Bucket List, Chuck-it List

I’m a list maker. Always have been, always will be. As a kid, I catalogued my collection of 45’s –  those now-collectible vinyl discs that rendered their scratchy tunes on my hi-fi record player – each carefully numbered and neatly indexed in their carrying case (which I still have!). I left page-long lists for babysitters. The family friend who stays with our Golden Retriever gets his “Chillin’ with Charlie” instructions. Even Hubby gets one of my lists when my honey-do’s exceed three items.

Lists have two purposes, to which all “listers” will identify. They’re the hardcopy backup to the oft overloaded mental notes, and more importantly they provide the greatest pleasure of all - the satisfaction of the check mark or confident strike-through of each completed task. I compiled a list on my laptop with new subjects for this blog, and am already pondering how I will ceremoniously give each topic closure – I’m leaning toward changing the font to bold. Yes, I am that

person! 

It will come as no surprise that I created a “list” in the months before my retirement date. Personally, I’m not a fan of the term Bucket List – or the Before I Die List, as I see it! In fact mine is likely not what you might imagine, or would have created for yourself. And it’s not one of my neatly typed or carefully penned creations. I wasn’t even in list-making mode when I began writing thoughts on the subject. I was just a girl, with a post-it pad, and an app that calculated how many work days I had left – eighty-eight to be exact…

In a moment of inspiration, I began numbering the corner of each page of that little sticky note pad. 88, 87, 86, 85….all the way to page 1. My goal was to write one retirement to-do per day on one page, then transfer that page to a new stack, thus creating a countdown to R-Day and a lovely collection of super adult activities. Some are grand (book a Mediterranean cruise). Others are adventurous – for me (go kayaking). But most are small, almost insignificant (take Charlie to the beach, anonymously purchase someone’s meal, plant a garden). Each one brings happiness, and I can say that I have succeeded in accomplishing a fair number of my post-it promises to myself. I have since added to the post-it pile as my retirement mindset has expanded.

woodleywonderworks goodbye via photopin (license)

An equally important accomplishment has been my Chuck-it List (and yes, I do call it something a little grittier). This one isn’t in writing. It just IS! I have used my 60’s to detox my life! Toxic people - gone. Regrets - so long. Cluttered closets –I’m working on it. Maybe it's time to part with those 45's! I am using this decade, and the time retirement allows me, to rid myself of that which does not bring me joy. My commitment to the 3-U’s - Unplug, Unfollow, Unsubscribe - remains a work in progress but I am finding that life is so much more rewarding in its simpler form. Hygge, anyone?

I’m happy with my not too grand, Before I Die list, but my Chuck-it list has probably brought me the most inner peace. And it’s never too early to start your own. Bucket or Chuck-it!

soikkoratamo Midday tea via photopin (license)

3-Word Wisdom 22: Conquer a fear

In 2004, Hubby and I were selected to be contestants on “The Amazing Race - 7” – it was our fifteen milliseconds of fame. We had not auditioned. In fact, Hubby had never heard of the show. The casting director met us while we were participants in the Breast Cancer 3-Day, a 60 mile walk. It was a chance encounter – we were fellow walkers, and had enjoyed a couple of conversations together during our 60 mile journey. Apparently she was desperate to cast one last couple for their upcoming season, and we must have fit the “cute older couple” profile. We were offered the chance to head out in about two weeks, on a whirlwind world adventure, and would be gone for about forty days. Sadly, we had to decline the offer – Hubby had commitments that demanded his attention.

In watching the season’s episodes of “our” race, I imagined myself meeting the challenges of each week’s adventures. Would I have been able to rope a llama? Feed a lion? Could I muster the courage to zip-line across a gorge in the mountains of Peru?

Those of you who know me are already laughing. I am not a thrill-seeker. I avoid scary movies. During my skiing days, I was happiest on the beginner runs. When I travel, I am the one who actually checks the location the nearest emergency exit row. Some would call me a “fraidy cat” – I like to think of myself as sensible. Yet, as each stage of the Amazing Race challenged the contestants to some sort of physical or mental test, I found myself wanting to prove to myself that I could overcome a fear and face a challenge.

My personal Amazing Race moment occurred a couple of years later. I had always been uncomfortable with heights and had a dreadful fear of falling (ask Hubby about our honeymoon, and my panic attack when I thought our elevator was plummeting from the 28^th floor – it wasn’t, by the way!). The AR episode that had contestants zip-lining across the Huambutio Gorge in Peru looked incredible. I wanted to do that, and my opportunity came while we were in Maui. Zip line adventures were offered on the upcountry slopes of the Haleakala Crater. This was going to be my moment. Hubby and I signed the release, strapped on the harness and helmet and hiked into the jungle – and then I leapt off a platform and let myself fly across the canyon to the other side – five different times! It was indescribable, and there was such sublime satisfaction in facing a formerly unthinkable challenge – the empowerment was one of my life’s most liberating moments. I am still no thrill-seeker, but my zip line experience taught me that I can do something outside my personal comfort zone and be a stronger person as a result.

Today’s 3-Word Wisdom: Conquer a fear. Staying within your perceived safety zone all the time limits your potential, and cheats you out of opportunities that will enrich your life. Face your fear head on and imagine the satisfaction of taking control. You can do it!

Facing my fear of heights - from the edge of a rock!

She flies through the air....zip lining in Maui