A while ago, I wrote a personal life wish list. It was pretty helpful in focusing me on where I want to be going with my life, but I still need to set myself some goals to get me to the place I want to be. I know that with these things it's kind of traditional to have 100 or 101 things, but I feel that these 40 something things will keep me busy for the next three years or so, espcially as a lot of them are going to be comprised of many mini goals.
Also, I hope this is going to kick me into not only doing the obvious things I need to do, but the more boring but equally essential things. You'll notice that there's a whole 'living space' section tacked on the end, which I have to confess, is how I think of my living space - a rather neglected appendix to the rest of my life. But how on earth can I expect to achieve when I'm living in disorganised sty, let alone study writing and make a living from writing when I don't have my own table to work on, let alone a functional computer of my own.
Writing this reminded me, sometimes cliches are cliches because well, they're true, and sometimes you really do need to start at the beginning.
Emotional/Personal
1. Create some versions of my favourite Chinese dishes
2. Take an art/drawing class
3. Go ice-skating
4. Do MindMapping for a month
5. Get a decent haircut
6. Design and sell a T-Shirt
Writing
7. Write a short story
8. Enter a writing competition
9. Complete MA
10. Publish a non-fiction article
11. Write a book
12. Research non-fiction freelancing writing markets
Photography
13. Gain LRPS
14. Sell a photograph
15. Publish a photograph
16. Photograph a wedding
17. Do a portrait session
Samaritans
18. Complete recruitment campaign
19. Compile an database of organisations who will display our information
20. Do a radio interview
21. Do a walkabout awareness raising session
22. Take part in creating a major publicity event
Travel
23. Go on the London Eye
23-28. Visit 5 new places.
29. Return to China.
30. Visit Wales.
Blog/Web
31. Finish web design course
32. Design my own blog
33. Design a blog for someone else
34. Be active on twitter
Cultural
35. Go to the ballet
36. Go to the V+A Museum
My Living Space
37. Organise clothes and shoes
38. Organise paperwork
39. Organise books
40. Sort out other possessions
41. Redecorate/theme
42. Put in a desk, chair and working space area
grey = unstarted blue = in progress purple = nearly done orange = finished
Posts
That's quite a list. If you can complete all of that in 3 years, I believe you're superwoman!
ReplyDeleteThey are admirable goals, though, and a list is a great way to organize and create personal incentives. Good luck with getting it all done.
Great goals and I commend you if you can accomplish all of these in three years! Go for it!
ReplyDeleteI tend to do the My Living Space list several times a year and it's never ending. I'm forever organizing and cleaning up. Then, you live in your living space and try to keep it up but in my case, papers always get me. Then I have to organize, clean, redecorate all over again!
Living spaces are definitely works in progress all the time!
Janie - I figure I can at least try, and have some fun.
ReplyDeleteBakerGirl - Unfortunately my living space isn't so much a work in progress as a 'work stalled about ten years ago'
These are all things I really want to do, and I know that when I want to do something it can give me this incredible amount of energy and focus, if I can channel my desires.
It's great to have a plan and have it written down. Now you can check things off as you accomplish them. I like lists...for that very reason of checking things off. Sometimes I try to do the hardest things first.
ReplyDeleteAs for #24, please fill in "Lutsen, Minnesota, on the North Shore of Lake Superior, USA" and "Kathleen" as your hostess.
ReplyDeleteGreat list, J! I would like to learn more about mind mapping. I've heard the term but don't really know the concept.
And about the living space: I'd completely given up all hope of mine improving, when out of no where, 2 people came into my life who were experts in this area
oops...wasn't quite finished...
ReplyDeleteand helped me in ways I never dreamed possible.
Pat - I've taken your advice on this one, and actually started writing out some preliminary plans for a novel that I'm had rattling round in my head for sometime now. Eek!
ReplyDeleteKathleen - now let's just locate the plane fare. :) The US is somewhere I've wanted to visit for ages - trouble is, there's so much of it, I wouldn't know what to do first. Now I know.
MoodMapping is similar to MindMapping, but about tracking your moods, which would be useful for me as I am somewhat prone to mood swings, mainly into the area of paralysed self doubt.
Wow, good for you! The 'organise' bit of the list is one I still aspire to well past 30.
ReplyDelete