I have til 19th Feb 2015 to meet my 12 goals for two years. Given I turn 30 on the 30th Jan, it’s a nice way to leave my 20s.
How am I going?
The eating out? Done like a dinner (boom tish!)
1. Dinner at Quay – done in January for my birthday. They have the menu online so you can all ooo and ahhh
2. Dinner at Aria – next birthday seems like a good idea!
3. Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb – the darling BF gifted a voucher for this on my 29th birthday. I’ve waited til winter, when the cooler weather is usually ‘clearer’ (with those harsh winter winds… which blew in yesterday!). Alas, I’m booked for THIS Friday, my day off a month 😀
5. Go Zorbing – this is no longer offered in Australia. And the locations aren’t exactly ‘nearby’.
6. Visit Lexi in NZ – Lexi stopped living in NZ, silly billy. She got into Medicine in Sydney, so it wasn’t for naught, however, it makes going to NZ less of a driver. The BF was recently asked if he’d like to work there, so that’s something. Perhaps I should endeavour to get to Coffs Harbour to see another friend before my time is up.
7. Do a knife skills course – for cooking of course
8. Learn to surf. Regular readers might remember I planned to do this when we got back from the Cairns holiday? Instead, we got back on a plane, and went to visit the BF’s family in Adelaide. Then it got cold (I got wimpy?). There’s time this summer though!
9. Read the new testament – thought I’d down grade from ‘whole bible’. Alas, I’ve gone ‘whole bible’ and let me assure you, the old testament can be dull at times! I’m on track to have this whipped by October, so time to spare if I get ‘behind’. The train rides to work are dedicated bible reading time.
10. Go on a silent retreat – I relegated this to after the next goal, as many won’t let you do any exercise whilst you’re there. I’m terrified to do a 10 day course (and that IS a lot of time). But then all the propaganda says three days isn’t the ‘real deal’. Your thoughts?
11. Run a half marathon – (Update 1) My, my! My personal best, two weeks out, is 12.5kms. The physio is not sure my body will make it! So I’m a little scared. I aim to finish, ideally around 2hrs 20mins, which is on par with my usual speed or pace.
12. Plan and prepay my funeral – I have the cash, but I’m unsure. I want something that’s ‘easy’ in it’s release in my death, which funeral insurance isn’t. That’s just a con, and you’re forever paying premiums. I could get a funeral bond, but again, I don’t think it’ll be liberated in time for a funeral. I wonder if a will is a document that could outline all my wishes. Then there’s the question of a ‘family’ funeral home, or a chain? No matter, a pre bought funeral is held in trust, so I don’t have to worry about the money sinking with a business specifically.
So to sum up, I have to
- turn up at 12.15pm on this Friday to meet goal 3.
- get my backside across the finish line on Sunday 6th April to meet goal 11.
- keep read, read, reading (mindful that two weeks in Japan won’t come with much bible-age) to meet 9
- make bookings for 6, 8, 10 and 12
- settle for 11 goals, and one beyond my reach
Right, to the calendar to start planning dates!
It sounds like you're on a great track! The bridge climb looks scary, but I'm not exactly a fan of heights. Glad you got it booked! As for the silent retreat, I'm not sure I could go 10 days with no interaction. Maybe 4, but I haven't researched them at all. I guess it depends on how much you need the solitude.
Thanks E.M. The climb was awesome, it was yesterday. Thankfully I'm not scared of heights at all – but they didn't even ask if we were either?!
I think I might struggle with ten days too…
Your goals are really ambitious, Sarah, yet you are well on track!
A couple of thoughts: for funeral planning, I would probably just outline my wishes and let my family know where to find them. And I would ensure the funds were available to my executor. However, I think it would be reasonable to invest the amount, assuming you were going to live a long life. Although it would take more time to turn it into cash, hopefully there would be enough cash around to get the process started until the investments were cashed. Unless you want a plot in a particular cemetery in which case you would probably buy it outright? As for a silent retreat, if you've never done one before, I would be tempted to start with a weekend. What if you hate being stuck with your own thoughts and you have to be there for 10 days? From what I know of you, you'd be unlikely to quit and leave!
