This year I took on the 52 Lists project. For more than 8 months I wrote my lists almost every week, although occasionally I missed one and did it the following week. By the end of the year I had missed a LOT and had to play catch up. Here are my lists. They are not complete. I could probably add to them forever. But here’s my snapshot in time for 2016 in list form.
- List your goals and dreams for this year:
- accomplish at least 75 of my 100 Things list
- do all 52 Lists the right week without getting behind
- get apartment decluttered enough that moving all of our stuff doesn’t feel impossible
- really use my planner all year
- List your favorite characters from books, movies, etc.:
- Charlotte Doyle
- Lilo
- Mulan
- Zoe Hart (Hart of Dixie)
- Danielle (Ever After)
- Giselle (Enchanted)
- Grace Hart (Miss Congeniality)
- Donkey (Shrek)
- List the happiest moments of your life so far:
- being born, April 10 1982
- being at the top of the Eiffel Tower, July 1995
- Tori Amos concert, November 13 1998
- getting into Elmira College, December 20 1999
- having surgery to straighten my eyes, December 18 2001
- Mark and I had the best first date in history, July 29 2006
- Mark and I first said “I love you,” August 9 2006
- marrying Mark = best wedding ever, August 9 2009
- finding out I was pregnant, January 12 2014
- giving birth to Charlotte, September 23 2014
- List the soundtrack of your life right now:
- baby songs and Daniel Tiger theme song
- “Shut Up and Dance,” Walk the Moon
- “Ex’s and Oh’s,” Elle King
- “Wildest Dreams,” Taylor Swift
- “Fight Song,” Rachel Platten
- “Best Day of My Life,” American Authors
- songs of Sara Bareilles as I am reading her autobiography
- “Same Old Love,” Selena Gomez
- List what you would like your life to look like in ten years:
- own a home
- happy, healthy family
- one or two dogs
- good amount of money in Char’s 529 account
- two cars in a two car garage
- Mark and me working full time at good jobs
- $25K minimum in savings
- $500K minimum in retirement/stocks
- a lot less STUFF in my house
- Charlotte at 11 1/2 years old, almost, I hope she’s a more confident girl than I ever was as a kid
- List the ways you love to have fun:
- play with Charlotte
- teach Charlotte to sign
- sing
- dance
- do jigsaw puzzles
- create art
- play games
- read
- browse craft stores
- talk with friends
- act silly with Charlotte
- color with Charlotte
- pretty much anything with Charlotte
- listen to music
- List all the people who brighten your day:
- Charlotte
- Mark
- Renee
- Z
- Chelsea
- Mary Beth
- Ronnie
- Mom and Dad
- Kahlan
- pics of Bearison Ford
- List your favorite quotes:
- “Happiness is like the butterfly. The more you pursue it the more it will elude you. But if you are quiet and sit still it will come and alight upon you.” -Nathaniel Hawthorne
- “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.” -Mark Twain
- “A bird may love a fish, signore, but where will they live?”
“Then I shall have to make you wings.” -Danielle and da Vinci, Ever After
- List the things you treasure most:
- Charlotte
- Mark
- my health and theirs
- all the little milestones and moments Charlotte has that I get to share the experience
- my jewelry from Tiffany & Co. (I mean let’s be honest, right?)
- List the things you should ignore:
- bad advice
- a toddler who says she’s not tired
- flashing red street lights
- the urge to Facebook-stalk people who are out of your life like ex-boyfriends and former friends
- List the ways you can rejuvenate your space:
- clean/declutter!
