Working List of Life Goals

 I am a champion list maker (OK there’s no list-making competition, but if there was I would add winning it to the list below). Since I regularly write articles and blog posts that are lists, and make to-do lists for myself and others, it’s kind of surprising that I haven’t made a list of long range goals in several years.

So below is my working list of life goals (not 5 or 10 year goals,  more of a “bucket list” –although I find that term irritating). As you’ll notice some are serious and hard to accomplish (write and publish 2 novels), and others silly (dramatically throw a drink in someone’s face), but they are all things that I have always wanted to accomplish (some things I’ve always dreamed of I have  checked off  like live abroad, get married, sky diving, traveling alone), but this is a list of things I want to do now-as of May 2012). I’ll keep this page updated as I accomplish or amend these goals. And feel free to share your own!

My Official (Working) List of Life Goals

1. To become a mom (and be the best mom I can be for my kid(s))
2. Swim with dolphins  Accomplished! 5/30/13 in Jamaica
   
3. Own a house
4. Hold a senior editorial position  Accomplished! I was promoted to Senior Editor at Fast Company in February 2015
5. Write my name in wet cement Accomplished! 8/23/13 on 34th street and Lexington Ave! 
6. Ride a bicycle built for two  Accomplished! 7/22/12 on Governor’s Island!
7. Make a pretty and delicious cake/learn how to really bake
8. Write and publish at least two books
9. Dramatically throw a drink in someone’s face  Accomplished! At Shawna and Bryan’s wedding on 8/1/15
10. Visit the Following Places/see these things:

• The Pyramids in Egypt
• Christ Redeemer, Brazil and Carnival
•  The Great Wall of China
• Machu Picchu, Peru  Accomplished! 3/9/14 and hiked the Inca Trail
• Petra, Jordan – Ancient City
• The Taj Mahal, India
• Grand Canyon  Accomplished! 5/24/15
• Northern Lights (Failed Attempt in Iceland February 2015)
• Greece—Athens and Islands
• Bali

11. Walk in Snowshoes
12. Perform Storytelling
13. Ride in a Hot Air Balloon  Accomplished on my honeymoon in Napa, CA 6/3/12!
14. Teach journalism
15. Live in California
16. Learn Sign Language Kind of Accomplished Summer of 2014
17. Learn a foreign language
18. Take a several month road trip across the US
19. Learn how to sew/make a piece of clothing  Accomplished July 2012!
20. Go Parasailing Accomplished 5/28/13 in Jamaica!
21.Learn to Play Guitar or Piano
22. Learn how to paint or draw
23. Become a better gardener and cook/gain more of those general crafty/homemaking skills
24. Participate/complete an extreme physical challenge (100 mile bike tour, marathon, etc)
25. To be professionally quoted Accomplished 9/23/14!
26. To meet and have a conversation with someone I’ve long admired
27. To do a flying trapeze  Accomplished 6/16/13!
28. To master a headstand
29. To meet and talk to a Muppet
30. To be interviewed on TV
31. To give a graduation address
32. To officiate a wedding
33. To own a Vespa
34. To Drive a Zamboni
35. To be Photographed by HONY
36. To Judge a cookie contest
37. To Host a Podcast
38. To be a guest on a podcast

Photographic Proof 

Number 13, ride in a Hot Air Balloon–Napa, CA 6/3/12

Number 6: Ride on a bicycle built for two–Governor’s Island 7/22/12

Number 19, Learn to sew/make a piece of clothing–July 2012:

Number 2: Swim with dolphins — Jamaica 5/30/13:

Number 20: Go parasailing — 5/28/13 in Jamaica:

Number 27: Flying Trapeze!

5. Write my name in wet cement

9. Dramatically throw a drink in someone’s face

10. Visit Machu Picchu and hike the Inca Trail

12. Visit the Grand Canyon

16. Learn Sign Language

I took a 8-week course the Summer of 2014 and I made this video for the 4th class. I am however nowhere near being fluent — that would take years.

25. To be professionally quoted: I was honored to be asked to speak on a panel about women in leadership at the American Society of News Editor’s Conference along side some very accomplished journalists. After the panel I was interviewed by graduate students from Columbia College Chicago (where I attended my freshman year of college way back in 1999). Here is the resulting article where I am quoted:

Women at the Top

More than 100 editors, educators and other invited guests packed into a ballroom at the Hyatt Regency Chicago to hear the panel discussion: Women at the Top—Moving the Conversation Forward, which was part of the American Society of News Editors and the Associated Press Media Editors’ annual joint co…