Goals Revisited

About 18 months ago, I made a list of 45 things that I would like to do before my 45th birthday. Some of the goals were easy, some were hard - all were legitimately things I wanted to accomplish.The list was surprisingly fun to make. And, since I took it seriously, I feel like the goals I set for myself are both enriching and fulfilling. Thus far, I have been able to cross six things off the list. Take a look:

1. Publish a short story.
2. Take a photography class.
3. Return to London at least once. (Make that twice!)
4. Return to the National Gallery (London) to visit my favorite painting, Van Eyck’s “The Arnolfini Wedding.”
5. Go on a cruise.
6. Stay at the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City.
7. Take voice lessons.
8. Sing in public. (Karaoke counts!)
9. Travel to Egypt.
10. Travel to Japan.
11. Spend more than $500 on a piece of jewelry for myself.
12. BUY a new car.
13. Visit Everglades National Park.
14. Clean up my credit score. (Stupid medical bills!)
15. See the Grand Canyon.
16. Get my CAPS designation
17. Fit into my high school jeans.
18. See David Bowie in concert.
19. Learn a martial art.
20. Plant and maintain a garden.
21. Finish a sewing project.
22. Fly first class.
23. Get another dog.
24. Pay for my parents to take a vacation somewhere amazing.
25. Own and operate a bookstore.
26. Consistently donate to a well-deserving cause/charity.
27. Start a scrapbook.
28. Learn how to properly change a flat tire.
29. Stay in an over-priced luxurious hotel suite for no particular reason.
30. Take dance lessons.
31. Act in a play.
32. Climb a mountain. (Okay – not really. How about a large “hill?”)
33. Ride in a helicopter.
34. Stand on the Great Wall of China.
35. Master the art of lucid dreaming.
36. Break out the ol’ flute and start consistently playing again.
37. Read “Anna Karenina” ALL the way through – no skipping the boring parts.
38. Parlay my editing skills into a decent side income.
39. Spend New Year’s Eve in Times Square
40. Try caviar. (I’ve had the opportunity; I just always say no.)
41. Climb the steps of a Mayan or Aztec pyramid.
42. Go on a safari.
43. Get a master’s degree.
44. Attend a film festival – Sundance, Tribeca, Telluride, etc.
45. See a play on Broadway.

A note on #19: the original goal was to learn how to shoot a gun. I changed it after deciding my friends probably would not allow me to learn to shoot a gun. However, this year, on my birthday, we went to a gun range and I did in fact fire off some rather large weapons. Consequently, I consider this goal to have been met. (Are YOU going to tell me any differently?)

To stay on track, I have set three more of these goals specifically for this year: sing in public, take a helicopter ride, and see the Grand Canyon. Oh, and I'm giving myself extra awesome points if the helicopter ride is over the Grand Canyon. The singing will actually be the most difficult since my normally pleasant voice turns into that of a croaking frog when faced with an audience. Oh, well - this list was supposed to be challenging; obviously, I succeeded in that respect.

I would ask you to wish me luck, dear readers, but you know me - I don't need it. :)