What's on Your Life List?

[ScottFromUtah]

WithAllMyHeart,

Your thread has really started me thinking. Thank you.

For my first thirty years of life, Act 1, I looked mostly for the physical challenges. Mountains, sky, sea, musical performance etc. The next thirty years, Act 2, was about working and accumulation of assets and helping DW raise DD. As I begin the final thirty years, Act 3, I believe it should be unique in its own way.

Act 1 and 2 merely set up the action for Act 3. As the curtain rises…

• Be more attentive to DW, do more things together. (This arrogantly assumes she wants me involved of course)
• Read much more, go fishing more, and grow vegetables (what on earth are eight acres for if not to grow some food. You can’t eat grass, although the deer eat it, and the trees, and the flowers, and …)
• Exercise regularly, just for the sake of it. Never done that.
• Take courses at the local university that compliment whatever is on this list or for fun
• Attend local music programs, theater productions, art shows and festivals. Try to participate.
• Finally visit North and South Dakota and Minnesota, the only three states I’ve missed. Are they on the way to anywhere?
• Learn how Warren Buffett values a company and take some small financial risks with that information
• Live for a few months each in different countries. Scotland, Italy, Germany come to mind first.
• Tutor/teach a subject I know or skill I have if the community needs it taught
• Spend much more time with friends
• Find out where in the world my family came from; I only have half the picture

Start now!

I love your list! I think I'll borrow some of your ideas for my list.

MN, SD, and ND: Driving through those would make a wonderful vacation. You could visit some wonderful sites along the way.

 

[Zoocat]

6. Okay, now you can snicker at me; but, when I was young and women weren't really into stand-up comedy so much as today, I wanted to be a stand-up comic; so, now I can get something together and do a few open mic nights. Why not? I have made a fool of myself before, have been boo'd off a stage before, so I won't crumble. Plus, in my jobs I did lots of public speaking. Figure the worst that can happen already has. And I might have alot of fun with it...or shuck the whole idea, but I gotta try it once, anyway.

I understand that you can do stand up comedy on cruise ships as part of their passenger talent night! So you could perform and cruise too.

My lifetime goals (that I have been working on my whole life already, it seems)

1. Write a novel
2. Publish said novel with a good publisher, like Knopf
3. Develop a large circle of friends in my new town
4. Lose 40 pounds by eating healthfully and exercising (working on it)
5. Summit a 14er here in Colorado
6. Go on Safari in Africa (scheduled this August!)
7. Travel to Peru and Galapagos
8. Fall in love again
9. Find some volunteer work that engages me
10. Work on my art sculpture and develop a body of work

 

[tightasadrum]

Martha - Just joking about MN, SD & ND. Thanks for the "sites to see" list though. I don't beleive I've found any state yet that I didn't enjoy in some way. And considering that DW HATES GA summers, a three-state visit in July/August would be certain to please her I'm sure. I was particularly interested in that Boundry Water Canoe Area Wilderness. Now if could only get DW interested in roughing it with me. I could even bring my canoe.

WithAllMy Heart - Thanks. Help yourself to the list.

 

[Orchidflower]

Oh, here's another goal that I want to do, but don't consider it life changing enough for my list:
I want to take a train trip thru the Canadian Rockies and, maybe, one thru Alaska. Have heard great things about what a beautiful train ride it is, and it sounds like fun to me. Figure somebody else on this board might also consider that, so am mentioning it since, surely, I'm not the only nature lover here.

 

[tightasadrum]

"Oh, here's another goal that I want to do, but don't consider it life changing enough for my list:
I want to take a train trip thru the Canadian Rockies and, maybe, one thru Alaska. Have heard great things about what a beautiful train ride it is, and it sounds like fun to me. Figure somebody else on this board might also consider that, so am mentioning it since, surely, I'm not the only nature lover here."


Orchidflower,

I made one of those train trips in Alaska in 1973. A girlfriend at the time had always wanted to go to Alaska, so I got recruited to take her there. I had just separated from the US Navy, and if I was going to do something, it had to be then, before I started working for real. She had an assignment with the Peace Corps. We were gone two months in a pickup camper. But I digress.

