This isn’t a bucket list. These aren’t things I need to cross off before I die. Will I ever accomplish everything here? Probably not, but that’s not the goal. This list exists simply as a collection of things I would like to do in my lifetime. If writing them down helps me focus, and in turn helps me achieve some of them, the list has served its purpose.
A life list should never make you feel guilty for not accomplishing something! It should serve as a compass, opening you up to experiences that you may have discounted otherwise. I started this list in 2010, inspired by Maggie. My hope is that by sharing this publicly, I will hold myself accountable and achieve more than I would otherwise. I tend to do well with public lists.
I come back and edit this post as I cross things off, and I fully expect this list to change as time goes on.
Experiences
- Live in another city for a year (San Francisco?)
- Take an extended vacation
- Host a traditional Thanksgiving dinner
- Shake the President’s hand
Go sightseeing on a Vespa/scooterTeach a craft project to a group- Karaoke in front of a crowd
- Attend a costume party in a costume I’ve made myself
- ‘Unplug’ for a week
- Host a baby or bridal shower
- Organize an event
- Surprise someone in a big way
- See a tree that I’ve planted grow to maturity
Keep a house plant alive for at least a year- Grow tomatoes from seed
- Try fencing, complete with the proper gear
Run in a 5K- Be completely debt-free (mortgage included)
- Help build a home for charity
- Take belly dancing lessons
Sights
- Look out over Paris from the Eiffel Tower
Cross the Brooklyn BridgeCross the Golden Gate BridgeVisit The Farnsworth House (Mies van der Rohe)- Visit the Robie House, Taliesin East, Fallingwater, and
revisit Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio here in Oak Park Take the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s River Cruise- Take the kids to The House on the Rock (it’s bizarre)
- Step out on the ledge of the Willis Tower Skydeck
Cross the Canadian border, eh- Visit Brunelleschi’s dome
- Visit Japan when it’s pink with cherry blossoms
- Have a cheesy photo taken of me holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa
- Tour the country in an RV
Just Plain Fun
Make a dollhouse for Eleanor- Picnic in the park
- Finish a paint-by-numbers painting
- Ride a roller-coaster with my hands up
- Wear a ridiculous hat to an event
- Dress up with friends for a showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show
- Experience weightlessness
- Drive a school bus
- Write a song
- Beat the classic Super Mario Bros. game
- Learn how to solve a Rubik’s cube
Wear a sequined dress to a party- Serve homemade cheesecake to guests
- Coin a phrase
- Turn a perfect cartwheel
- Have the Thriller dance in my repertoire
Family
Have another baby- And another
Have a completely natural labor and childbirthMake a video montage of Eleanor’s first year- Make a video montage of August’s first year
- Take Eleanor to pick a doll and spend the day at American Girl Place
- Take Eleanor to high tea at the Drake
- Take August to some equally “boy” events (rodeo? demolition derby? monster truck rally? I’ve gone to all three.)
- Take the kids sledding
- Visit a state fair as a family
- Give the kids a tour of my favorite paintings at the Art Institute of Chicago
- Cart the kids around town in a cargo bike
- Take the family to Disney World
- Go roller skating with Eleanor and August
Have an adorable family photo taken- Have a new adorable family photo taken (the family has expanded since the last one)
- Celebrate my 50th wedding anniversary
- Read Charlotte’s Web with Eleanor and August
Home
- Paint every room in my house
Paint all of the trim in our house- Live in a house with a lovely entryway
- Make every room in our house exactly as I’d like
- Gut an old fixer-upper house and completely remodel it
- Make the outside of our house as cute as the inside
- Make a fairy garden for the kids
- Have a library with a rolling ladder
- Hang a real painting above the sofa (not a print)
Style
- Only wear lovely undergarments
- Ruthlessly edit my closet down to only my favorite things
- Determine a wardrobe’s essentials, then buy them in the best quality I can
Find my perfect shade of lipstick- Sew a dress for myself that I would actually wear
- Wear perfume regularly again
Skills
- Learn how to yodel
- Identify twenty constellations
Learn how to use my camera in manual mode- Earn a belt in a martial art
- Perfect my turn stop on skates
- Play the ukulele
- Learn to swim
- Read 100 classics
- Have a conversation in French
Professional / Career
- Publish a book
Be a keynote speaker- Have a monthly column in a magazine
- Collaborate with someone on a kick-ass creative project
- Start a charitable creative movement (like a chain letter but more fulfilling)
- Do/create something worthy of being nominated as a MacArthur Fellow
Meet Martha StewartMeet Jonathan AdlerRedesign Making it Lovely- Launch a magazine
- Sell my designs through a nationwide store
- Art direct a photo shoot
- Name paint colors
- Design wallpaper
- Judge a design competition
- Create a proper portfolio for myself
- Mentor somebody
- Launch a decorating service
- Decorate someone else’s home from top to bottom
Make enough money to support my family- Make an appearance in five forms of media (
book,magazine,television, radio,internet) - Have my home featured in a Domino-like magazine or book
Projects
- Take a photo every day for a year
- Start a tradition
- Choose a good cookbook and cook every recipe in it
- Give only handmade gifts for a year
Some great things to aspire to! I was thinking about making a list like this… ironically, it is on my ToDo list!
