I'm doing 27 things
24: Life of Brian!
1 week ago
Since my last entry was 21 months ago, I am positive I have seen something else in between. But oh well. So I have another 16 to go…
SmallVictories's Life List
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1. turn my obsessive side from a part-time liability into a full-time asset
1 entry . 6 cheers1 person -
2. Start writing again!!
4 entries . 8 cheers371 people -
3. network with people in my present and future
4 entries . 4 cheers1 person -
4. Find someone with whom I can write and publish an article
1 person -
5. Make more money than I need, doing what I love
2 cheers71 people -
6. Raise the Bar
7 entries . 2 cheers3 people -
7. Assemble my PhD application this year
3 cheers1 person -
8. encourage biophilia
10 entries . 8 cheers1 person -
9. Join a field naturalists' club
2 entries . 1 cheer2 people -
10. be a better negotiator
1 entry . 7 cheers5 people -
11. contribute to wikipedia
1 entry . 3 cheers50 people -
12. be on the Board of several companies and organizations
1 cheer1 person -
13. Strategically build (at least) one skill per year
2 entries . 1 cheer1 person -
14. Begin to meditate again.
1 entry . 4 cheers1 person -
15. watch 40 movies from the Criterion Collection
9 entries . 4 cheers3 people -
16. read at least one book per month
1 entry . 1 cheer62 people -
17. write one essay and prepare one presentation per month
1 person -
18. identify and photograph 43 birds
1 cheer2 people -
19. go on an arctic expedition
3 cheers3 people -
20. Scuba dive in the Red Sea
20 cheers18 people -
21. Have the love I want with a man of spirit and substance
7 entries . 13 cheers1 person -
22. participate in an ECO Challenge competition
1 entry . 2 cheers3 people -
23. rip up the asphalt driveway and install two cobblestone wheel paths, moss, grass, native species, and a plant box and fence between my neighbour's driveway and mine
1 person -
24. Become more politically active in a non-partisan way
2 cheers1 person -
25. Go stay at the Buddhist monastery in Los Angeles
1 person -
26. get a safety deposit box
3 cheers7 people -
27. Research my family tree
5 cheers825 people
How I did it
It made me
oh my god 
How I did it: For two and a half years I put things in place to go to Denmark for one year. Denmark cooperated in a marginal way: it didn't employ me, like it should have, but it's got so many systems in place in such a competent way that it became easy to settle in and make friends and establish a routine. Read how I did it…
It made me
a smartypants 
How I did it: I took Corporate Finance twice. To my great dismay I failed it the first time. But having a good overview and doing my homework really helped. I don't think you can or should try to "understand" the stock market without taking a university course. Otherwise you are going to be getting the biases of the book authors that you read, and those who are advising you. Read how I did it…
It made me
smug
How I did it: As someone who over the course of two years became a Master of Discardia and packed a 1800 sq. ft / 168 q.m. house into storage locker, and also as someone in the honourable position of managing a small menagerie with all of their needs to organize as well as can be, I proudly offer a method for Getting This Done. If you've read Getting Things Done you will recognize the method, but I also learned from The Procrastinator's Handbook b… Read how I did it…
See all "How I Did It" stories...
Recent entries
Just the other day, the field came to me:
1 week ago
This is a juvenile Cooper’s hawk, that was sitting on my back fence when I got up to make a coffee, and shortly thereafter hopped into the tree by the time I got my glasses and my camera. He remained there up until the time I left for work. They like to surprise their prey, which are dove-sized birds. My neighbours have a few that come around. I bet they are sufficiently warned away for a while.
In October and November
2 weeks ago
In October (I could swear I already wrote this, but I’m getting forgetful in my old age) I read The Vivisector which I had found in a pile of castoffs on Bornholm. The modern cover for the book is appalling, the version I have is quite artistic and more a propos. This was an intense read and very, very good.
I just spent two weeks of being very productive, and was beginning to feel a little blah. It occurred to me that I find reading fiction regenerative and time well spent for more reasons than one. So the other night I picked up Back When We Were Grownups (Ann Tyler) and plowed through it in two days. I feel better able to focus on my economics homework right now, and continuing the rest of my project to-do list which is finally, after several years, getting down to th point where I can entertain the time to start writing again, get my PhD apps assembled, etc. at a proper pace. And throughout, I will keep reading. I can easily read another book this November.
