New Uberlist
Jan. 1st, 2008 05:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
livingdebEach year I like to list 100 things to do, kind of like these guys. When that group was more active, it seemed like people finished about 1/3 to 1/2 of the items on their lists each year, and this year I'm almost at the 1/3 mark. My favorite things I accomplished were replacing the central heating and air conditioning at home, finally getting rid of my old car, learning to add pictures to this journal and then actually doing it many times, finally rolling over my state pension money into a Roth IRA, and going on a fun trip.
Of course I also put some things on my list that are both fun and easy for me, like going to parties, watching at least 26 movies I haven't seen, and reading at least 12 fiction and 12 nonfiction books. I overachieved on the movies, as usual, watching 65 movies. But I didn't quite make my nonfiction goal, finishing only 11 books. I'm happy with that, though, because some kinds of nonfiction are not the kinds of things I want to read cover-to-cover, so it's good that I didn't make myself, just so I could put it on the list.
As the year went by I added about 40 more things to the list, some of which I admit I had just completed. For example, "Try tie-undyeing" got added to my list right after some folks at a party taught us how to do such a thing and let us try it. Some other added things I accomplished were taking CPR, going to Maker Faire, learning a new knitting pattern, catching up on my charitable contributions, planting a shade tree in the front yard, properly disposing of batteries and lightbulbs, and writing down things I want so I know what to look for when I'm in stores.
I also changed my goals of seeing plays and watching musical performances to include attending other live performances, thus including a roller derby and performance art in the sky (or perhaps a better description is vertical modern dance?).
I'm also pleased with some of the things I didn't finish but made a good effort at, such as trying 12 new recipes (I only tried 5, but I'm happy with three: the oatmeal, tomato soup, and low-fat pudding) and putting a recipe online with pictures (I put up some recipes, and I put up some pictures, but no entry is quite what I wanted to do).
And now I've made a new list for 2008. Once you've done this a few years, there's no problem finding 100 things for a list. You just keep all the things you didn't do last year, plus all the things you did do that you want to do again, plus all your new ideas. If you're not careful, you don't leave room for new ideas, and you end up with just a list of things you've failed to do for several years running, which is depressing. My list for 2007 was too much like that.
So I decided this year to think where I really want to focus next and then I removed a bunch of the old stuff (for now anyway; I can always add it back), brainstormed a bunch of new stuff, and removed some more of the old stuff. So now I have a list of 100 things that I feel pretty motivated to do.
I don't really want to say too much about what the things on my list are, because saying them fools my brain into feeling like it's done something about accomplishing them, and then I'm less likely to make any progress. Stupid brain. But I've focussed on doing stuff, physical improvements, learning Spanish, getting a better job, doing a few of the older things that I'm in the mood to do, doing a few things that have been troublesome but should be easy to check off, and the usual fun things like partying and reading.
Of course I also put some things on my list that are both fun and easy for me, like going to parties, watching at least 26 movies I haven't seen, and reading at least 12 fiction and 12 nonfiction books. I overachieved on the movies, as usual, watching 65 movies. But I didn't quite make my nonfiction goal, finishing only 11 books. I'm happy with that, though, because some kinds of nonfiction are not the kinds of things I want to read cover-to-cover, so it's good that I didn't make myself, just so I could put it on the list.
As the year went by I added about 40 more things to the list, some of which I admit I had just completed. For example, "Try tie-undyeing" got added to my list right after some folks at a party taught us how to do such a thing and let us try it. Some other added things I accomplished were taking CPR, going to Maker Faire, learning a new knitting pattern, catching up on my charitable contributions, planting a shade tree in the front yard, properly disposing of batteries and lightbulbs, and writing down things I want so I know what to look for when I'm in stores.
I also changed my goals of seeing plays and watching musical performances to include attending other live performances, thus including a roller derby and performance art in the sky (or perhaps a better description is vertical modern dance?).
I'm also pleased with some of the things I didn't finish but made a good effort at, such as trying 12 new recipes (I only tried 5, but I'm happy with three: the oatmeal, tomato soup, and low-fat pudding) and putting a recipe online with pictures (I put up some recipes, and I put up some pictures, but no entry is quite what I wanted to do).
And now I've made a new list for 2008. Once you've done this a few years, there's no problem finding 100 things for a list. You just keep all the things you didn't do last year, plus all the things you did do that you want to do again, plus all your new ideas. If you're not careful, you don't leave room for new ideas, and you end up with just a list of things you've failed to do for several years running, which is depressing. My list for 2007 was too much like that.
So I decided this year to think where I really want to focus next and then I removed a bunch of the old stuff (for now anyway; I can always add it back), brainstormed a bunch of new stuff, and removed some more of the old stuff. So now I have a list of 100 things that I feel pretty motivated to do.
I don't really want to say too much about what the things on my list are, because saying them fools my brain into feeling like it's done something about accomplishing them, and then I'm less likely to make any progress. Stupid brain. But I've focussed on doing stuff, physical improvements, learning Spanish, getting a better job, doing a few of the older things that I'm in the mood to do, doing a few things that have been troublesome but should be easy to check off, and the usual fun things like partying and reading.