Share How You Came To 43 Things

which emphasizes the point that I should document everything as much as possible…

I signed up to AllConsuming first, because a blogger that I really liked at the time had a sidebar up on his site, and I figured “I read/watch/listen to a lot of things, I might as well join that!” I then found out about 43Things, but it wasn’t until about five or six months later, that I made myself a list on the site. I thought it might help me with my original 101 in 1001 list, and might make me more accountable/adventurous. And while I failed my original list spectacularly, and I wouldn’t say that I have stopped procrastinating, I definitely do it less. And I have better intentions, so that’s good too. Here’s to many more years, and (hopefully) much lessed half-assery.

and 2 weeks before the new year….

I was sitting on the couch, nursing my 10 month old, or more likely, holding him asleep on my lap. I was thinking about New Year’s Resolutions – hoping that, somehow, my life might come back from the fog of motherhood and wondering what might possibly come next.

I was randomly Googling things like “new year’s resolutions” and “life list” and 43things came up. That opening page came up with the great New Year’s countdown that they haven’t done the last few years. There are 17 days until the New Year. What do you want to do with your life?” And right there I was hooked. What did I want to do? And here were all these people who were trying to do something.

I browsed and added a few tips on things I had done (Look! the chum!)for a few days before starting to make my own list. I started small with goals like Keep a journal and give 100 cheers but also with goals that show how lost I was at that time – kiss my husband 10 times a day or take better care of myself and keep my temper with the little chum.

43things began to help me immediately and once I started the list 3 things every day that made me happy goal I have never been absent for long again. Never have gotten a minion though.

or maybe it was in another goal?

At any rate, I was looking for 43folders, well, actually, I was looking for the DIY planner, but I got there via 43folders, and I misremembered the name of the website.

I stopped using the planner (need to get back to it) but I’m still here!

jkd

I came to find 43 things today when I was looking up possible careers for my furture. I had typed magazine editor and as you know google came up with all these links. There was one link that said “I want to work in a magazine”. So i clicked onto it and surely enough that lead me to this wonderful site right here. Until today I would have never thaught that a site like this would have existed. But I was very very wrong. I have a great feeling that this site is going to inspire me to follow my goals and dreams.

I found 43things a long time ago! I’m thinking it was over 3 years ago… probably right around the time of its inception. I googled goal setting, I’m sure and stumbled upon. I thought, how neat is this!? I opened an account an started making some goals. I remember someone writing a comment to me and cheering me…. but I wasn’t quite “getting it”. I stopped visiting the site pretty shortly there after.

For some reason, I always remembered this very odd name! 43things! Remembered it for 3 years! So I did a search for it 3 years later as I started thinking about change…. and here it is. This time, a very different thing happened. I don’t know if I’m different…. or if I gravitated towards some really inspiring people, but I’ve been a member for about 2 months and I’ve already found this to be a life-changing experience for me : )

I really would love to find my old account and see what my goals were back then!! I doubt it would still be here… or maybe it would? Hmmm….

So this is how I came here and I’m so glad I did!

I try to watch the weather/traffic report, then turn it off. The news can get pretty depressing and that’s no way to start the day! So on this particular day, I left the TV on and as I was moving through my room, a reporter started talking about this website. I’d just finished a class called 4T where I’d written out some goals/dreams- 4T and 43T sounded similar enough that I had to check it out… I’ve been here ever since ;)

I vaguely remember that I heard about it on one of those tv reports on the “new technology”. For this entry, I looked up some dates and found that 43T launched in Dec 2004, I joined in Sept 2006. That kind of shocked me because I’m usually an early adopter, but I have to admit I’m a bit of a slacker when it comes to social sites.

I didn’t use 43T well until this past year. I was really down on myself about how my whole life had been such a waste and I hadn’t done anything and somehow I wandered back to 43T. I updated the list and started actively looking for “Things I’ve done”.

I tend to blow off things I do cuz it’s just something I did. No biggie. But when you put it all together on a list, it begins to look like something. Like I’ve travelled. And done weird things. And learned skills. And taken chances. And changed my life. A couple of times.

I honestly don’t know if any of it means anything. I still don’t think it was a big deal. But it looks like I had a real life. And I look at my list, and there’s stuff I can do no matter what, so maybe I’ve got more things I can do. Dunno. Something to ponder.

Besides, I’m having fun here on 43T. . .

I don’t remember.

A friend of mine had found 43T during a google search on some very practical matter that she was researching, when it came up as the first site having information on that topic. Having looked around a bit, she thought it might be of interest to me & gave me the URL. (Although I’ve given it to at least ten people since, only two of those have ever registered, & only one of those is still active.)

So: I came to 43T, realized that it could potentially be a support to me as I worked toward my first goal – to “Use www.FitDay.com regularly” – & I’ve been here ever since! grin