37

I've always believed that you need to know what you want before you can get it. People complain about their lives, saying that things are lacking; but when you ask them what exactly - they can't answer. If 'you can't miss something you never had,' then why do they feel this way?

Because achievement is good (for want of a synonym). We've all felt the satisfaction of ticking items off a 'to do' list, so why not a 'to do' list that has a slightly longer time span than others? Why not indeed!

I've wanted to do this for a long time, but never got round to it. Here is my list of (37!) things I am aiming to do with my life, in no particular order:

1. Get a degree
2. Get a job I enjoy
3. Make a giant gingerbread house
4. Learn to speak another language fluently
5. Be financially secure
6. Slap someone 'round the face
7. Travel
8. Have children
9. Eat Chinese food on Christmas Day
10. Change someone's life for the better
11. Leave the house with no make-up on
12. Write a book
13. Get a cat/dog
14. Tell my family I love them
15. Go to another festival
16. Go interrailing
17. Spend all day in bed
18. Take part in a protest about something I care about
19. Complete a dissertation
20. Go scuba-diving (properly this time)
21. Give someone advice that isn't completely stupid
22. Take someone's advice to heart
23. Not sleep for 48 hours
24. Dye my hair purple
25. Own a leopard print coat
26. Scream profanities in a public place (such as a library)
27. Complete a photo album
28. See Machu Pichu and the Terra Cotta Army
29. Smash a plate
30. Turn up somewhere in fancy dress where it wasn't expected
31. Learn to play the guitar better
32. Pass down the family jewellery
33. Be proud of myself
34. Stay in love
35. Build a fort out of blankets when there's a thunder storm
36. Learn how to make cocktails
37. Tell people what I admire/dislike/love about them
    

The whole thing will certainly be changed as and when the mood takes me, though there are a few that are non-negotiable.

As lovely as it is, knowing what you're going to do with your life, it's also nice to not know what's going to happen. Our chief weapon is surprise - surprise and fear! And a ruthless efficiency. So while it's always a good idea to stick to the path, it's also fun to wander off into the woods... as long as there's no goblins in there.

Your challenge, my fine feathered blogging friends, is to write up a list of your own! It's only slightly overwhelming, I promise. Just write whatever you think of first: it could be something silly you just want to try out or it could be an ambition from when you were but a teensy foetus!

Your list will always change as you go along, because so will you - nothing's ever set in stone - and isn't that a wonderful thought? Watch out for those goblins.