Have you listed the "Top 110 Things You Want to do Before you Die?"

Lately, I've heard a lot about the importance of setting goals. The first mention was a news article I read about a study done with Harvard MBA grads. In 1979, a group of these high achievers were asked, "Have you set clear, written goals for your future and made plans to accomplish them?" Only three percent said they'd written goals and plans; 13 percent had goals, but they were not in writing; and an overwhelming 84 percent had no specific goals at all.

Ten years later, the group was interviewed again, and the findings were astonishing! The 13 percent who had goals were earning, on average, twice as much as the 84 percent who had no goals at all. Most amazingly of all was that the 3 percent were earning, on average, ten times as much as the other 97 percent put together!

My husband was a goal-setter. From the 3rd-grade, he knew he wanted to fly fighter jets and everything he did from that point on was in support of his goal (e.g., going to the Air Force Academy, making good enough grades in high school to get into the Academy, etc...). He's been flying fighters since his graduation from the Academy: first, the F-4, and afterwards - till now - the F-15. This is a photo of him shooting a missile during a training mission.



I was not necessarily a goal-maker. I guess there were a couple little ones I set for myself: I knew I would go to college & graduate in 4 years. I wanted to study abroad, and did for one semester. But there were many things I just didn't plan for: my career, having kids. They were just sort of things that happened to me, and I patted myself on the back for being 'flexible,' while beating myself up for not feeling like I was accomplishing anything.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mean that raising two wonderful children and maintaining a 20-year marriage isn't an accomplishment. I'm very proud of that! However, in hindsight, I think I would have liked for it to have been part of a greater plan.

With forty-three years into my life, I'm finally of the opinion that I need to write goals because after the next 40 years passes, I won't have another 40 to tell myself, "Shoot! I need to write my goals!" The next 40-50 years represent THE REST OF MY LIFE - a sobering thought. Yet, I look at it as a challenge. I'm so much wiser than what I was when I was in my 20's, and I have lots of good years to do lots of good things. Heck, I have 50 years to accomplish my GOALS!!!

So, I guess that the Harvard study resonated with me more than even my husband's example because I was sufficiently mature and ready to hear the message. I finally understand that time can sneak away without feeling like you're moving forward if you don't have goals.

Shortly after reading about the study - as if to underscore the message - I met with a new friend, Donna Wissinger (pictured below), who told me that she's been a goal-writer all her life. She's a concert flutist and has played Carnegie Hall, which was a goal she expected to accomplish in 5 years, but did it in four!

Donna also showed me an on-going list she's compiled of the 'top 110 things I want to do before I die." Some items are mundane, for example: keep my skin nice. Others are more serious: play the piano, play the cello. While others are more spiritual: something like, find beauty in small things each day. Once she accomplishes them, they don't typically come off the list, in case she wants to do them again - or, just so she can refer to them to see how much she's done.

I've started my list and have over 30 things that I want to do before I leave this earth. I can't imagine finding 110, but I'm going to try. I plan to type them and post them in my office so I can refer to them each day. For today, I'm going to write my very top goals. The ones I will focus on seriously - the ones that will spell out my future...