- pretty organizational boxes
- change up decorations
- add washi tape for color
- print newer pics of Charlotte
- clean clothes in dresser, dirty clothes in hamper
- List your best qualities:
- creative
- persistent
- intelligent
- great wife
- amazing Mama
- independent
- good at baking
- decent at cooking
- List the things that always cheer you up:
- Charlotte
- my family
- my friends
- good music
- a shower
- laughter
- kid jokes
- dad jokes
- a hug from Mom
- ice cream sundae
- popcorn
- List the ways you can cleanse your life for Spring:
- zennify email
- sort through Char’s clothes
- wash kitchen and bathroom floors
- clean out dresser, put clothes in
- List your dream trips:
- Ireland again and again
- Niagara Falls with Mark
- Paris – with a bilingual tour guide
- Arizona with Char and Mark to visit Jamie and her family
- BOSTON! to visit Ava and Howard
- California, NaNoWriMo office
- List your essentials:
- Charlotte and Mark
- air
- writing
- comfy blankie
- apple juice
- baking chocolate chip cookies
- popcorn
- solitude
- happiness
- friends
- books
- money
- List the difficult moments in your past that have shaped you for the better:
- getting lost in Annecy, France and finally finding our way when I got assertive about the way back, of which I was certain
- break-up with my first fiance
- ALL of Mark’s medical problems, staying with him and staying (mostly) positive and (mostly) strong
- List the things that motivate you:
- happiness, fun
- making other people happy
- trying to be the best
- Charlotte motivates me to try to be a better Mama
- promise me ice cream, I will do almost anything you want
- List the people you most want to be like: [I chose to list my Mom Role Models]
- Mom
- Mary Beth
- Kendra
- anyone whose daughters are strong, independent, and outspoken
- List the things that make your spirit feel free:
- creating art
- being outside in the sunny breeze on a gorgeous day
- writing
- smelling lavender
- List the things you want to make:
- money
- love
- books
- collage art (mixed media)
- believe
- cookies
- friends
- a great life with my family
- List your favorite places you have been:
- Ireland
- Paris
- Canada
- North Carolina
- Nassau, Bahamas
- Elmira College
- New York City
- Pietro and Sons
- Danbury Fair Mall
- List the things that make you laugh:
- Charlotte
- jokes
- other people laughing
- absurd things
- people falling on their asses
- List your quirks:
- I like kid/dumb jokes
- I like pretending stuffed animals are real/can talk
- I’m an extremely picky eater
- List the things that make you feel powerful:
- pregnancy/giving birth
- getting shit organized and decluttered
- getting compliments about my character, like people telling me that I am strong
- figuring out how to fix or solve things without having to ask for help.
- List the things you would change in your life right now if you could:
- finances
- my weight
- Mark’s health
- Char wouldn’t have to spend days/nights away from home
- my home would have less/no clutter
- I wouldn’t need an antidepressant
- List the things that make you feel healthy: mind, body, and soul:
- yoga
- laughter
- writing in a journal
- drinking water
- doing art
- being organized
- eating healthy
- listening to relaxing music
- taking a shower
- List the wildest things you want to try:
- sky diving
- zip line
- roller coaster
- List your childhood and current dream jobs:
- Childhood: ballerina, teacher, nurse, author
- Current: librarian, author, artist of some kind
- List the qualities you admire most in others:
- funny
- loyal
- honest
- intelligent
- bold
- assertive
- List the words that define your personality:
- funny
- intelligent
- bubbly
- positive thinker
- logical
- insightful
- determined
- persistent
- stubborn
- recovering perfectionist
- List list the ways you get energized:
- sleep
- listen to upbeat music
- List the ways that you are a leader:
- programs at work
- being a parent
- sole breadwinner
- somewhat of a mentor/role model for Renee at work
- List the things that make you excited:
- seeing my daughter after some time apart
- my birthday
- the end of winter!
