I am at week two of my Diet, Question, Try Not to Kill the Ones You Live With Challenge. Aside from the whole failure to meditate problem of the first week I have encountered another issue. My title is unwieldly. When I tried to create it as a “category” on my blog it didn’t fit in, only the last part appeared in the tag “Kill The Ones You Live With”. I’m a little concerned that won’t attract my ideal reader. I thought I would shorten it to an anagram but DQTRTKTOYLWC looks like one of those passwords the bank issues you with your new credit card,  you have to go in and change immediately because who the hell remembers meaningless letters!

So having lost a great part of the week to trying to think up a new name (and failing) it was suddenly Thursday and I was required to post what I had been working on to improve my lot in life.

There is something I’ve been working at on and off recently. I’m not sure it’s finished. But then again if you have “completed” a bucket list you might just be in a very uncomfortable place, like, you know dead.

I’ve been trying to think of what are the things I really, really want to do in this lifetime? I like the notion of having a plan. Despite my inability to actually follow one to a conclusion.

I don’t particularly like the name “Bucket List” given its connotations with death, I think I prefer the title “Living List” as used by Karen Andrews.

So if we work on the basis of creating a “Living List” it then comes down to how to structure it. Do you go the whole hog and list 100, 200, 1000 things to do in your lifetime. Or do you break it down to 30 before 30 or in my case, (gulp), 50 before 50. Or perhaps you could do it on a yearly basis like the high achieving Lesley Carter who is a MACHINE when it comes to crossing items off her list.

For the purpose of the current exercise I’m not going to set a number, I’m just going to make a list, until I’ve got no more ideas.

Then it comes down to what do you want to include. Let’s face it I’m not the adventurous type so bungee jumping, skydiving and swimming with sharks probably aren’t gonna make the cut.  This list divides it into categories for you adventure/education/people to meet/hit the big time/finances/family and so on. I also particularly like the 225 things to do before you die list  which gives explanations for each item on the list.

I also need to decide, how big do I go? Given my tendency to overblown positivity there’s a chance I could create a list of impossibility. So far beyond our resources of time and money that I won’t achieve anything. In the end I go with a combination. Some items which can be achieved right now, others which are going to take a bit of work, and some which are up there in the “tell her she’s dreamin'” category.

According to Pyschology Today there are benefits to having such a list. Apparently there’s an effect called “social contagion” where you can catch willpower from your friends. So basically, buddying up with others who are working on their bucket list can help you achieve yours. So if you have a list on the go feel free to link it in the comments so we can all take a peek and spur each other on.

In the end, this is what I’ve come up with this far.

1. Swim with dolphins.

2. Complete a manuscript of 50,000 words.

3. Host a party with friends from every stage of my life.

4. See a show on Broadway.

5. Go to the Digital Parents Blogging Conference.

6. Create a radio documentary.

7. See the Grand Canyon.

8. Set foot on each of the seven continents.

9. Secure a writing mentor.

10. Finish building the house we live in (that includes downstairs and pool as well).

11. Speak at a conference.

12. Write a budget.

13. Pay off the credit cards.

14. Attend Blogher.

15. Eat pizza in Rome.

16. Have my photograph taken in Paris by Carla Coulson.

17. Complete a writing tour in Paris.

18. Interview six bloggers.

19. Stroll along Whitehaven Beach.

20. Sunbake on Turtle Island.

21. Teach a course.

22. Publish my manuscript.

23. Hit 5,000 unique visitors a month on the blog.

24. Make it to 10,000 page views for a month on the blog.

25. Attend the Belligen Readers and Writers Festival.

26. Swim in Broome.

27. Own a house with a sea view.

28. Run a successful business.

29. Hear Paul Simon play at Bluesfest.

30. Eat dinner at sunset in front of Uluru.

31. Meet an author at the Byron Bay Writers Festival.

32. Make a video series for the blog.

33. Write an e-book.

34. Have high-tea at the Ritz Carlton in London.

35. Take a gondola ride in Venice.

36. Gaze at the Mona Lisa.

37. Enjoy a degustation dinner.

38. Take the family on a holiday to Vietnam (OK really this is Mr Shambles dream but just to keep him happy let’s include it).

39. Take another first aid course (before I need to use it).

40. Complete 10 pilates sessions.

41. Read the ABC’s “top ten Aussie novels to read before you die”

42. Stand in front of the pyramids in Egypt.

43. Cry at my daughters graduations.

44. Spend an Anzac day at Gallopoli.

45. Lose weight by spending a week at a health spa. (Considering how many of my other goals revolve around food I’m going to need this one).

46. Help a stranger in distress (it’s been all about me so far, I better throw in something a little charitable).

47. Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge (that should be a challenge what with my fear of heights and all).

49. Take the kids to see the Fireworks in Sydney on New Years Eve.

50. Have some serious fun.