hi, nicole!! what a long list!! very inspiring!
Nicole, I saw the item about playing guitar; my friend Midge has started a music school here in south Oak Park, and we’re looking for one more woman to do group beginner’s guitar lessons. (I’m going to do it.) Only $15 an hour! It’s a bunch of Irving/former Irving moms–a good way to get connected wiht a great community! C’mon, you know you want to sign up. :-)
Wow, what a great list of things to look forward to in your life. Even if you don’t do them all, they all sound awesome.
One that stuck out to me was teaching a craft to a group of kids. I work at a free summer camp run by a charitable organization. I usually plan and teach the craft program and it’s a lot of fun! If you’d like to teach crafts, there is probably a summer camp or after-school program for at-risk kids in your area that would welcome a volunteer to come in and teach a craft now and then. It’s a lot of fun, the kids enjoy it, and you can cross something off your list. :)
I love this! You are going to inspire me to do the same.
What a great idea, I agree, making lists like these help you focus your goals even if you never do get to finish everything!
by the way, love the idea of taking a picture a day for 1 year, it would make a great photo album!
I finally got over my fear of karaoke a few years ago and went with a huge group of ladies. We drank ridiculous fruity drinks and laughed and I dragged them all onstage to sing Love Shack with me haha.
This is so inspiring! I’ve been reading Maggie for years and when I’m not totally intimidated by you two and all you’ve accomplished, I’m pushing myself forward to do more. I recently shared my blog (velvetunderfoot) with a much wider group of friends on facebook, opening myself up in a bigger way (like you’ve done here). So in a way, you’re already mentoring someone.
This was such an inspiration post. We’ve crossed off a couple of the same things. I’ve been to Falling Water and it is amazing. The thing I love most about it was that he designed it when he was 68.
it was because of YOU that I wrote a life last early this year. i remember reading your post from your Maggie getaway and then clicked over to her life list and before i knew it, the ideas were swimming around my head. i agree, making it public does make it accountable, but i also think the universe will conspire to make things happen. one of my items was to visit the Great Wall… lo and behold, i got an unexpected paid opportunity to go just last month. thank you for all of your inspiration!
I love lists- and after seeing this my mind is spinning with things to put on mine!
So inspiring. I’m going to sit down and make my own list!
Such a lovely post – really inspiring.
I can help you with the conversation in french:
“Salut Nicole, ça va?
- Oui, ça va bien! Et tu – ça va?
ça va :) Bonne soirée!”
Hello Nicole, how are you?
- Yes, I’m good, and you – good?
Very good, have a nice evening!
“ça va” and a smile can get you a long way :)
Great way to break down your list – so inspiring! Love your family list, very sweet. My husband and I started a travel list a few years ago before we start to have kids and its fun marking off the ones you accomplish!
Nicole!!! You can mentor me in your awesomeness any time. ;)
wonderful list…so inspiring!