We took the train from Anchorage to Mt. McKinley National Park. The sucker was really SLOW. It would stop anytime someone waved it down along side the track. Stopped once to let a moose get out of the way. It was in early June. We had a small pup tent and camped within sight of Denali. You get off the train and get on the park bus, and away you go into the park.

I got up the next morning and there was almost one inch of snow on the ground and still snowing! But that didn't come close to one thing that happened. The night before, as I was gathering kindling to start a fire, I happened to glance up at girlfriend. Her eyes were wide and staring over my shoulder. I slowly turned my head to look behind me and there was the largest moose cow I'd ever seen within four feet of me, browsing on the small shrubs! Not that I'd seen that many moose in GA.

Next day after hiking around (watched two grizzly bears stalking a caribou, he got away), we went back to the station and rode the train back to Anchorage. One cool trip. Still clear in my mind as if it happened yesterday.

 

[pedorrero]

Good thread! I am too much the book worm. I've seen the "make a list" advice in authors ranging from Edelman to Zilenski ("The Joy of Not Working"). I've even done it ... half-heartedly. I'm an odd person: very self-centered, yet usually don't spend much time planning my own life, at least planning well. I guess "read a lot" is on my list

-- Pedorrero, self-centered, but should be working on just becoming "centered".

 

[Orchidflower]

Thanks for the story, tightasadrum. Pretty funny...

 

[CyclingInvestor]

Oh, here's another goal that I want to do, but don't consider it life changing enough for my list:
I want to take a train trip thru the Canadian Rockies and, maybe, one thru Alaska. Have heard great things about what a beautiful train ride it is, and it sounds like fun to me. Figure somebody else on this board might also consider that, so am mentioning it since, surely, I'm not the only nature lover here.

Yeah, I plan to make that trip in the not too distant future, I retired last year at 48, and
have already had 4 train - based vacations, 2 LA->OR, 1 LA-> Sonoma for bike /
wine tasting, 1 LA->Buellton for bike / winetasting..I have read alot about the trans-
Canada trip and am looking forward to it.

 

[yona]

1 - Retire next year
2 - Loss 7 kilos (15 pound)
3 - Practice more Tai Chi - around 2-3 hours a day
4 - Teach my kids Tai Chi
5 - learn at least 2 more languages
6 - Travel more. Including - at least half a year in Japan, US, south America, NZ. Shorter trips to - Mongolia, Namibia, Norway, Italy, Yunnan (in China)
7 - Read, Read & read
8 - compound my investments by at least 20% in the next 10 years

 

[Orchidflower]

Re: Ydog's goal of visiting State fairs

I had a professor who taught investing last year, and he made a point to tell the class that he had an "unusual hobby." His hobby was visiting every single State fair in the U.S. He had 6 to go, which he would finish this year.
I guess others have the same idea. Pretty neat, I think.
I'll admit I wouldn't have thought of that, but have always regretted not visiting the Iowa and Texas State fairs (which he did say were great). Another small goal to accomplish.

 

[deserat]

It's great reading these lists - I love lists of goals

Eighteen years ago, after getting my master's degree and struggling to find a job after moving across the country, I sat down and wrote one year, five year, 20 year and then lifetime goals. I still have that piece of paper - some significant ones that I had and where I am are below:

1) Visit a myriad of countries and specific architectural wonders of the world - I've complete close to 80%
2) Go to all of the tennis grand slams - have completed three - only the Australian Open to go
3) Still be swimming and playing badminton - am still playing badminton - don't swim as much anymore.
4) Specific goal for my Reserve career and civilian career - have met my civilian goal nearly and my Reserve goal nearly.

I've looked at it every year and also had yearly goals - pretty much either meet or exceed them especially when they've been written down - I also write down savings goals - usually exceed those.

