“There is never enough time to do or say all the things we would wish. The thing is to try to do as much as you can with the time that you have. Time is short and suddenly you’re not there anymore.”

~ Charles Dickens’ admonition from A Christmas Carol

How It All Started

I've always been a goal setter.  My dad was big on goals, and growing up we would always set New Year's Resolutions and write them down and review them at the end of the year.  When my friend, Travis, graduated from 8th grade with a 4.0 for all 3 years of middle school, I made a goal to do the same (I was in 6th grade) and I did it.  That is the first major goal I recall achieving. 

Then in high school Travis graduated as the salutatorian, having gotten all A's except for an A- in chemistry.  He encouraged me to do better than he did and go 4.0 all the way.  Chemistry was also the most challenging class for me in high school.  I spent many, many hours in the science lab after school reviewing concepts and practicing qualitative analysis with Mr. Chesterfield.  I eventually mastered it and even took 3rd in the State Science Olympiad in qualitative analysis (yes!  I was a total nerd, but a dang smart nerd!).  I graduated from high school having earned a 4.0 in all classes from 6th through 12th grade, including AP calculus and AP physics.  That wetted my appetite for setting and achieving goals.

Years later I joined my best friend, Aaron, in reading "The Aladdin Factor" and doing some of the exercises suggested in the book, one of which was a brainstormed list of goals.  As fast as I could, without forethought or analysis, I wrote out 100 things I wanted to get, do or achieve.  Some little, some big, some specific, some very broad, some short-term, some very long term, just whatever came into my head in no particular order.  The movie "A Walk to Remember" came out a while after that (one of my favorites) and just confirmed the idea of having a list of goals for my life.  With lots of encouragement from Aaron, I set out to accomplish these goals and explore the possibilities within me.

Aaron and me in San Francisco

I've been working towards goals on that list for nearly 10 years now, and I've done so many of them that my list was getting a little sparse and I've recently had to do some more brainstorming and add to it.  Just thinking about what I want to accomplish in life, writing it down and revisiting that list every once in a while motivates me to do more with my time and helps me get back on track whenever I find myself floundering in life.  It gives me a reason to move forward.  Here are some of things that I've been able to cross off my list in the last 10 years:

Pass the CPA exam

Get out of debt (although now I have a mortgage, but that's all)

Get some jeans that fit me (I went 2 years without owning jeans)

Go Latin dancing with Aaron

Teach Isabelle to say "Aunt Cherie"

Run in a 5k race

Run a marathon

Do a triathlon

Sing a solo

Attend the temple every week for 6 months

Work in the temple (7 years and counting..)

Go on splits with the Viet speaking missionaries

Graduate from the VLC

Play in a symphony again

Compose a song

Go for a run around the Tidal Basin during cherry blossom season

Eddie, Slade and many others have told me they find inspiration in my list of goals and hearing about my progress and accomplishments.  To further inspire others and to help me work to accomplish even more, I'm starting this blog on which I'll maintain my list (I know I'll add to it over time) and to share my experiences as I achieve goals on my list.  Now, life awaits... let's live life more abundantly.