- the moon
- butterflies
- rainbows
- when I heard a certain person would no longer be head of/in my department
- shooting stars
- seeing my friends
- snow days (sometimes)
- List the obstacles that stand in the way of facing your dreams:
- Mark’s histories of surgeries, etc. in recent years, not being able to work, financial struggles
- way too much physical clutter
- holding grudges
- playing the victim
- playing dumb
- fear
- indecision
- not standing in my own power
- wanting to placate everyone instead of speaking my truth
- List everything you love to do outdoors:
- pool with Char
- sidewalk chalk with Char
- walk with Char
- playground with Char
- look at the moon and stars with Char
- listen to crickets with Char
- listen to birds with Char
- look at flowers with Char
- List what you would spend a million dollars on, just for you:
- weekly massages
- professional organizer
- Jasmine Beckett Griffith original artwork
- clothes/shoes
- personal chef
- nutritionist who can work with me within limits of being a picky eater with IBS on top of it
- manicures and pedicures any time I need them
- create an art studio and stock it
- lobster tails from Carlo’s Bakery
- personal trainer
- crystals
- stickers
- List the ways you can love yourself more:
- ignore my inner critic
- don’t read/watch media
- be gentle with myself when I overeat “bad” foods
- meditate, learn to listen to my intuition more
- don’t skip this list just because it’s “hard”
- clean my personal space – make my home into my haven
- start gratitude lists about myself
- celebrate my achievements and accomplishments with healthy rewards
- List the most beautiful things you have ever seen:
- sunset on the ocean
- Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower
- my daughter
- Niagara Falls from behind the falls
- rainbows
- Ireland’s many shades of green
- List your top twenty mood-boosting songs:
- Oops! I Did It Again – Britney Spears
- If You Wanna Be Happy – Jimmy Soul
- Brighter Than the Sun – Colbie Caillat
- Semi-Charmed Life – Third Eye Blind
- Brave – Sarah Bareilles
- The NaNoWriMo Song – Kristina Horner
- Shake It Off – Taylor Swift
- I Want You To Want Me – Cheap Trick / Letters to Cleo
- Hollywood Kiss – Emerson Drive
- Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper
- Ain’t Too Proud to Beg – The Temptations
- I’m a Believer – The Monkees
- Be My Lover – La Bouche
- Happy – Pharrell Williams
- Build Me Up – The Temptations
- Dancing Queen – ABBA / A-Teens
- Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gaye
- Siren – Tori Amos
- Finally – Ce Ce Peniston
- Love Shack – B-52’s
- List all of your favorite things about fall:
- NaNoWriMo
- sweaters
- ankle boots
- seeing kids in Halloween costumes
- back to school – library gets quiet again
- leaves changing to pretty colors
- Indian Summer!
- List the things that make you feel peaceful:
- relaxing music
- summer days outside with nothing to do
- Charlotte’s nap time
- having things organized
- screen-free time
- bath with a scented candle, spa music, NOBODY HOME
- ASMR videos
- List your favorite meals and treats:
- air-popped popcorn
- roast beef with gravy, mashed potatoes
- mom’s beef stew
- hot fudge sundae
- chocolate marshmallow super fudge
- fudge mint petit fours
- List the words that warm your spirit: (*not exactly sure what it means, so I’m writing down words I just like the sound of, and this is DEFINITELY not an exhaustive list*)
- sparkle
- crestfallen
- muse
- marinate
- onomatopoeia
- alliterative
- squiggle
- concertina
- ominous
- soliloquy
- creatrix
- sunshine
- luxurious
- shimmer
- surreptitious
- delightful
- serendipity
- sumptuous
- incandescence
- unravelling
- quintessential
- gossamer
- felicity
- salutations
- ethereal
- Elysium
- ephemeral
- elixir
- cauterize
- whimsical
- List the things that make up your ideal holiday season:
- not having long lines for shopping
- not worrying about money for gifts
- baking with family
- watching Rudolph and Santa Claus is Comin’ To Town
- listening to Christmas music
- watching Christmas movies
- fewer people in the library
- List your greatest comforts:
- job security
- family
- being loved
- a warm-from-the-dryer blanket
- new stationery
- List the things you are grateful for:
- end to Mark’s health/pain problems
- supportive family and friends
- rent money
- November 1 – NaNovember starts! 🙂
- November 30 – NaNovember ends! 🙂
- certain coworkers not being here anymore
- List the things you want to add to your life:
- money
- organization at home
- a bigger apartment
- a puppy
- List your favorite books:
- The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
- The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
- Matched, Crossed, and Reached by Ally Condie
- The Animal Family by Randall Jarrell
- Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
- Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
- List your accomplishments:
- birthing a baby
- Bachelors and Masters degrees
- getting to work on time most days this year
- having done more than half of the 100 Things I listed to do this year – and getting creative on a few of them! (such as crossing off “visit Canada” after watching a few seasons of Canadian reality TV shows, and crossing off “go to a museum” after viewing the art gallery at work)
- reading Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes this year
- List the things that you want to be known for:
- being kind
- being smart
- being compassionate
- being spunky
- thinking positive
- being a good mom
- being creative
- List the most memorable moments of your year:
- the year was such a blur, it’s hard to remember. I should have been working on this list throughout the year.
A Desire to Get Creative 