 

[Orchidflower]

Yona, I have no clue about Tai Chi, but is 2-3 hours a day the average amount of practice people put in? It must be addicting if you are willing to give it that much time. Must try it soon.

 

[ScottFromUtah]

It's great reading these lists - I love lists of goals

Eighteen years ago, after getting my master's degree and struggling to find a job after moving across the country, I sat down and wrote one year, five year, 20 year and then lifetime goals. I still have that piece of paper - some significant ones that I had and where I am are below:

1) Visit a myriad of countries and specific architectural wonders of the world - I've complete close to 80%
2) Go to all of the tennis grand slams - have completed three - only the Australian Open to go
3) Still be swimming and playing badminton - am still playing badminton - don't swim as much anymore.
4) Specific goal for my Reserve career and civilian career - have met my civilian goal nearly and my Reserve goal nearly.

I've looked at it every year and also had yearly goals - pretty much either meet or exceed them especially when they've been written down - I also write down savings goals - usually exceed those.

Nice goals. Congratulations on tracking and achieving your goals. Which architectural wonders have you visited and which ones are left on your list?

 

[HobbyDave]

I just love life lists. I've had one that I have maintained for quite a few years now. As I find new things I want to do, I drop them onto the list. I'll just paste the list here.

*DONE* Scuba (OWSI)
*DONE (badly)* Paint
*DONE* Get an aquarium (salt)
*DONE* Bonsai (Well, in progress)
*DONE* Bbq (smoke) good stuff
Hapkido black belt
Forge a sword (or other sharp thing)
Brew root beer
Learn Tai Chi
Get in shape
Breed moray eels (need at least 200 gallon tank)
Raise octopus (need at least 55 gallon tank)
Write a book
Make a Koi/Goldfish pond in Greenhouse
Learn how to play bagpipes
Learn how to play the guitar
Make wood bookshelves
Make a remote control battleship that shoots things
Make a board game
Sail around the world
Walk the appalachian trail nonstop
Make a trading card game for the family
Make a carved wooden thing bear with wheels for Dad
Retire before age 40
Learn to speak at least 2 other languages fluently

Well, that's it right now

 

[Mach]

My one current goal is proving difficult:
1. not die

I'm thinking I'm going to have to table this one for a while.

Secondarily I want:
- FIRE (1-3 years away at best, worse if I choose to work longer...gulp)
- Continued growth of my business.
With that I'll move to:

- excercise more
- Either get a fishing camp or have budget/time to visit one frequently during appropriate months.
- Either get a beach pad or have budget/time to rent one frequently...
- Write a book
- learn how to write
- Revise the book or start over
- Invent/improve something I wouldn't mind using myself
- Take some culinary classes
- Get kid through college (high on the list but here in terms of timeline!)
- Plan out my next "job", I suspect it will be "working" in some capacity.

I apparently don't attach any significance to geographic locations right now, perhaps I'll see that change when I have more time on my hands.

-Mach

 

[yona]

Yona, I have no clue about Tai Chi, but is 2-3 hours a day the average amount of practice people put in? It must be addicting if you are willing to give it that much time. Must try it soon.

Tai Chi is great. But you have to do it to see if it fits you. I actually practiced more than 2 hours a day while living and studying in China and before I started working full time.

It will be great to have the time to practice again. 2 hours is not that much. One form is about 30 minutes. So if you know 2 forms + warm up + meditation + stretching and you easily get there.

 

[TargaDave]

Fun thread. Not a complete list and always subject to change.

• rehab one more house including my first dock build with requisite boat lift, fish cleaning station, diving board, and sunset viewing bench (retirement place)
• one more widget to develop, market and sell (fun low-tech instead of high tech)
• at least one full round trip from Norfolk to Key West via the intercoastal waterway going as slow as possible
• Get two kids through college
• Become a decent amature videographer
• at least 2 months exploring Australia and New Zealand (not much other travel desires)
• volunteer in mussel bed repopulation efforts on the Pamlico and Albemarle sounds
• dote over future "potential" grandkids and leave DD's with the hard stuff
• celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary