Idea go (FreeDigitalPhotos.net)
EDIT: I have a full blog for my bucket list now, but I’m keeping the page on this site up for now, until the other blog is more filled in. If you want current info, want to read the list, or would like resources to help with your own list, please visit the new blog at http://TheGoalList.com.
Many people who know me ask about my Goal List (my version of the bucket list). I’ve started a page on this site to share some of my Goal List (only completed and in-progress goals).
In this post, I’m going to answer some FAQs I get when I tell people about my Goal List.
What’s a Goal List?
My bucket list is called a Goal List because I started it in eighth grade, before I’d heard of the term “bucket list.” Once I started calling it my Goal List, calling it something else seemed as weird as renaming a pet.
Why won’t you tell me everything on it?
Have you ever had something so close to you it felt strange to share it? I feel like my list is a collection of dreams. I’m an introvert so sharing everything in my head isn’t something that is comfortable to me (Ironic, since a lot of my goals are in the list to challenge me to do things not in my comfort zone, but I think this is different). I am willing to tell each person some of the things on the list, but not everything. Once I finish a goal, however, then I don’t care who knows. Completing a goal allows me to let it go, and because it’s not as close to me, I can share it.
How did you come up with these/Why did you include…/Why don’t you include…?
Some of the weirdest conversations I’ve had regarding my Goal List are when people tell me what I should include. I do like suggestions of how to accomplish things I’ve already decided to do, but my Goal List is for things I REALLY want to make every effort to do in my lifetime, for whatever reason. There are things that I think it would be nice to do, but I don’t feel strongly enough about them to include them…yet (several things have moved from “it would be nice to…” to official list items). When I meet someone who has interesting things on their list, sometimes I copy some of their goals to my list, but I have to really like the goal, not just the person. So if I don’t add your favorite goal to my list, please don’t take it as a rejection of our friendship.
How many things do you have on the list?
Right now, I have 100 things on the list, including 21 completed and 13 in progress. In the past, I’ve added 2-10 new goals each year, but it seems to be slowing down a bit now.
How do you remember all those?
I don’t. I have a journal (now two journals) that I use to keep the list. Two goals go on each page, one on the top and one halfway down. The space after each goal is to write about the experience I had when I accomplished that goal.
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Click here for a list of my completed and in-progress goal list items, here for longer updates and resources to help you with your list, and here for the SMART goal technique to start your list.
And now some questions for you:
- What’s on your list?
- How do you decide what you want to add?
- How many have you completed?
Shelly Najjar, MPH, RDN 
Now I’m inspired to make my own goal list! My husband and I have one, but it’s more like a wheel of life rather than a list. We just reviewed it and realized how much we were able to cross off after only a year! Including buying a house and having a kid, which both seemed like unattainable dreams when we were making the wheel of life. We were in debt at that point, and didn’t think we could conceive naturally because of a few pre-existing conditions I had. Our son was born 4 months ago with absolutely no complications, and two weeks before my due date we moved into our house! Yay for writing goals and dreams down!
Congratulations on getting to cross things off, and for your new house and healthy baby! It makes me happy to know that you’ve been so blessed. Thanks for sharing that part of your story with me.
PS – If you want to take a look at my most recent Goal List activities, I have the list, some descriptions of activities, and resources to help other people who want to do their list, all on my new blog http://TheGoalList.wordpress.com
I love how you said that renaming your goal list would be as weird as renaming a pet. 🙂 I have 65 things on my list so far. I just started doing this in January. I made my list by just writing down everything I’ve ever wanted to do. Then, I got some inspiration by reading other people’s lists. Sometimes, someone else would have an item that just clicked with me. I have completed one so far and I have multiple that are in progress. Good luck with your goals!
Thanks for reading/replying! I really like your site, and will be following. 🙂