Projects

I was surfing around, looking at blogs the other day when I came across someone who is doing Day Zero. (http://www.dayzeroproject.com/) It's one of those cutesy bucket list type groups. The goal of this one is to do 101 things in 1001 days, which comes out to about 2.75 years.

I love these things. I like the idea of actually working on all those "someday" dreams, surrounded by other people who are doing the same thing. Problem is, I never get beyond the list making stage. For this one, there's no way I could come up with 101 projects that are worthy of going on the list. Even if I could come up with 101 worthy projects, is there any way I could complete 101 projects between now and spring of 2013? I count it a good week if I do a few dishes, a load or two of laundry, a quick trip to the grocery store, and water arthritis at least once. The idea of completing a worthy project on an average of once every 10 days just makes me tired.

But then I got to thinking about spring of 2013. Not that I have any plans to go, but 2013 is my 20th high school reunion. What if I did 20 before my 20th? Much more doable. But then I still have the same problem- what 20 projects do I want to complete between now and my high school reunion?

Linking it up with the reunion makes me think of all those things that I want to have accomplished before seeing all those people again. (Although it's kind of academic, because as I said, I have no interest in going to this thing.) My life is so very, very different from what I thought it would be when I graduated 17 years ago. I thought I'd be married with kids by now, not terminally single and child-less. Children are a no-go for me now, and I'm not going on the hunt for a husband just to have someone to show off to people I haven't see or heard from in at least 15 years. So those don't make the list.

I've always wanted to write a book. I thought I'd be published by my 20th reunion, and so far I haven't even managed to finish one yet. Finishing a book could go on the list. So that's goal #1.

I really, really (ohmygod, really) need to lose at least 100 lbs. My joints would appreciate it, and to be honest, I'd be really embarrassed for anyone from high school to see me as I am today. I was never the hot chick, but I wasn't 300 lbs back then, either. A normal, healthy person who eats right and exercises should probably be able to drop 100 lbs in 1000 days- a lbs every 10 days is a very moderate pace. Is it possible for me? I kind of doubt it. But I could probably make some progress in that direction by spring of 2013, if I can avoid the prednisone. So, that's goal #2- lose weight.

My third thought is that I have holycrap credit card debt. I'd really like to have that paid off in three years or less. That's not something that I'd care to flaunt in front of my old classmates, but it would make me feel good to have them paid off, and the timing seems reasonable. Goal #3: pay off credit cards.

This one isn't at all sexy, but my closets are a complete disaster. I have a large walk in closet in the bedroom and another large storage closet off the office. Both are piled high with stuff. Good stuff. Bad stuff. Crap. Junk. I have a vague idea of what's in both places, but there's a ton of stuff in both closets that I haven't looked at since I moved into this apartment almost 4 years ago- including my high school year books. (Ha! Found a way to tie that in.) It could easily take me months, at my current ability level, to get through those boxes and ditch the stuff I don't want. I know there's a lot of stuff in there I don't want. I hate the idea of filling up the dumpster, and the landfill, with all this crap, but I don't have the patience and energy to try to freecycle or Craigslist it either. But it's got to go, because I don't know how much longer I'll be living here, and I'm not hauling it across country with me when the inevitable comes and I end up living in Indiana again with my brother or parents. That's the long way around to say that goal #4 (which has to be completed well before 2013) is to clean out those closets and clear the clutter.

And that's where I've stalled. What else do I want to accomplish by 2013? I feel kind of pitiful that there are so few things on my list, and maybe other than the writing one, nothing that's in any way exotic or interesting. There are plenty of things I could put on my "if I weren't sick" list, but I'm trying to keep it in the realm of my current reality. Current reality says that I'm not going to Egypt to see the pyramids or running/walking the Disney marathon anytime in the next three years. Or ever, probably. And "getting approved for SSDI" isn't a very good goal for something like this, because that's largely out of my hands. I fill out the paperwork to the best of my ability and wait around for someone else to say "yes" or "no". But there have to be other goals, right? Things that I can do, learn, accomplish. Sixteen other things that I'd like to do and can realistically accomplish in the next three years. I'll think about it for a while. And hopefully, if I come up with something I'll remember to write it down. Otherwise, it will end up in the junk closet in my brain, where all my unrecorded thoughts go to die. That's one closet I really don't care to clean!