Wherein we discuss non-work-related goals…

So, I was thinking about how most everyone has some idea (or at least an inkling) of what they want to do with their life in the “traditional, Western 9 to 5 job” kind of sense, even if that goal is to avoid the “traditional, Western 9 to 5 job” with all their might. 🙂 Everyone has a lot of goals related to that, too. But let’s put those aside for a second.

What I’m curious about are the goals that have nothing to do with what we DO for work (even if we love that work), and everything to do with who we ARE beyond that. (Do I sound pretentious yet? (joker) )
I guess I should get the ball rolling (hopefully), with some goals of my own, and why they’re important to me.
1. Create something artistic that is worth sharing. I often feel like I’ve neglected my creative side, with bizarre characters and plots in roleplaying games (and, I suppose, this website) being my only outlets for the part of me that wants to dream and create rather than analyze and inspect. I would really like to publish a novel someday, I think.
2. At least once, abandon comfort for challenge, willingly, on a large scale. I know myself, and I know I can easily get into ruts. At least once in life, I’d love to work up the courage to just walk away from something easy and comfortable (a high paying job, a stagnant but steady relationship, whatever) and take the more challenging route. That’s not easy for me, but it’s something that I hope I can someday do when I know I need it.
3. Get back into Meditiation. I’ve kind of fallen out of practice, and I find that it always helps me. Over the years, my Taoist beliefs have really created a peaceful spot inside me, something that I’d like to further cultivate.
4. Live outside the United States, preferably in a non-English-speaking country, for several years. Beyond the fact that the US of A is “slouching towards a police state” (thanks, Fleepster!), I just think it would be really neat to learn another language in a trial by fire, enjoy another culture, and see some new places.
5. Find true love. Okay, I’m a romantic, whatever. But in my defense: I don’t think love is necessarily eternal, even true love. I could find true love and get a divorce (or have the pre-arranged marriage term end) twenty-five years later, and still count it as true love. But occasionally I run into people just so in-sync with each other, so madly in love– and it makes me profoundly jealous.
6. Get gills and live underwater. Sure, it’ll be amazing if nanotechnology can get there within the next 30 years, even with me pushing for it– but man, wouldn’t it be great to be able to live underwater? I’d go for a high risk procedure to implant gills the moment it was available. Hey- you’ve gotta have one big goal, right?

So there- some random goals of mine. Care to share your own?

11 Responses to “Wherein we discuss non-work-related goals…”

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Um…
1) Publish. Sci-fi short stories and novels, non-genre fiction, etc
2) Hike the Appalachian Trail
3) Become skilled at rock climbing, kayaking, Judo, Yoga, sailing, and rowing (single seat skull)
4) Hitchhike Europe
5) See a massive list of nations and sites

Owen - August 14th, 2004 at 9:10 pm

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Go to NYC, protest the GOP convention, there’ll be so many people flipping off cops and presidents that you’ll be safe in the sea of faces

Owen - August 15th, 2004 at 9:40 am

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I would like to write a book. However I imagine this a fairly unrealistic since I have trouble developing realistic characters. Oh well. I would also like to see the land down under, and perhaps a blue whale in person.

Gilvoro - August 14th, 2004 at 11:52 pm

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I think I’d like to just once take the comfortable, stable route, rather then the most challenging damn thing I can find. That, and to be able to flip off a cop without getting arrested are the only goals I have left.

bbbbbbbbbbb - August 15th, 2004 at 12:38 am

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Whatcha publishing?

Owen - August 16th, 2004 at 8:38 am

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I have a whole list. I’m about to accomplish one, getting published!

Fleep - August 16th, 2004 at 1:07 am

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Congratulations, Fleepster! Tell us more, as Owen prompted. 🙂

1) Find a job I love. I haven’t had one I was truly passionate about since my days at CASA or as a TA (excepting the nightmare student from hell). And I really miss it a lot.
2) Own lots of animals, preferably small. And including hairless cats and miniature dachshunds. I really love animals a whole lot.
3) Become a proffesor/mentor/person with intern someday. I want to have a career before teaching, but I LOVE teaching. TAing was so much fun.
4) Visit Australia and New Zealand. And any other country that I can possibly get myself into. So long as the littes animals don’t suffer for it. 🙂
5) Become more politically active. Maybe even run for local office. Or, if Ben becomes a Senator or President one day, serve as an advisor for him. 🙂
6) Never stop reading. I mean for fun. Not stuff for school or work, but just stuff. It’s so easy to abandon, but so much fun for me!

ShortSpeedFreak - August 20th, 2004 at 11:37 pm

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But Megan, you can’t run for office– those of us here know all your dark, dark secrets. 🙂

It’s cool that you’ve found such a love in teaching. It frustrates me, personally, because my brain jumps around… a bit… so I’m not that good at explaining things. We’ll see how TAing goes next year.

Paradoxdruid - August 22nd, 2004 at 12:34 am

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WHAT dark secrets? Megan’s gravest sin is that she used to think GM foods were bad!

Owen - August 22nd, 2004 at 3:35 pm

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Unless there’s some stuff only Jim knows 😀

Owen - August 22nd, 2004 at 3:36 pm

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I moved back to Colorado, so I’m back! On October 1st, the printers will be rolling the first College Prowler guidebook to Colorado College off the presses! I wrote it! It’s awesome! Check out http://www.collegeprowler.com to see what a guidebook looks like.

Life Goals:
Give $120,000 to charity through volunteering/donations
Climb a 14er
Climb stairs of Eiffel Tower
Climb pyramid
Walk on the Great Wall
See Stonehenge
Travel 1,000,000 miles (at 85,335 since May 2001)
Visit every US state (26 left)
Visit every continent (5 left)
Backpack in Europe
Live in Europe for a year
Be published
Read the entire Bible (Partway through Numbers)
Be involved in a play
Be a TV audience member
Get unanemic
No soda or chocolate for a year
Play a full round of golf
Learn to scuba dive (Earn certification)
Learn to stop on skis
Parachute
Run a 6-minute mile
Surf

Fleepy - August 24th, 2004 at 12:50 am

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