#allthelists update

List, lists, lists. I love lists. (I’m really hoping you just gave that your best Ron Burgandy treatment. And, if not, you should definitely go back and read it again and apply it.)  I make them weekly to track MITs, daily to capture to-dos and I create monthly and annual goals (although lately, I’ve been focusing more on annual intentions) to keep me on the right larger path.

As a testament to my love of lists, I currently have three active ones of the annual-plus variety: 101 things in 1,001 days + 2017 readolution + 2017 intentions (aka, the year of curiosity), the former of which I haven’t updated since earlier this year and the latter I’ve just kind of forgotten about since creating. The road to life is paved with good intentions, right?

The good news is, despite the absence of focusing my attention to adding pretty little check marks next to items on a bunch of lists, life is kind of amazing right now (not saying the state of my life has any correlation whatsoever to me ignoring a bunch of lists). And while I haven’t totally shocked my system by forgoing all lists (there are still the aforementioned weekly MITs, daily to-dos and my weekly reflection), I have allowed myself to live a bit more freely. The next step is to really be okay with all of this come December when I’m reflecting on the past year.

So, without further adieu, all of the updates on all of the lists — otherwise known as a UX nightmare of s—-c—-r—–o—-l—-l—-i—-n—-g—-f—-o—-r—-e—-v—-e—-r.

First up, this year’s reading goals — or, as I deemed it, my 2017 readolution. Completed status + updates are captured in bold.

2017 READOLUTION

I will read:

• all book club books (~10) behind a few books
• at least one book per week behind
• a chapter each week in a year of living mindfully on track
• one page daily in 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne’s Precepts I actually ended up donating this book as part of my big-purge effort

I will read again:

• She’s Come Undone, Wally Lamb
• the War of Art, Steve Pressfield
• Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath
• Wonder, R.J. Palacio (book club)

I will read:

1. When Breath Becomes Air, Paul Kalanithi
2. the one-minute meditator, David Nichol and Bill Birchard
3. If Our Bodies Could Talk: A Guide to Operating and Maintaining a Human Body, James Hamblin
4. The Book of Joy, Dalai Lama + Desmond Tutu + Douglas Abrams
5. Brave Enough, Cheryl Strayed
6. On Your Own Way: Women Travel the World Solo
7. The Knowledge: A Too Close to True Novel, Steve Pressfield
8. All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr
9. The Gift, Lewis Hyde
10. Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl
11. The Well Life, Borten and Borten
12. Tenth of December, George Saunders
13. Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change, Pema Chodron
14. Presence, Amy Cuddy
15. I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t), Brene Brown
16. Fig, Sarah Elizabeth Schantz
17. The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted, Elizabeth Burg
18. The Gifts of Imperfection, Brene Brown
19. Lunch With Buddha, Roland Merullo
20. The Girls with the Lower Back Tattoo, Amy Schumer
21. The Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery, Robert Kolker (book club) started but didn’t finish
22. 10% Human, Alanna Collen (book club)
23. The Accidental Empress, Allison Pataki (book club) started but didn’t finish and then donated
24. Spinster: Making a Life of One’s Own, Kate Bolick started but didn’t finish and then donated
25. essentialism, Greg McKeon
26. Originals, Adam Grant
27. The Princess Diarist, Carrie Fisher
28. How to Be Alive, Colin Beavan
29. Writing Wild, Tina Welling
30. The Not So Big Life, Sarah Susanka
31. bird by bird, Annie Lamont
32. A Path Appears, Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
33. The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron sort of in progress, as in it’s been moved from the book shelf to the coffee table
34. Thinking Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman
35. Dataclysm, Christian Rudder
36. Today Will Be Different, Maria Semple
37. The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds, Michael Lewis
38. Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike, Phil Knight
39. Carry On, Warrior: The Power of Embracing Your Messy, Beautiful Life, Glennon Doyle Melton
40. The Underground Railroad: A Novel, Colson Whitehead
41. Additional book club choices
    • The Rules of Civility, Amor Towles started but didn’t finish and then donated
    • All the Birds in the Sky, Charlie Jane Anders
    • Kindred, Octavia E. Butler
42. New releases in 2017 (~5)
    1. Hallelujah Anyway: Rediscovering Mercy, Anne Lamont
    2. Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body, Roxane Gay
43. Quarterly issues of Bella Grace Magazine on track + in progress
44. Bi-monthly issues of Harvard Business Review behind

