some explanation on the "25 for 25" list

I've been slowly building a list of things I'd like to do, in my life.  My own Mighty List.  But it's been a slow build, something I pull open or think about a couple times a month, usually when I hear about something that sounds like it belongs on the list.  (A friend on facebook mentions an upcoming trip to Eygpt and I'll think, "Oh!  I want to ride a camel in the desert!  I'll add that to the travel section of my list!")  Most of the things on my list are big and exciting, and not the kind of things I'll be accomplishing in the next year.  For example, on top of that (Mighty) list is "Publish a Book".  Considering I don't have a book ready to be published, the chances I can cross that one off soon is unlikely.  So I thought I'd make a list I could tackle, and as I had this thought shortly before my 25th birthday, I decided I would make it a list of 25 things I could do at age 25.  It has a nice little ring to it, don't you think?

The list was a little harder to write than I expected.  I wanted to be realistic and not set myself up for failure, but I also wanted it to be challenging.  As a result I wavered between goals that are concrete ("Cook 25 new things") and goals that are a bit more vague ("Take advantage of the unique happenings in San Francisco").  There is an obvious point when I can cross off the first, but not the second.  It means, I assume, that some I'll complete during the year, but some will remain on the list until next October 1st when I'll have to evaluate how well I did or didn't meet them.  I guess that's a challenge.

Also, some of the things on the list would happen even if I didn't make the list.  Like, graduating from grad school.  That was already on the agenda.  As was, probably, "Read (at least) 25 books."  I'm hoping that by writing down this list, it'll push a lot of things from "likely" or "possible" column to the "accomplished" column.  Especially the concrete things that are easy to put off ("Memorize a poem" or "Master the basics of photoshop"), but that I've always sort of intended to get around to doing.

Mostly, I hope it'll make 25 an exciting and eventful year.