BLOG, the Second

I realize now that the “Yearlong Bucket List” I posted (and then revised and re-posted later) was – in both incarnations – total hype. Wishful thinking. Additionally, I didn’t take advantage of some great opportunities I had because in those moments I was circumstantially driven rather than vision-driven. So I am now revising it and making it out of courage rather than hype. I am still learning, and this is a recurring lesson for me. I love that it is, by the way, because I know that my lack of vision-drivenness and detail-orientedness are two HUGE barricades to the life I want to live. Thank you, Ryan, for creating such clarity in your life that you are able to once more whittle this list down to a more correct form.

TO ACCOMPLISH WITHIN THIS YEAR
(JUNE 25, 2009 – JUNE 25, 2010)

1. Learn Italian
2. Learn French
3. Have completed my personal brand
4. Have committed 100% to and taken 5+ steps toward fulfilling my personal brand.
5. Take an auto class: learn the basics of cars and how to fix an automobile.
6. Document ALL volunteer hours I serve.
7. Document EVERY item I donate, along with the amount of its value.
8. Have taken one quantifiable step toward beginning a (meaningful) non-profit.
9. Live a self-disciplined life.
10. Live a peaceful, joyful, fulfilled life.
11. Live healthily.
12. At least biannually [revised from “quarterly”], throw fun, engaging, fabulous parties that are talked about (for joyful reasons) long after they occurred.
13. Know basics of simple, elegant ballroom dances.
14. Read King James’ Bible.
15. Study Buddhism
16. Go to Iceland [revised from “Gili Meno in Bali”] for two weeks and live in introspective silence. *Note: I changed this to Iceland because in the two weeks I was there I accomplished exactly what I intended I’d create in Gili Meno, and did so being able to speak to others instead of limiting myself to “introspective silence.”
17. Read one book every two months [revised from “per month”].
18. Save money wisely.
19. Spend money wisely.
20. Know money (though I now realize that this will probably be an ongoing lesson for me).
21. Take $3,000 [revised from “$30,000”] home to my personal bank account every month.
22. Go, with my significant other, to Africa on a research trip for my non-profit, Educate Africa.


For those who are curious what I end up deciding to do with the other items that remained on the old list: they are saved in a Word document on my Desktop and will be revised/revisited at a later date (probably within the month), at which point I will separate them into goals for future years. Once I’ve finished that process, I will post the lists up here.

With Honesty,

Ryan!