Every New Year’s, some people starts to whine about how a new year is nothing more than another day. Your inclination to promise and commit to behavior for the coming twelve months are unnatural and unwarranted that’s their gospel.
They’re right in principle, but not in reality.
We’re all better off considering things – life, work, goals, whatever – and to take the time to actually do that; it needs to be in the books. Some of us schedule this, others tackle the big questions when they arise, or preferably just before that happens.
“That’s one more thing checked on my bucket list!”
I don’t have a bucket list. The mere notion of one makes me cringe a bit, to my big surprise. I have a list of goals, which might be viewed as similar to a bucket list by some. My goals aren’t todos per se, they’re more in the likes of Publish Book X or Save three monthly salaries. I revisit my goals on a yearly basis, a silly time period but New Year’s is such a strong break in our society that it’s easy to conform to. Lately I’ve bothered less with this, but at the same time I don’t want my list of goals to just build up.
That’d make it a bucket list.
Look, a bucket, that’s relevant! Photo: katmeresin (CC)
I think my problem with bucket lists is that they’re unruly by nature. “This is what I want to do before I die” definitely constitutes some sort of goal, but it’s also everything at once, thrown in a bucket. Most people won’t complete their bucket list, and they’ll probably not feel that they’re getting close to doing it either. List items such as Sleep with a pornstar and Visit space might be achievable, but added up with the 64 travel destinations, the book you want to write, the movie you want to direct, the castle you want to build, and the album you want to record, they get unattainable as a whole.
The term “bucket list” is appropriate, because it’s just a bunch of things you want to do thrown in a bucket, sloshing about. I don’t think that’s helpful.
This year I’ll have ticked off five goals from my list. In a few short months my list of goals will be up for revision and it might or might not match the New Year. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I’ve achieved my goals, and can focus on new ones. As opposed to tick something off a list of 512 items.
Maybe I’m cranky. Enjoy your bucket lists. Anything that helps you do what you want to be doing is a good thing. Just remember to rummage through the bucket and ask yourself what the fuck you put in there, and why you did it in the first place. After all, Sleep with a pornstar is pretty juvenile, don’t you think?
I have this problem, maybe you do too. I like to make things. Start projects. Develop stuff. Break rules. Create new publications. Establish companies. Publish.
Write shit.
I’m quite mad, that’s what some keep telling me. Others have tried to find a diagnosis, some sort of psychological branding that would explain my inability to actually cash in on every thing I do, no matter how successful they might be in the end.
I never claimed to be a businessman. There are others better suited for that.
It doesn’t matter what you’re doing, you need to know when it is time to stop doing it. You might be writing a book, publish a site, or chase some other dream – everything has to have its limits.
I know, that hurts. You dream about doing something, being someone, achieving greatness, and here I am telling you that you shouldn’t chase that dream forever.
Not all of us can be rockstars, no matter how much we want to. We can, and should, try though.
You shouldn’t give up easily either, never that, but when you set out to do something, to achieve a goal, then you need to know when enough is enough.
I’m not much for making New Year resolutions, I prefer to set my goals whenever they are relevant, not at a specific date. That said, this year I felt like publishing a list of things I will try to achieve in 2013. It is perhaps not as specific as some would’ve liked, but it is something at least.
It is important, nay, crucial that you do what you believe in. Don’t get stuck with or distracted by things that are anything less but means to achieve your true goals.
If you feel and fear that you are on the wrong path, take a break and reassess the situation.
It is easy to forget these things, and I have done just that the last few months.
If you’re following me on Facebook you saw this a few weeks ago, but I figured I’d put myself under some additional pressure by publishing my book writing goals for 2010 2011 here as well.
I’m going to write four books this year.
I’ll also see to it that four books get published this year.(more…)
