Life List

Jehara and ChaucerianGirl got me all inspired to make a life list, so I thought I should do the same thing. So I started thinking about all the stuff I wanted to do and I sort of got overwhelmed. I think there's a poem in Where the Sidewalk Ends - or maybe it's A Light in the Attic - by Shel Silverstein about eating an elephant, and how in the world do you possibly eat an elephant. Or maybe it's a hippo. Okay, I need to reread Shel. Anyway, the point is I kept thinking of more and more stuff to do and then I started wondering how in the holy heck I was going to get it all done. I have a lot of faults, and one of them is a tendency toward all or nothing thinking. It's stupid, I know it is, but my mind goes that way more often than not.

So, here's what I'm thinking. I pick one goal to start with - just a goal, something I want to accomplish and I work really hard on it till I'm feeling good about it and then I add another goal. Is that copping out, do you think?

So my goal right now is to become a runner again. I was one for a while and I let stupid little life struggles get me depressed and lethargic and fat. I'm typing that up right here so people can come back and ask me about it. (editing to clarify-please ask me how I'm doing on my goal of becoming a runner again, not about my lame pathetic struggles. I don't particularly want to revisit them, and also expect you don't really give a crap) I know that might be kind of a vain goal, since it's pretty much tied into becoming physically fit again. I mean, wouldn't it be better to work on emotional and spiritual fitness? And the answer to that is sort of. The truth is how I feel about myself physically has always played into my emotional health. When I was running every day I was happy and optimistic. I slept better. I ate better. I was inquisitive and slow to leap to conclusions and judgements. In short, I think my life was better when I was running and I think I was a much nicer person.

So that's my plan. I'll keep you updated. And who knows? Maybe making a life list won't seem so freaking scary when I'm taking care of myself again.