I’ve gone rogue:

1. The Importance of Living, Lin Yutang in progress
2. Writing Down the Bones, Natalie Goldberg
3. Books for Living, Will Schwable
4. Full Catastrophe Living, Jon Kabat-Zinn dabbling
5. Taste: Infographic Book of Food in progress
6. The Book of Hygge, Louisa Thomson Brits
7. Lust and Wonder, Augusten Burroughs
8. Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison
9. Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most, Douglas Stone in progress
10. A Beautiful Constraint: How to Transform your Limitations into Advantages, and Why It’s Everyone’s Business, Adam Morgan & Mark Barden in progress
11. Simple Matters: Living with Less and Ending Up with More, Erin Boyle

The good news is the way things are going, I won’t have to put much thought into my 2018 reading goals because I can just transfer all of those I didn’t read this year to the new list.

Next up, 2017 intentions. As mentioned previously, instead of creating a list of to-dos for the year, I opted instead to create intentions centered around the idea of being curious. And, while I haven’t been good at referring back to this list to check my progress, as I review it now I can confidently attest that many of these intentions have come through in how I’m living this year. Much of that probably has to do with a huge and unexpected life event that took place this year in that I met the love of my life and he and our life together have resulted in a better me — one who laughs more and is less judgemental and more connected to myself and pays attention. Welcoming another human (and dog) into your life takes work, even in the most ideal of situations. But, having a clear sense of self paired with the ability to be bluntly honest and accepting of yourself and him definitely makes it all a hell of a lot easier.

curious

noticing

• learning
• more time in the arena
• not taking things for granted
• vulnerability
• connecting + listening to self
• non-judgement
• questioning the status quo
• paying attention
• not taking life so seriously
• mindfulness
• embracing the unexpected
• instead of constantly trying to change thoughts, emotions and physical sensations, be curious
• not looking for a specific answer but rather using the question as a method of experiential investigation

This is another list I plan to continue, but for reasons very different than the reading list. I think of the components of this list more as a guide for living, whether it be within the realm of curiosity of any other overarching theme, I appreciate the resulting impact on my life when I include these in my days.

And, finally, the mama of all lists — the 101 things in 1001 days, which I originally created in March 2015. You know what can change in 1001 days? A LOT. I’ve included a few updates along the way for this list (original post, October 2015, January 2017) and the lessons learned here is definitely that creating and completing a list spanning 1,001 days, aka multiple years, is a fun exercise but can’t be taken too seriously because life really does change a lot. And, while I am proud of many of the accomplishments, I learned an update or two ago that a number of these are now impossible and/or no longer apply due to trajectory my life has taken since March 2015. To capture this, I’ve crossed out items that may no longer be applicable or that I no longer feel are important. Bold items are those I’ve completed or are in-progress and notes are in italics.

March 22, 2015 – Dec. 17, 2017

1.) come up with 101 things to do in 1001 days – March 2015

2.) visit Paris – June 2015

3.) create my to-live list – in progress

4.) get back to a healthy weight + goal weight – So, remember how I mentioned meeting the love of my life and how that has changed me? The topic of my weight and how I view my body is probably one of the biggest impacts. Yes, I know I still need to lose weight to be my best self and ensure a long and healthy life. But, honestly, it’s not something I obsess over anymore, which is a huge change and something for which I am oh so grateful. The craziest thing is it just kind of happened. One day I realized I hadn’t weighed myself in months and, when I did, I had actually lost a few pounds — all without really even thinking about it. I guess having a partner who respects and loves me for who I am will do that. 🙂

5.) post at least weekly on blog for one year – October 2015

6.) officially launch STC

7.) apply for Leadership Denver program – This will likely be something I still want to try for in the future.

8.) apply + complete DU leadership program

9.) be nominated + apply for Denver’s 40 under 40 – Hmmm, I’m not sure how I feel about this one. Definitely not something that will happen before this list expires though.

10.) fix knee pain + issues – This relates to number four and is really the primary reason I need to make that a focus at some point. 

