There was an interesting discussion I heard on BBC World Service about counting numbers. I didn’t get to hear the entirety but the author being interviewed wrote a book about counting, as in why and how. She started by talking about Dr. Seuss’ One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. She points out how the character never get past the number two because he becomes so fascinated by all the different types of fish, yet they are all fish. Her point was how even if everything is different our brains (and collectively our societies) decide how to categorize and them what goes into those categories. It is the only way any language (math is a type of language) system can work properly.
What does this have to do with anything? Well part of categorizing involves lists. This is my list if Goals. Writing them down helps me remember them and work on them. While writing them here will give me some public accountability and perhaps inspire others.
Some of these goals I have already started on but hope to continue.
Gratitude Journal Entries Everyday
To DONE List Enteries Everyday
Blog Writing
Yoga and Meditation Everyday
Learn the following languages: German, French, Spanish, Japanese and Korean and American Sign Language (These are the priority in the next 5 years)
Run at least one 5K
Have a thriving business–This means being able to mainly self support, working maybe 20 hour a week part time job.
Have my own apartment
Teach myself the clarinet
These are not limited to one year, though a few of them I hope to accomplish before I am 40 years old (twoish years from now). A couple of them are vague for this reason. I have some direction or vision but it is not clear yet.
Notice that losing weight or being a certain weight are not on this list. I have set that kind of goal in the past and have always failed. Trying Not to Try (Too Hard) has been the best strategy for me when it comes to weight. If I weigh myself everyday, count every calorie, I only succeed at discouraging myself. Now this is not to say I go crazy and do nothing to help my weight loss. I am aware of my sweet intake, my fast food intake, my soda intake, my level of activity and how much water I drink. I take action as needed and I weigh myself, when I remember, once a week.
So there is my starting list of goals.