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Post-Seminary Life

“So what are you going to do with all your free time now?” A question a good friend asked after I told her that I turned in my last paper completing my seminary journey. It was a similar question I started asking myself this spring.

I am a list person. I am driven by creating and meeting goals. I even make lists in my sleep. Seriously. Fewer things in life give me more pleasure than crossing off something from a to do list. So on a road trip to the Foothills of Ohio with a friend this spring, I made a list of 30 things I wanted to “check off” before December 2017.

Why the December 2017 timeline? Well, part of creating goals is to have a time line for when you will complete them. This isn’t a bucket list of things I want to do before I die. It is a list of things that work to live out a meaningful life and story. Looking through the list, I can’t even begin to imagine what kind of stories I will be able to share and people I will meet along the way. I think that’s what is so exciting and motivating about this project!

Two major influencers of this list include Donald Miller’s Storyline and Mike Nygren’s 10 Balloons. This list reflects the roles I play in my life (a Storyline concept) and wanting to live a balanced, holistic life (a la 10 Balloons). With starting a whole new era in life, I figured the best way to put these ideas and concepts into practice is by creating this “Before December 2017” list.

Now, I should say these books are more than just creating a nice list. These books have acted as a paradigm shift – completely changing how I look at my life and the world around me. The list is a result of the reflections working through each book.

So drum roll please…I present the Before December 2017 List:

  1. Play piano regularly
  2. Learn to play the guitar
  3. Skydive
  4. Learn conversational Spanish
  5. Read 9 autobiographies (3/year)
  6. Meet the alive autobiography authors
  7. (re)Learn to sail
  8. Travel to Europe
  9. Learn to make sushi
  10. Half marathon out of state
  11. Buy a house
  12. Get a new car
  13. Roommate reunions in Chicago
  14. Start a scholarship
  15. Go to NYC
  16. Get a fleur de lis tattoo
  17. Have coffee with Donald Miller
  18. Learn to write grants and get one
  19. Create a community art piece
  20. Be part of a campaign or voter registration
  21. Put $10,000 in savings
  22. Visit Alex, Tijuana Christian Mission, Baja Family Outreach yearly
  23. Get to goal weight and maintain it
  24. Become ordained
  25. Learn how to ride a motorcycle
  26. Adopt a pet
  27. Plant a herb garden
  28. Rebuild family ties
  29. 10 concerts/plays/musicals a year
  30. Learn how to brew beer


Now as you can see, it is quite the eclectic list. There are some things that are yearly, some I hope to learn and keep up, and some only do once (although I’m afraid once I sky dive once, I’ll be hooked). Future posts regarding the list will feature stories and reflections of feeling that accomplishment of checking things off the list. I will say that there are some things that are already crossed off - again best feeling in the world!

There are lots of reasons I have for making this list public. My thought is that people can help be part of the stories if they want to take part in one or more of the goals. For instance, if someone wanted to buy me a car - I won't be mad. It also is a way to hold myself accountable and I’ve appreciated people who have asked me how I’m doing on the list. My hope is that by sharing that it might encourage people to read the books I’ve listed above and/or even make a list of their own.


If you were to make a list of your own, what are some things you would include?
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