Things to do before you die: Dreaming BIG! How to Jumpstart Your List

I started this blog a few weeks ago.

Since then, I've passed the link on to friends and I've managed to get a few of them motivated to make their own lists.

Now, understand I've had this list for a long time and in really looking at it I've actually accomplished a lot, but I also recognize that I'm not done. If I am going to make this work then I have to take the lead and set the example. If I can encourage one person to set a goal and do something they've never thought they could then I've done something...even if that one person is me...lol...I hate to admit but I'm a bit of a procrastinator.

So yesterday a friend of mine came to me and said basically "I'm ready to be happy, regardless of finances and outside distractions." I told her that in all honesty, starting this blog has been a huge help, because I'm a writer who hasn't really been writing and hence using my list as a topic, I have to actually do something on the list in order to have something to write about...voila, instant motivation!

That being said, today I am going to throw out some ideas for things to add to your list, or if you don't have one some good places to start...

List building sites:

My 50 http://www.my50.com/ : This is where I keep my list. It's my personal favorite because it's simple and has tons of starter ideas, plus you can set goal dates

reaperlist.com

your100things.com

43things.com (this is actually a good one too, you can leave comments and kudos on other peoples' list)

Some starter ideas:

Goals fall into several categories, they can be as small or as big as you can make them. However it may work better to make them specific or to take a smaller goal and apply it to a larger goal. For example, you may set a goal of losing weight...why not set a goal to lose weight so you can run a marathon. Here is an article from yesterday about a guy who lost 140 pounds in a year so that he could join the Marines http://news.aol.com/article/man-loses-140-pounds-to-join-marines/251580

Think about what you've always wanted to do, no matter how far fetched or silly and write it down...don't worry if you can't come up with too much immediately (keep in mind I've added more items to my list as recently as a week ago). Try these as starting point...

Learn a new language (French, Spanish, Japanese or even sign language)

Learn a new sport (a few years back I learned to box and fence)

Learn a new skill (cooking, quilting, scrapbooking, painting)

Do something adventurous (rock climbing, white water rafting, skydive, ride a monster roller coaster)

Educational goals (finish college, go back and get a Master's or a PhD, get a professional certificate, graduate with a certain GPA, pass the bar exam)

Travel... now this is my favorite category. Many of my personal goals are travel related because I love to see new places, I love culture and I learned very early in life that the world is a far bigger (and sometimes smaller) place than we imagine. Any and every opportunity I can get to go somewhere new I take it. This one is also kind of personal to me because growing up I knew people who'd never been outside of their own state, much less had never stepped out of the city limits--but that's a story for another day.

Now you can make a list of places that are of interest to you... but here is my ultimate dream trip... enjoy. Until next time happy list making...