Writing Out Your Very Own Personal “To-Do” List.

This is the first year of the rest of my life. Or so I keep telling myself. For the last couple of years I have been in a constant state of flux – 2 major moves to different states, cancer, a brush with leukemia, a divorce, and the death of a cat I have had since college. In all ways, I am pretty much starting over. And while it has been very difficult at times, I am doing my best to try to try to make the best of it. One of the things I am doing is creating my own personal “To-Do” list of things I want to do in/with/for my life. As my post the other day said – “Live How YOU Want To Or How THEY Want You To – Your Choice.”

I am choosing to live how I want from here on out, with minimum distraction from the naysayers and doubters.

When I sat down to start making my list, I thought back to when I was a teenager. I tried to remember some of the dreams and desires I had 20 years ago, which I wanted to do “when I was a grown up”. I thought back to my 20’s, after graduating college, and tried to imagine what my rebellious 25 year old self would be telling my now 37 year old self about his choices and/or decisions in life. I thought about this past year and about all the things I have thought I wanted to get done before I am 40. And I started writing. Some are easy, almost “New Years Resolution” types, while others require long-term planning. Anything I could remember that I had wanted to do or accomplish in my life went down on this preliminary list. After a while, it was pretty long – and full of some good and VERY bad ideas. Some items I have known all along and some I had completely forgotten about. Once I went through and crossed out the stupid stuff that I knew I would never, ever do even if I wanted to, I was left with a pretty decent To-Do life list.

And just last week, I crossed the first one on the list off by getting my first tattoo.

So what else is on the list? Well, I will tell you a few of the things but most of them are going to remain private for me and myself alone.

– Learn to correctly ride a motorcycle by taking safety classes, get my motorcycle license, and buy a Ducati.

– Get rid of most of the books in my bookcase (only a few left. I added another 30 to my list the other day)

– Look into selling my Subaru and getting something smaller and more fuel-efficient – or nothing at all.

– However, while doing that, I have always wanted a muscle car. So, will contemplate that as well

– Start an actual exercise routine and stick to it

– Go back and finish the book I started writing a few years ago

– Get back on a skateboard again. Of course, if I look like an ass, please let me know. 😉

– Move to a smaller, simpler apartment in a more walkable neighborhood

– Spend more than a few weeks living in Europe

– Not care, at all, what others think of me. No more judgment will get under my skin

This is it – your one and only shot at your life. Once it’s gone, it’s gone for good. And I don’t want to be one of those people who at 70 years old looks back and says “Why didn’t I…. ?” Your time is now, so if there is something you want to do or someone you want to be, now is the time to start doing on it. Tomorrow may never come, so make the most of today and live your own life how you want it to be.

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