wonderful list. I love your number one and number eight.
So I visited the Netherlands, also met my guy from there and started a relationship with him (and more!!!). That's 4 things from my list!! :D
xxx
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