Dear Reader,
For those of you who don’t know me, I love bucket lists. I actually love lists in general–my phone is filled with lists of songs, things to do, potential baby or character names, ideas that I get, things that make me laugh, and anything else that I feel needs to be written down.
In the past, though, my bucket lists haven’t been very successful. Yet, I continue to make them and continue to fail.
But I think I figured out why this continues to happen–I always seem to forget about them. And then I’ll remember, but it’ll either be too late or I won’t be motivated anymore, and the whole project ends up failing.
So this year, I’m going to make one slight change. (After all, it was Einstein who defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results).
In order for me to complete this list, I’m going to make it constantly on my mind. I’ll put it everywhere and set goals for it and check in regularly and be persistent about it. And, hopefully, I’ll be successful.
But, either way, bucket lists are fun to make and planning for the future has always been a joy for me. As Margo Roth Spiegelman says, “the pleasure isn’t doing the thing, the pleasure is in planning it.” (I don’t know if I agree with that completely, but I do take pleasure in making plans.)
So, without further ado, my 2015 bucket list:
- become an Aunt – I always start my bucket lists with something inevitable, and my sister just happens to be due in February, so this is fitting
- rush a sorority
- complete The Empty Shelf Challenge
- submit a piece of my work to be published – not even get published. Just take the step and put yourself out there!
- travel outside of the country
- be able to run a 7-minute mile – this may not seem like a big accomplishment at all, but it has been a while since I’ve even attempted to run a mile, so if I can end 2015 with a 7-minute mile under my belt, I’ll be content.
- go somewhere new
- learn to draw – just one thing! a puppy, a pelican, a person (don’t mind the accidental alliteration)–I just want to have one thing I can sort of draw kind of well.
- at least start a scrapbook
- watch 50 new movies
- make a jar for memories
- be confident in a bathing suit
- write at least 3 letters to 23-year-old Sammy – this one requires more information that the rest, so I’ll probably just end up doing a whole other post about it when the time comes.
- run a 5k
- finish my daily sudoku puzzles (from 2014) – failed project from 2014, meet 2015.
- go to a concert
- learn 365 new words – ideally one a day, but we know how I tend to handle daily tasks (see #15).
- have a birthday “party” – it’s been a solid 5 years since I’ve had one, and I keep meaning to at least celebrate my birthday with friends, but it never happens. So maybe 19 will be the year
- go to the batting cages
- watch the sunrise
- learn how to use chopsticks
- color my hair – dye a streak purple, go read, dip-dye it pink–something that I can only get away with because I’m young
- join a new club
- explore interesting buildings on campus that I’ve never seen before
- write a letter – put pen to paper, lick the envelope, smack a stamp on it. We don’t do this as much anymore and that makes me sad.
- attend a random lecture for a class I don’t take
- people watch
- take a hot bath/have a spa day – candlelight, calming music, a few drops of lavender essential oil, this is one I can’t wait to get checked off the list.
- learn how to skate backwards
- talk to strangers – just random people in general. I can be very shy but I find people fascinating. So this is just kind of a persistent reminder for me to reach out and interact with other human beings every once in a while
- volunteer
- reach 300 followers on Sincerely Sammy – let’s be ambitious.
- take senior pictures with Sarah
- learn how to juggle
- be someone’s inspiration for 2016 – not exactly something I can check off (unless someone comes up and tells me I inspire them, I guess), but I always like putting something like this on here. It’s a good goal to strive for.
Well, there you have it. Most of those are things I have been meaning to get around to for ages (learning how to use chopsticks, making a jar for memories), so on the list they go.
Feel free to comment any suggestions for the list–or let me know what you plan to accomplish in 2015! I just love these things.
There’s nothing like the promise of a new year.
Sincerely,
Sammy
PS. I’m diggin this tune: The Mother We Share – CHVRCHES
SINCERELY, SAMMY 