complete this list

When I first visited Hong Kong, about 30 years ago, I saw people practicing a form of slow motion martial art in the park early one morning. It was Tai Chi. In the years that followed, I was intrigued by this graceful movement and vowed that “when I got old” I would learn it myself.

Last Thursday I completed six months of private instruction in the Chen form and Liu Ho Ba Fa (water boxing). I now know enough to claim this goal as accomplished, and I also know that I’m just beginning my study and practice. This is an activity I intend to integrate into my routines and continue for the rest of my life. Twenty more of the original 43T remain. It’s been a busy year.

I’ve given up on be the top salesperson in my company in 2006. With only three weeks left, it just ain’t gonna happen. In fact, I might slip to #3 by December 31. I’ve had a bunch of anticipated yearend deals fall through.

On a more positive note, I completed drink more water, and I’m now half way to completing all of my original 43T list. Only 21T to go.

Drink more water has now been added to my list of original 43T completed. I’ve knocked off nearly half of them. I’m hoping to finish a couple more quite soon.

I’ve marked three more of the original 43T as completed. Go to the dentist was the hardest one. I’d been putting it off for two years. Clean my desk has actually been completed for several weeks, but I needed to see if it would stay that way before declaring it done. And I wrapped up Get a financial advisor the day before Thanksgiving. I’d like to complete another two or three of the originals this year. Still a month and a week left.

From my original list, I’ve marked try a new restaurant each month as completed. I love trying new cuisines, visiting new venues, and I’ll continue to make this part of my lifestyle, adding entries as I encounter new dining experiences. Now my attention is turning to health, fitness and relaxation, the main themes for 2007.

I completed two more of my original 43T this month: Be more charitable and Get a bicycle. I also added a new goal, to Take advantage of being a senior citizen. It’s official: I am no longer a dirty young man.

I finally fixed my watch. That leaves just 30 of my original 43 things on the list. I’m 30% done.

I got new glasses. Done! It only took 16 weeks from the date of setting this goal. Hmmm. If I take that long to complete the remaining ones and do them sequentially, I’ll have the list down to zero in just about… uh… 10 years.

I joined a credit union, but I added a goal about editing a book, so I’ve still got 34T on my list. I’ve completed about a quarter of the original 43T.

I shaved my head. Of the original 43T I listed, only 33 remain. Of those, perhaps 31 are do-able goals that simply rrequire time, effort, investment or focus, and two are neverending (Never stop learning and Be a better Buddhist). I want to nail eight more of the originals before summer ends.