” A life list should never make you feel guilty for not accomplishing something! It should serve as a compass, opening you up to experiences that you may have discounted otherwise”
Thank you Thank you thank you for sharing this, I needed to read this today! I am new to your blog and I love it! I will borrow your line and definitely start my own life list ^_^ just for fun this time no pressure! ^_^
This is just an idea, but if you want to cross TWO of your life item list ideas off in 2012, the Indiana State Fair (in Indy) is one of the best in the country AND I’d love to take your family photos for you there!!!! :) Photos at the fair are ALWAYS the cutest!!!!
I also have learning the thriller dance in my list of things I want to do. I adapted your 30 before 30 list into a 25 before 25. Then I put 38 things on it. I still have a couple years, so a running head start couldn’t hurt.
Hi Nicole,
I noticed “mentor someone” on your life list. I am very new to blogging, and I hope I am off to a fairly good start.
If you have any advice for me – inspirations for posts, how is my writing, how to get more readers/advertiseres etc., I would appreciate it!
And you could scratch off mentoring!!www.urbancurator@wordpress.com
oops – that is http://urbancurator.wordpress.com – see I told you I’m new!
Hi Nicole. Happy New Year! I have been so inspired by this post that I have decided to take the plunge and set one up for myself…
Below is the link to the blog I set up for my list
It is still very much a work in progress…
http://zaharadessert.blogspot.com
Thank you so much, as I wouldn’t have done this other wise
Take care and hope 2012 brings you lots of new adventures
I made my own, and even mentioned your blog :) such a shame google translator it’s so weird:
http://translate.google.com.br/translate?sl=pt&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=pt-BR&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fmaismagenta.com.br%2F2012%2F01%2F03%2Flife-list-uma-lista-por-uma-vida-mais-magenta-e-menos-cinza%2F&act=url
beautiful things like ‘natural birth’ turns to ‘having a baby vaginally’ hahahah
Someday I’ll have the courage to make my own life list and publish it. For now, though, I’ll just live vicariously through yours. :-)
If you make it to Fallingwater, make sure you also visit Kentuck Knob (it’s 7 miles away). It’s a beautiful, livable Frank Lloyd Wright home with a rather impressive collection of artwork!
I second that! We went to Fallingwater & Kentuck Knob on our honeymoon & both were inspiring & amazing!
That is an inspiring list! I must make one of my own and before life passes by!
Nicole, you’re life list is such an amazing idea. Truly inspiring. There’re so many things we want to do, that sometimes we even forget.
Congratulations for your beautiful blog!
I’ve been reading your blog for years, it has been a great resource for creative inspiration. I know we’re complete strangers but I’m certain if we ever met, we’d be the best of friends. Thanks for “Making” the internet more “Lovely”!
Guitar Center across the country is doing free ukelele lessons every Saturday in October- just sayin’!
Eh hem…you can cross ‘meet Martha Stewart’ off your list now ;)
What a great list, so many inspiring ideas. Since I blog about museums, it made me smile to see the Art Institute of Chicago up there. I noticed you also had it on your ’30 before 30′ list (though I’ve not been to that particular museum yet myself, as I have never been to Chicago). My little boy is not quite 2 and he has already been to over 20 museums in 4 different countries :-)
Best wishes & #museumlove, Jenni (via BYW)
Hi Nicole, this list is truly inspirational, I am definitely going to start my own. I like how you talk about the guilt sometimes associated with not completing a list, I’ve definitely been there before and it’s not a good feeling to have nothing to cross out! I will definitely create my new list with an open mind and gentle understanding that I may not meet every goal. The fun is in dreaming, right? :) Thanks for being lovely.
I just posted my Life List today (in honor of the new year). Believe it, I’ve had it as a draft on my blog for months… I was afraid people my laugh at some of my items. Guess maybe I should add “get over my insecurities” to my list, huh? haha
I really like it whenever people come together and share
thoughts. Great blog, continue the good work!
Just re-reading your list as I start thinking about how to have a non-celebration celebration for my 50th. Lots of great ideas, and I’m thrilled to realize there are a bunch I’ve already done (Rocky Horror Picture Show, renovate an old house top to bottom, have a house with an exterior as cute as the interior, see Paris from the Eiffel Tower.) But there is still so much more!