I just finished reading a lovely short interview that Maggie Mason did for Bon Appetit. In the interview, she talked about her Mighty Life List, which is a much more aggressive version of my 101 things in 1001 days.
I've thought about starting a life list. I certainly have a lot of dreams and hopes for the future, and in these dark days of January it is sometimes all I can do to hang onto those and await the return of the sun. What I love most about the life list, and Maggie's interview, is when she says "Even if you don't keep up with it, you'd be surprised at how much can happen for you just because you've written your intentions down."
That, in my experience, is the most amazingly accurate thought about writing a long-term to do list of any sort. As I alluded to here, my priorities have definitely changed since meeting Matt. I'm no longer gung-ho on speed dating, and I don't know whether or not I'll end up living alone in the foreseeable future. I have learned how to brew beer and ski downhill.
But, even more important, I have had great things happen because I made my intentions clear. I actually ran a 5k instead of talking about it! I conquered my fear of eating alone, and I now attend movies alone just for fun. And being with Matt has helped me accomplish some other goals (again, more on this eventually) on my list.
To me, goals are key. How can you know what you want to accomplish in life without goals?