Now is the time for people to make resolutions for the New Year; they want to go to the gym more often, quit smoking, learn something new, get out of debt, get organized, etc.
For the majority of people, what they resolve to do doesn’t end up happening. Sure, they’ll go to the gym for the first few weeks of January, but then slowly taper off until they don’t go at all.
I can’t remember a time when I made New Year’s resolutions because I don’t think it’s a good idea to wait until a prescribed time every year to try and instigate change. I also think they’re lame because people make a huge production of them and then don’t do what they set out to. So, I do not make New Year’s resolutions. However, in 2009, I wrote a list of the 100 things I wanted to do before I die.
Last May, I was a leader for a high school leadership conference called Creating Leadership Among Youth (CLAY) where the keynote speaker was a group of guys called The Buried Life.
Their goal is to complete their list of 100 things they wanted to do before they die and help other people with their own lists along the way. Before CLAY started, they asked the staff and delegates to send them a few of the things we wanted to do before we die, and to start writing our own lists.
At the conference, they helped one of my co-staff cross something off his list, which I thought was really cool. About a month after the conference finished, I interviewed the guys for TalentEgg to get their take on why students and new grads should write a bucket list. Since then, they have completed more things on their list, and their show is about to premiere on MTV.
Although I am clearly not cool enough to get my own show on MTV, I did manage to cross off some of the things on my list.
#1 Figure out what is wrong with my wrist and get it fixed!
One of my wrist bones is deformed and as a result it doesn’t work properly. In order to manage the pain, I have to get cortisone shots. Admittedly that is not fixing the problem per se, but it is solving the issue.
#39 Go to a powwow
I went to two powwows this year. There was a Welcoming Powwow put on by the McMaster First Nation Student Association that I helped with, and I also went to the Canadian Aboriginal Festival, which is one of largest in Canada.
#64 Be an active member of a conservation group
A couple of years ago, I joined an organization called Frogwatch and now whenever I see a frog or toad, I submit my observations. This summer, I also saw many turtles, so I extended my involvement by joiningTurtle Tally. I hope to continue being involved with both groups as my exposure to wetlands permits.
#78 Have dinner at the Olive Garden
This one seems pretty weird, I realize. Olive Garden was my favourite restaurant and probably at least 10 years ago now, corporate office decided to get rid of chains in Ontario. This prevented me from eating at Olive Garden. But when I went to Calgary this summer, I was lucky enough to have dinner there.
I didn’t even realize I had crossed these items off until I took a look at my list a couple of hours ago. Although I haven’t completed them yet, I’ve also gotten closer to finishing numbers 42 (Visit every province and territory in Canada), 59 (Love my job) and 95 (Lose 30 pounds). Come this time 2011, I hope to have crossed off a few more things.
So, let me ask you: what do you want to do before you die?
Please share some of your items with other readers; we’d love to see them! Or, am I a cynic when it comes to New Year’s resolutions? Did you make some and stick by them?
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