22 photos

Niel

is figuring out if he likes what he's doing.



I'm doing 43 things
  

Niel's Life List

  2. 1. Get a PhD
    2 team members . 26 entries . 141 cheers     		2,775 people
  3. 2. keep a good laboratory notebook
    18 entries . 24 cheers     		4 people
  4. 3. plan
    17 entries . 26 cheers     		18 people
  5. 4. stick to a schedule
    6 entries . 8 cheers     		77 people
  6. 5. try an unschedule
    2 entries . 2 cheers     		1 person
  7. 6. do NaNoWriMo 2009
    6 entries . 2 cheers     		25 people
  8. 7. lose weight
    9 team members . 123 entries . 47 cheers     		36,262 people
  9. 8. be as buff as Yul Brynner in the Magnificent Seven
    5 entries . 8 cheers     		1 person
  10. 9. be able to touch the floor with the palms of my hands while standing up
    5 entries . 5 cheers     		119 people
  11. 10. never have a BMI of more than 29
    5 entries . 12 cheers     		1 person
  12. 11. read
    4 entries . 17 cheers     		529 people
  13. 12. live in a tidy, spacious environment
    19 entries . 35 cheers     		2 people
  14. 13. declutter 15 minutes a day
    16 entries . 29 cheers     		71 people
  15. 14. be an adventurer
    23 entries . 72 cheers     		14 people
  16. 15. keep track of each penny I spend
    31 entries . 31 cheers     		5 people
  17. 16. have an emergency fund
    5 entries . 6 cheers     		36 people
  18. 17. discover motivation through enjoyment
    34 entries . 45 cheers     		2 people
  19. 18. make a list of 43 things I'd like to own
    41 entries . 7 cheers     		2 people
  20. 19. Make new friends
    8 entries . 25 cheers     		12,712 people
  21. 20. be an eligible bachelor
    8 entries . 29 cheers     		1 person
  22. 21. Make a list of 43 reasons why you want to be my girlfriend
    31 entries . 45 cheers     		1 person
  23. 22. fall in love with someone who loves me too
    8 entries . 18 cheers     		1,060 people
  24. 23. risk getting hurt in a relationship
    3 entries . 2 cheers     		1 person
  25. 24. Daily: Reflect on at least 5 things for which I'm grateful (Happiness Manifesto #2)
    14 team members . 920 entries . 12 cheers     		160 people
  26. 25. write a Linux device driver
    3 entries . 15 cheers     		3 people
  27. 26. learn C#
    4 entries . 17 cheers     		619 people
  28. 27. fix my car
    27 entries . 13 cheers     		245 people
  29. 28. hike the Fish River Canyon
    4 entries . 24 cheers     		5 people
  30. 29. learn zulu
    9 entries . 31 cheers     		54 people
  31. 30. own a home
    2 entries . 26 cheers     		962 people
  32. 31. start my own company
    11 entries . 36 cheers     		888 people
  33. 32. reveal 43 random and inconsequential things about myself
    26 entries . 5 cheers     		4 people
  34. 33. learn to talk to my boss
    4 entries . 17 cheers     		1 person
  35. 34. create my own Happiness Project
    14 entries . 20 cheers     		3 people
  36. 35. see a Short Sunderland flying boat
    3 entries . 2 cheers     		1 person
  37. 36. go sailing again
    2 entries . 4 cheers     		8 people
  38. 37. photograph my slides
    1 entry . 1 cheer     		1 person
  39. 38. Present at Riva 2010
    1 entry . 1 cheer     		1 person
  40. 39. Create a topic for daily journal writing
    2 team members . 10 entries . 2 cheers     		3 people
  41. 40. Do a 2009 holiday card exchange with my 43Things friends
    1 cheer     		49 people
  42. 41. Celebrate the FUN side of life with NinaWills as she turns 35 on October 29th
    		3 people
  43. 42. Zonino! Celebrate with LL and Fishboy as they live together finally!
    1 entry     		26 people
  44. 43. Celebrate Flirt's birthday with chocolate, flirtinis and anything purple on Nov 11th
    		53 people

How I did it
How to do another triathlon.
It took me
1 year
It made me
feel fit

How I did it: I did the same as I did for the first triathlon: entered online, and practiced until the date arrived.The morning of the event I got up, but in my contact lenses, and before I dressed I covered myself in sunblock. I loaded all the necessary gear (that I had packed the previous night) on my car, and drove to the site. I parked my car where directed, and pushed my bike and all the gear to the site. I fell in the queue for registration, wher… Read how I did it…

Oct 25, 01:07PM PDT | 2 comments | 2 cheers


How to mindfully and gently examine some of my habits
It took me
3 years
It made me
untethered

How I did it: I looked at the habits I found to not be very good for me, and I wrote down what I observed, without being harsh or forcing myself to change them, without looking for root causes, just gently examining in their different aspects as time went by. Not forcing action on the habit allowed me to gently let go of it, instead of feeling that something was going to be ripped from me and therefore cling to it.I don't think I'm rid of problem habit… Read how I did it…

Oct 24, 09:38AM PDT | 0 comments


How to enjoy Spring Break with my family
It took me
5 days
It made me
aware of nature

How I did it: When my sister asked if I wanted to go to the Kruger Park with them I checked my diary and said yes. Then I arranged to be away from the office and tidied everything up. I took part in arrangements for the trip, and packed for five days away the night before.In cases where indecision threatened to disrupt the flow of things, I took executive decisions. In general I made an effort to keep things going smoothly. Read how I did it…

Oct 04, 11:07PM PDT | 0 comments | 3 cheers


See all "How I Did It" stories...

Recent entries
Daily: Reflect on at least 5 things for which I'm grateful (Happiness Manifesto #2) (read all 920 entries…)
Green market 12 hours ago

It is Saturday, and I am grateful …

... that I got a thousand words down despite everything that happened today.

... for the people who helped us load our stuff at the Green Market.

... for doctors, and that they work on Saturdays, and that they could help my brother.

... for an ambitious young man. Not only is he the kind of person the country needs, he might even sell some of our firelighters.

... that I found the source of the roof sheeting made of recycled plastic.

Nov 07, 02:17PM PST | 0 comments


Daily: Reflect on at least 5 things for which I'm grateful (Happiness Manifesto #2) (read all 920 entries…)
Signal. 1 day ago

It is Friday, and I am grateful …

... that I found how to get a stable, accurate signal.

... for progress in the gym.

... for a nice supper waiting when I got home.

... that a small plan is coming together.

... that lack of sleep is not a killer disease.

Nov 06, 02:11PM PST | 2 cheers | 0 comments


create my own Happiness Project (read all 14 entries…)
Admit it 1 day ago

I have to admit it: I like sorting things.

I like taking a jumble of things and bringing order to it. I like unsnarling rope or cables. And it’s not only the idea that I like, I like getting my hands on the things, and I would willingly spend hours sorting them.

Nov 06, 06:43AM PST | 2 cheers | 2 comments


See all entries ...


 

I want to:

The world wants to...

have a rock band make it rain Open a shoe boutique become ambidextrous Find a new band to listen to every week go to the Grand Canyon go insane Take a writing class wedschild wants to be unafraid of failure plant a garden Learn to play the piano megashes wants to get out of debt move to England Go to a Renaissance festival read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix watch less television find my soulmate live passionately go trekking in Nepal identify 100 things that make me happy (besides money) go to bhutan set goals and achieve them Alena wants to overcome borderline personality disorder take a photography class see the aurora borealis Find a career i love, not just work for works sake Start running have 9 kids
43 Things Login