Life List

Have you made up your "life list" yet? In case you're not familiar with the term, a life list is a list of all the things you'd like to do before you die. I've been noticing websites sprouting up lately where people can list their goals, or make notes on their progress, and indicate when they achieve them. Books and television shows also seem to have cottoned on to this same idea, based on the theme "live life to the fullest." But a life list is also a great tool for helping you get more out of each day and adding zest to your life.

If you take a moment and just imagine yourself looking back over your life, what kinds of things would you find yourself wishing you had done? These could range from the very simple, to the more ambitious. But to put them on your life list, it's important that they are things that personally appeal to you. For example, "climbing Mount Everest" might be on a lot of people's lists, but I suspect that, unless you are really into mountain climbing, it wouldn't honestly be most people's cup of tea. If you'd like to explore this idea of a life list further, here are a few guidelines to help you make up your own.

Put your list in writing. The act of writing helps to impress on your subconscious that you are serious.

Choose between 10-50 goals, from the simple and easily achievable, to more complex ones that may take more time. Include different types of goals, like ambitious ones (start your own business), silly or "crazy" ones (like dance in the rain), fun (go on a road trip), self-improvement (lose weight, get organized), learning a new skill (learn a foreign language or study a musical instrument), and doing good (volunteer or support a cause).

Make the goal specific. If you say something like, "be calmer," it's difficult to know exactly what to do about that. But if you say, "count to ten and breathe deeply whenever I feel about to lose my temper," that's something you can do that's concrete.

Be realistic. To say, "walk on the moon" isn't realistic, unless you are a multimillionaire and can buy a space trip, or are an astronaut in training. A goal can be difficult, but it should also be doable.

Be flexible. You can change your mind about a goal, or find it changing into something else. And you can add new goals whenever you want.

So, get a life…list!