I hope the surfing works out!
Thanks Dar – I haven't really considered them ambitious (except perhaps the running and the reading).
With the funeral planning, i think you make a good point, I need to make my wishes known. I sort of want to 'pick a style' on things, which is perverse and a little micro managing, but I also know those decisions could be distressing in times of grief. I'll ponder a little further.
Funny you think I don't quit things – especially seeing I skipped out of my SES training this week for no good reason at all :s I was brought up to commit and follow through with team sports and the like, but I realise I prefer 'seasons' of sports/activities. Year long obligations are too much (especially on a weekly basis) and I need an 'out'.
They are such huge goals – as Dar says above, I can’t imagine you abandoning any, but each one on their own could be a major focus. My thoughts on the retreat: I did a 10 day hike once and it was definitely a length of time that completely disassociated participants from ‘regular’ life, far more so than a 3 day hike. But I do wonder if ‘training up’ by doing the short one first would be good. You would learn things about yourself to take into the 10 day one.
The funeral plan…I worry that if you choose a particular business now, that company may change over time and you yourself will change. I would be worried that in 10 years, 20 years…I might not want to be locked in to something I chose in a different phase of life. Either way though…having a good executor and clear instructions is paramount.
Oh thanks – I don't feel like they are huge… I suppose I have the big ones (like buying a home) out of the way in comparison!
Wow I'd love to know more about your ten day retreat! I think a weekend might be a better start to it, now that you mention it.
Awesome about the half-marathon!! Big props to you, as well, for wanting to surf – I get a bit scared of the ocean when I can't put my feet on the floor, so I'm envious of those that are brave enough to do so!
Thanks for stopping by – and congratulations! I hope I make it through the half without too many battle wounds, I'm sure I'll draw inspiration from other runners I know out there when things get tough.
Sounds like you're making progress! As long as finishing quickly isn't your main goal, I think you can do the run . . most of the marathoners I know take walking breaks and stretch during their races even though it increases their time.
How can 3 days of silence not be the real deal? I agree with previous comments – I'd try the shorter one first. 🙂
Quickly is most certainly my goal – I'm glad to know that others walk…
The 3 days isn't the real deal for Vispanna (sp?) style of retreat, that's all
Take me with you when you learn to surf
DEFINITELY! I need someone to do it with – shall we make a weekend or something cool out of it?
My sister has done the long silent retreat in the Blue Mountains. A fortnight? No way would I last. I love talking. I love words. I love connecting with people with words, and stories, and jokes and laughter. I know I'd forget that I was meant to be silent and would come in singing at breakfast, or laugh at lunch, or be so frustrated I would have to do charades to tell my story. Or I'd see a bird in the tree outside and come running back to get others to see it.
My sister loved it if love is the right word. Probably found it valuable is more accurate. And plans to do another one. But her description sounded like torture to me. I told her as much. It's called solitary confinement and it messes with people's minds. OK, you can see it is not on my bucket list. But enjoy! Lol.
As to the funeral plan – I agree with Dar and Fiona. Make the funds and your plans available. My father put money into a plan. Not only did he die without his body being found (washed overboard) so the plan was useless, but we couldn't find the documents to prove we had the right to claim. And thus we lost the plot bought in a major Sydney cemetery.
Given you (hopefully) won't die for at least 5 decades, it is a long time to give a company your money to invest. What if the documents get lost? What if your plans change? What if you move overseas? Or interstate? What if your values change? I've seen people change from being quite definite about burial to being definite about cremation. Anyway, just giving some alternate views for this plan.
I think you raise some really valuable thoughts on the funeral planning/paying. And me moving is almost a given, so can you imagine the added inconvenience of getting my dead lump of lard back to Sydney!? I'm interestingly not too strongly opinionated on burn or bury – my mother is strongly against cremation (though her father was I'm pretty sure), whereas my father is happy to be cremated, as was his mother. Strange… Actually my mother has some strong opinions (not surprising) but we often don't quite know why. And when she knows she's in the minority at the dinner table, we're less likely to find out why… puzzling.