If you’ve been reading Fit is a Feminist Issue over the past week, you may have learned about the 75 Hard Challenge, which Sam blogged about here. She gave a hard pass to this no-exceptions/no variation/just do it set of rules and tasks, all to be completed in the next 75 days. And, if one slips or trips even a little, one must start again. I’m with Sam on this.
But: like many of us, I like the idea of putting together a list of things I really want to do, not just want-to-want-to-do. For instance, here are things I want to do, which I put in my 75-not-hard challenge.
- One: 10 minutes seated meditation
- Two: 30 minutes Writing, drawing, or crafting
- Three: 30 minutes Reading
- Four: daily walk, or do errands, or visit people, or explore the world
- Five: weekly bike rides, yoga class in person, strength/PT exercise, swimming
- Six: daily 5-10 minute declutter and tidy my house
- Seven: daily reminder to be grateful for my lovely life
There are also things I want-to-want-to-do:
- renovate my kitchen
- keep the inside of my car pristine and super-clean
- get up early in summer (i.e. before 8:30am)
- bake bread regularly (or ever, for that matter)
- work on my rusty Italian and very bad French, and learn Spanish while I’m at it
- be able to hike (uphill) without falling apart and hating everyone
- Turn some of my unfinished writing projects into finished ones
Am I going to do things on the second list? Who knows?
However, I kind of enjoyed putting together a want-to-want-to-do list, even though it’s not one I’m actively working on. Why?
First, our desires, our capacities, our circumstances are prone to change, often without warning. Something from one list may jump to another– we may find a change of mood leaves behind some aspirations, while unexpected resources moves something up into want-to-do priority.
And second, it’s nice to know what our pie-in-the-sky wishes are. They are a part of our lives and, in their own ways, inform our more realistic goals and plans. For instance, I do love walking in nature, and hills do look enticing, if daunting. I do take them on in small ways and in manageable doses. My friend Kay is one of my favorite hiking buddies, as she is an expert at adjusting the pace to fit anyone’s needs.
Finally, it may happen that hanging on to a want-to-want-to-do list item caused us more anxiety or consternation than it merits. In that case, the thing to do is jettison it. Step away from that goal! Getting up early is probably that example for me. I can get up super-early under special circumstances (I’m thinking of early bike rides, Sam, and early kayak trips, Janet). But on the regular, my body is not a greet-the-sunrise sort. I think I can live with that.
Readers, do you have any want-to-want-to-do items that you’d like to share? I’d love to see them and compare notes.
I naturally get up around 5 am, especially in the summer. It’d be nice if I could stay alert/awake, even, later than 9 pm!
I don’t have a want-to-want list in any formal way, but there’s always been something like it in my mind. Occasionally, elements of it end up being written down in one form or another (letter, journal, odd list including actual want-to stuff). What I like best about them is seeing them – or just remembering them – years later and recognizing the good ideas or not-so-good ideas. Fun memories come along with those lists. So to have something to look forward to in the future, my list now includes polishing up my Spanish (and maybe French, too); eating more vegetables & less ice cream (that has to happen veeery gradually if it’s going to stick); get in those planks & push-ups every day if I want them to improve; get back to doing headstands (is that a use-it-or-lose-it?). Those are the ones that come to mind.