Here is my list.

take it seriously.  It will not change and if it is on here it means i intend to accomplish it between now and a year from now.  365 days.

1) celebrate today.

two personal things happened.  one to me, one to my dad.  we both received good medical news that will allow us to live longer and see each other more.  So i’m going to start my list with toasting a big glass of wine to my body for being healthy and order some amazing flowers for my dad for his heart beating strongly.

2) hold a “think tank” dinner for a really talented friend.

i know people.  and the people i know know even more people.  and this friend of mine has talent that people need to know about.  so we’re going to make sure the people who need to know about my friend’s talent are going to help him get launched, because that is the kind of people i know.  Oh, and there will be very good wine.

3) go to Morocco.

the opportunity is right in front of me.  in May.  i can choose to say i’m really busy and i travel too much and i may miss some really important meeting, or i can choose to go to Morocco, and be inspired and see a place in the world i’ve never seen.

4) buy a really expensive camera.

i really have no right to have a blog that bases itself on photography as i’m such an amateur, but you know what?  there are things i need and things i want, and this is the latter, and i’m not going to deny it.  I LOVE to take photos.  LOVE. I want a nice camera, and i’m hoping that at least 3 of you (Boone, Dan, Ben?) read this blog and might be willing to point me in the right direction of exactly which camera will make me the happiest.

5) give even more.

we are part of the 1%.  We are.  and i’m not ashamed of it, my husband and i have  not inherited a dime, and we’ve cumulatively worked hard for the same company for almost 40 years.  But part of being the 1% comes with an obligation to give a hell of a lot of that away.  And we do.  And we will continue to do that, and do more each year. Because it is the easiest and simplest way to make a difference.  Our non-profits include the Children’s Cancer Association, the SPCA, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, US Women’s Ski Jumping, Athletes for Cancer, and the OHSU Foundation.  And next year, i know that some will be the same, but some may be different, but the value will be more.

6) spoil a family rotten this Christmas.

A family that does not have the means to give gifts to their children because the little money they have is going to pay hospital bills to keep their son or daughter fighting the battle against that fucking disease called cancer.  if i know you well, i will be asking for your help.  it may be for a pair of socks, it may be for a game of Scrabble.  It will depend on the needs of the family we have adopted.  but we want to give them a Holiday season filled with joy.

7) get a kitten

we’ve lost a few over the years to coyotes.  it’s part of living in Oregon.  But this last one has still got a hold of my heart and i need a feline nearby.  i love cats.  if i were dead, i’d ask the re-incarnation committee if i could come back as a bad ass pussy cat.  For now, i’d just like to help out the ones at the Humane Society find a home.  Hard part is convincing my husband to support.  but i’m hoping in the end, it will work out because the little furry face of the kitten purring on his shoulder will make it undeniable.  who wouldn’t cave into that.

eight) launch a social media campaign for a group of incredible international women that need someone who knows a little something about this.  I can at least work with their president (i kind of know her) to get it started.  Who knows, maybe i can be a ghost writer for their blog!  Can’t say much more, i need permission.

9) get permission for #8.

10) select a country in our world where we’ve never been, and after picking up our daughter in Paris from her 2 week exchange program, go to that never before been visited country.  I think it might be Croatia, but we’re still deciding.

11) and i’m doing 11, because it 11/1/11 and i thought it would be more lucky than not to do so… i would really like to attend the 2012 London Olympic Games.  I doubt i’ll have the opportunity, but i’ve worked hard on making them a success for our category and it would be cool to witness it.  So we’ll chalk this up to my “wish” wish list. If it happens, it happens, if not, i’ve still succdeded on the ones in my control.

That’s it. That’s my top 10 list for essentially 2012, give or take 2 months of 2011 to kick start it.

Notice i didn’t talk about getting promoted.  Do i want that?  Well of course.  who would i be to deny that.  But i do what i do, and i do it very well.  And i have a few trusted advisors and mentors that have my back and are truly invested in my success.  And as long as i know that, i’ll never add this to a wish list.  It’s a simple equation of work your ass off, do what you love, and reward others that enable your success… it’s always about paying it forward, in life and work.

Nor did i talk about working longer hours.  It’s about working the same hours better, more efficiently, so you can accomplish your list.

When we make lists like this, it forces us to take a step back from the routine, back from the “known”, and move into a space of “how can i turn 90 degrees and find some different paths that will take me new places and change my role from teacher to student?

And in turn, how do i then pay that forward.

Some of these things are simple and selfish, and some are lifechanging.  But none are not worth it and THAT was worth the double negative :).

So here were mine.

Show me yours.

Write down your list and send it to EVERY SINGLE PERSON who cares about you and your happiness so that we may all enable your success in achieving it.

then watch what happens.

To thinking you had something bad, and hearing you don’t… that was me over the past two weeks.

don’t wait for that news to launch your list, don’t wait for that signal. Do it now.

Peace,

AC