I finally completed reading the book 2,001 Things to Do Before You Die. Its an accomplishment in its own considering I am in the middle of reading 10 books. So what have I done so far in my life? According to the book, only 115 things. Im excited about the notion of completing 115 things before I die, then realize I have 885 things to complete before I actually do die!
The Next Step
The next step in this life goal is to read through the book regularly, identifying the items that I can complete tomorrow, or any other day. While reading through the book again, Im also making note of what I believe I can accomplish.
Spreading the Word of my Goal
I've only shared my goal with few people in the past few weeks.
Steph Johnson - roommate/friend - she's the first I told due to my excitement. She laughed and said "keep me posted"
Audrey Burke- best friend - laughed and said that'll never happen! just wait and see...i'll prove her wrong
Shaun Ruckman - best friend/ex boyfriend - challenged why I didnt make my own list, why I had to abide by this list. I think this list is what will make me step out of the box. My list wouldnt be as challenging.
More to come...
Editors Note: As of 8/22, I have not publicized this blog. Until I get more buy-in and interest, I will continue to keep this private.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Sunday, August 3, 2008
The First Day: Starting the Journey
August 3, 2008
It's 10pm. I've just spent my weekend drinking and laying on the couch, plus an hour of cleaning my room. What a life (insert sarcasm). Makes me think - what am I doing with my life. This is a brief passing thought. Nothing came to fruition until I was looking for a book to read before I go to sleep at 10pm. I'm looking at my collection of half read books looking for something interesting. Then the idea hits me - lets start reading a book I bought about a year ago called "2,001 Things to Do Before You Die."
I open the book and thoughts start flowing: Set a goal to accomplish 1,000 of the items before I die, start a journal on everything you do, better yet start a blog.
Here's my chance to do something extra-ordinary and to be proud of as a lifetime accomplishment.
I started reading the first 3rd of the book for 2 hours - making notes of everything that I've already accomplished. Most of the items are from childhood, experiences from my teens and 20's. Its the easy part. I don't have to think about it too much.
Here's my first 50 items I've already accomplished in my first 25 years of life:
It's 10pm. I've just spent my weekend drinking and laying on the couch, plus an hour of cleaning my room. What a life (insert sarcasm). Makes me think - what am I doing with my life. This is a brief passing thought. Nothing came to fruition until I was looking for a book to read before I go to sleep at 10pm. I'm looking at my collection of half read books looking for something interesting. Then the idea hits me - lets start reading a book I bought about a year ago called "2,001 Things to Do Before You Die."
I open the book and thoughts start flowing: Set a goal to accomplish 1,000 of the items before I die, start a journal on everything you do, better yet start a blog.
Here's my chance to do something extra-ordinary and to be proud of as a lifetime accomplishment.
I started reading the first 3rd of the book for 2 hours - making notes of everything that I've already accomplished. Most of the items are from childhood, experiences from my teens and 20's. Its the easy part. I don't have to think about it too much.
Here's my first 50 items I've already accomplished in my first 25 years of life:
1. Learn the first 5 amendments - Of course, I learned these in school. But I couldn't remember them. So checked out Wikipedia for help (relearned):
1. Freedom of religion, speech, press, petition, & assembly
2. The right to bear arms
3. No quartering of soldiers in private houses during times of war
4. Search & seizures, warrants
5. Due process, self-incrimination, double jeopardy, & eminent domain
2. Have multiple orgasms
3. Pay Off School Loans
4. Organize a food drive for the needy - team leader for PPC's Annual Turkey Drive - raised over $500 for a costco run and food donation for thanksgiving
5. Flirt
6. Learn to drive stick shift - On my dad's jeep in highschool - lets just say this involved a stop sign on a hill, holding up traffic, being honked at, and frustration to the point of tears. Really learned on Audrey's VW cabrio
7. Crush a beer with one hand - sideways counts.
8. Stay in bed all day - spending the day hungover is more like it.
9. Spend a day in a nursing home - my grandmother Meme spent a few months in a nursing home after a stroke - I visited many days.
10. Dry some flowers - dried most all the flowers past boyfriends gave me
11. Learn a new computer program - somehow got through college w/o learning power point - couldn't get through my first real job w/o it.
12. Skinny dip - parents pool in highschool
13. Attend a Catholic Mass - boyfriend in highschool was catholic, so I went to mass once w/ him; also attending Jen George/Mikey Shannon wedding w/ mass 5/31/08
14. Do a backflip on a trampoline
15. Spend some time with the Amish or Mennonites - My grandmother's care takers are Mennonites
16. Ride Space Mountain - 11/93
17. Make your own ice cream - had an old-time ice cream maker growing up
18. Don't shave for a few days
19. Smoke a big fat cigar - Tobacco Company in Richmond after Kelly wedding 8/07
20. Boogie Board
21. Have a bowl of Corn Pops or Peanut Butter Captain Crunch - Corn pops are one of my favs
22. Plant a tree
23. Clean up your room - right before I came up w/ this idea!
24. Line dance or hand jive - line danced at first job at LoneStar (part of the job)
25. Invest in the stock market - 401k & roth IRA
26. Pierce something on your body - 6 piercings - double earlobes, cartilage, belly button
27. Surf the Net
28. Write a play - sister and cousins were privy to my play writing skills at every Christmas growing up
29. Make angels in the snow
30. Put glow in the dark start and asteroids in your room
31. Catch a butterfly then let it go
32. Levitate someone - light as a feather, stiff as a board
33. Play dress up
34. Have a mentor - Yolanda Evans, PPC Corporate Recruiting Manager - jump started my career
35. Color with crayons
36. Fingerpaint
37. Throw a shower for a friend - Audrey's baby shower 8/07
38. Walk knee deep in maple leaves
39. Catch a snowflake on your tongue
40. Go Fishin'
41. Soak in a hot tub
42. Chuckle
43. Cut off a bad relationship - ended relationship w/ highschool boyfriend freshman year of college
44. Bake brownies
45. Set your sights higher - accomplishing 1,000 things to do
46. Move - Manassas, Slusher Tower (VT), Hunters Ridge (Blacksburg), ADPi House (VT), Clarendon, Ballston
47. Baby-sit
48. Be a die-hard fan - GO HOKIES!!
49. Play badminton
50. Build a log cabin - helped build parents' log cabin
Thoughts after reading through the first third of the book: Some things will be easy to accomplish, some will be difficult but possible, some will not be possible (various restrictions). But I know I can do it and will share my experiences here.
Here goes nothing.
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