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So, right before Boston, someone asked me an interesting question; “What are you hobbies?”. Hmmm. Well, travel could be considered a hobby, but most of it is for work. Blogging - same deal. Shopping - well, yes, though I guess some wouldn’t consider it a hobby. So, there I am realizing that my life revolves around work. How sad. Need a tissue?
So, I sat down and decided there had to be some things I wanted to do that didn’t directly involve work, in addition to some of the things that did, but were more “wants” than “needs”. I *can* have a life damn it.
Well, ok, but I can try. I checked out the 43 things website and quickly became bored with all of the features that complicated what I pictured as a simple (read, non time-consuming) thing.
So, I sat down and wrote a list… 25 things I want to do in the next five years. I was surprised by two things…
The first was that it took me an hour to come up with this list. The second was that there are a lot of things that don’t involve work that I forget about on a day to day basis that I really need to get off my ass and do. Life does not revolve around internet marketing - theory is if I say that enough, I’ll eventually act like it. ;-)
So, without further ado, my list of 25 things I’d like - no, that I *will* do in the next five years in no particular order…
1. visit Australia
2. visit Germany (for more than one day)
3. visit Italy
4. attend a murdery mystery dinner or train gig (shut up)
5. sell a single website for six figures
6. go to an opera
7. visit Scotland
8. see a broadway show
9. enter the world series of poker
10. act in a play (nothing mega, community production would do)
11. learn to speak spanish
12. visit Sweden
13. do the Sopranos bus tour (again, shut up)
14. play 200 dollars on hard eight (craps) five times in a row and see what happens
15. visit the Filson Historical Institute in Kentucky (long story)
16. have my tattoos removed
17. go on a cruise
18. achieve great success with a specific website (keeping the details to myself for now)
19. visit Brazil
20. visit Ireland
21. donate time to a charity on a regular basis (as regular as I can with my schedule)
22. learn to play golf
23. take a vacation with the kids and not bring the computer (I’m a blackberry geek, so the blackberry ok)
24. take a two day spa trip (that old Calgon commercial slammed into my brain)
25. work out twice a week (I laughed while typing it)
So there you have it. I’ve created a new category on the site called “Twenty Five Things” and the theory is that every time I do one, I’ll write a blog entry about it. The goal is to eventually have 26 blog posts - this one and the completion of each item on my list. When an item is completed, it will be stricken out.
Maybe lots of other people have thought this out and have a similar list. If you don’t, I’d highly recommend doing one and reclaiming a little bit of your life outside of this industry. It’s very easy to forget sometimes that life does occur offline. Wish me luck - I think I’ll need it. ;-)
***Please note that this list may be edited from time to time when an event forces it. Since this is my master list, things may get added or removed as they become important or not important to me.
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Didn’t do the train one but did do a murder mystery dinner was fun in a goofy kind of way.
43 things is wonky but if you’re willing to work all things web 2.0 and blog like and ya hit the right topics you can get some traffic out of it. For example one of my adsense posts is tagged on this page down in the deli.icio.us section.
http://www.43things.com/tag/money
Not exactly sure how they hook that in I’ve been solid in that spot for a few months now.
Hmm, lets see…
You’re gonna visit Australia, Italy, Germany, London and Ireland + “take a vacation with the the kids.”
May I suggest combining the latter with one of the former?
Plus, combining 2 things on the list would make them one and open up a slot so you could do something else really cool, like swimming off a Hamilton pier. I hear the lake is crystal clear there in the summer ;-)
Wish I could - but the oldest can’t fly overseas for medical reasons. Besides, I kind of think it would be wasted on the tw younger ones - 5 and 2 - they’d rather do a theme park or something. ;-)
Great list! I actually took quite a bit of time off last year and pondered the same ‘big question’. Some of the things that I did during that time included:
- Visit Lake Winnie (one of the oldest theme parks in the area)
- Hike down and over snaky rocks to sit in the freezing rapids on the hottest day of the year
- Hike at Fall Creek Falls, which I hadnt been to since I was pregnant with my first child (who is now 14)
- Planting, which included everything from houseplants to a rosebush to 23 patio peach trees
- Take local classes. I started with Cardio Kickboxing and have loved it, thinking of a creative writing class or something similar next
- Writing, I’ve picked back up on my (non-business) book that I’ve been ‘working on’ for years
I’ve been working a bit more lately, which is great… but I enjoyed the ‘time off’ enough to make sure that I make it a habit to ‘have a life’ nowadays ;)
I am pretty late to the party, so this might be a moot point, but, if you get a chance, you might want to add “get a tattoo” to that list
Overall though, that list is absolutely great!
LOL - got that checked off twice Jason ;-)
Cool post Rae,
Especially since I’ve already crossed off all of those, although it doesn’t surprise me since I notice we’re both Gemini’s and I share your affinity for travel… ;)
Next time we’re both in Las Vegas I will definitely join you for #14…you got me thinking!
Joe
Well Joe, you have a bit of a head start on me re: the amount of time you’ve been on earth. ;-)
I’ve got to stop watching the reruns of Sex & The City. I figured at least 1 item on a list of 25 “must do” activities would involve . . . such a wholesome, well rounded woman… oh, nevermind. :-P
I’ll see you in Ireland - I’ll be the one in the corner with a fiddle in my hands and a pint on the table. There’s another thing you didn’t know…
>> well rounded woman…
Webwork, you’re gonna get slapped for saying things like that. ;)
Huh..I meant to say Ive crossed off 11 of those…definately not all of them..and yes…quite a head start ;)
Ummm . . . how about “perfectly well rounded”?
See you both in Ireland. If ever I grow a beard again you’ll get a chance to see evidence of my Irish roots - swatches of red hair mixed in with brown, the only thing about my college-age beard that made my mom (a Murphy) smile.
Heh! It’s not just webgeeks and webmarketers who have this “I don’t have a real life” problem . . . and you’re not the first one to find the solution, though my author friend, Robin, can tell you that lists work. Just search the term “list” and you’ll find ALL of hers! And sign up for her free chocolate drawing while you’re at it!
Need a traveling companion for any of these trips? :P
LMAO.. I have one.. but we could always arrange a girls trip. A friend trip though. Not an official organization trip. :P
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