11.) pay off LC

12.) serve as president of The Denver VOICE  – October 2015

13.) go whale watching

14.) visit all 50 US states –  in progress, two remain (Alaska and Hawaii)

15.) get rid of PMI for mortgage – completed

16.) write + publish a book/ebook

17.) take public speaking classes – not technically complete, but I have spoken at numerous conferences so I’m saying that counts

18.) complete Rosetta Stone French lessons – attempted but didn’t complete

19.) begin + sustain regular yoga practice

20.) go one month without shopping (except groceries) – multiple times 

21.) write a list of 101 things I’ve already achieved in this lifetime

22.) write a letter to me to be opened when the 1001 days is over

23.) write a living will – plan to complete this by year-end

24.) write + send 52 handwritten notes in one year – 2015

25.) give five “just because” presents

26.) build / pay for backyard patio

27.) attend three INSP conferences – attended one in Scotland

28.) take a cooking class

29.) start practicing piano again

30.) unplug for 24 hours – to happen Labor Day 2017

31.) fall in love again

32.) plant an herb garden

33.) try a new fitness class

34.) have a spa day

35.) journal for 30 consecutive days

36.) go to dinner solo w/out phone

37.) take an outdoor yoga class – Paris, June 2015

38.) teach someone something new

39.) go camping for a weekend

40.) host a brunch beer party

41.) read for 30 minutes every day/night for one month

42.) join a meditation group

43.) watch five classic movies I’ve never seen – created list: Casablanca, Gone With the Wind, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Godfather, Star Wars

44.) take a career risk

45.) leave a 100% tip

46.) complete major declutter effort + get rid of extra stuff – completed + ongoing

47.) go snow shoeing

48.) fill + complete one journal – almost done

49.) save a three-month emergency fund

50.) attend therapy for one year

51.) learn to paddleboard

52.) dry month (no alcohol)

53.) learn to sew

54.) host a fundraising event for the VOICE

55.) do not check work phone/email during a vacation

56.) complete one thing from my someday/bucket list – write in Paris

57.) create my manifesto

58.) create a gratitude list

59.) go sans snooze button for one week

60.) say yes to something I wouldn’t do typically

61.) take a VOICE vendor to lunch/coffee

62.) triple my blog followers (currently 40)

63.) publish 101 things to blog + update as I complete – in progress

64.) take a spontaneous trip (no planning)

65.) visit 5 new museums

66.) create a list of blog post ideas

67.) do 10 full pushups

68.) finish 2013 migration project (work)

69.) complete ’50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind’

70.) don’t complain for one week

71.) take a picture to represent each letter of the alphabet

72.) cut out coffee/caffeine for one week

73.) try a Red Rocks fitness class

74.) successfully complete one dietbet challenge (4% in 4 weeks)

75.) take an urban walking tour of Denver

76.) keep a food journal for one year

77.) meditate daily for 30 days

78.) paint bedroom nook

79.) brew my own beer – does it count if I currently have beer brewing at my house, even if I am not the brewer?

80.) form a healthy relationship with food + mindful eating – definitely closer than I’ve ever been

81.) design + create my own planner – in-progress ish

82.) take an art class

83.) eat at one of the top 50 restaurants in the world

84.) visit five national parks – Yellowstone, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain

85.) write + publish article for the VOICE

86.) travel somewhere south of the equator

87.) visit three new countries

88.) visit Arches National Park

89.) wake up before 6 a.m. each day for a week

90.) log 10,000+ steps for 30 consecutive days

91.) research + record family history – completed 23 and Me for the DNA side of things + discovered/read history of maternal grandfather’s family

92.) get involved with Yoga for the People – attended committee meeting, decided not a good fit

93.) finish The Artist’s Way – in progress

94.) take + finish a series of apothecary classes

95.) listen to all songs in iTunes library (6,835)

96.) no television for one month

97.) read 25 books from the BBC Top 100 Book List

98.) write a new 101 in 1001 list after finishing this one

99.) make a snow angel and a snow man

100.) take a monthly artist’s date for one year

101.) celebrate completing 101 things in 1001 days

 

Phew! If you’re still with me here, you’re a real trooper and deserve some sort of reward. Include getting through this list as one of your to-do items and check it off. Viola! You know I definitely included writing it on mine, because, well I love lists!