curiousliving

I’ve had this blog up and running for a while now, but I’ve never really known what to do with it. I write every now and then, but the truth is most things seem to slip through my fingers before I think to document them here. I guess a part of my problem is I wonder whether things like recipes or house projects or what I did today posts are exciting enough to write about.

And yet, on the other hand, I’m obsessed with other blogs that do just that. abeachcottage, apricot-tea, yourwishcake, kylaroma, moreisbetter, confessions of a jersey girl, edge of thirty, and so much more. I’ve always shied away from having one of those types of blogs and I don’t know why.

Maybe, its because I don’t think my own life is interesting enough to share with the world. Well, dear readers, I’ve decided that I don’t care anymore! I’m just going to write about what’s happening on any given day, and I hope you find at least some of what I have to say worth a read.

We all have dreams.

Sometimes, they pan out. We go to college and study amazing things like film and creative writing. We travel the world and see places that we’ve dreamed about our whole lives. We buy a house and fill it with reminders of our dreams, and then proceed to list a hundred reasons why we can’t go after these dreams. Not sure what I mean? Here’s some classic examples:

1. “I can’t afford it”. Why can’t you afford to be happy and spend all day working on things you are passionate about? Is it because that shiny car in the driveway is chewing up your disposable income? Is it because society told you that working in a shitty beige cubicle is the thing to do, because everyone does it? Is it because you’ve maxed out your credit cards spending money on things like food, alcohol, entertainment and throw-away items to distract yourself from the growing resentment you are feeling towards your life?
2. “I’m not good enough”. This one is especially popular for the female population. We can all be guilty of focusing on our shortfalls instead of highlighting our strengths. We are fantastic at talking ourselves out of our dreams. Its scary to stop being a cubicle zombie to pursue something that we really care about, because what if we fail? Or even worse, what if we ditch everything to follow this dream and then decide we don’t want it any more?
3. “I don’t have time”. Yes, you do. I do, we all do. Think about this: Unless someone discovers the secret to immortality, nobody reading this is going to see the next century. We’ll be gone. Our time to live is so short. What do you want to do with that short amount of time? Do you want to be Cubicle Zombie who drinks and eats too much, lazes around and watches re-runs of The Simpsons instead of chasing your dreams?
4. “I don’t know where to start”. This is a legitimate concern, and it is OK to feel this way, as long as you come up with a way of solving this problem before you’re in the nursing home. Dreams can be overwhelming, because they are more than just a statement of “I want to do this”. Dreams are felt as much as thought, and they can be all over the place. The trick is to start, because starting is the hardest part. Baby steps make the journey easier – take a course, draw a mind-map, read a book, write a business plan. Do something. Do anything.
5. “It’s all too hard”. Well, it is if you say so. If you really want to achieve your dreams, stop saying this! Reality is just perception. Overcome this belief and anything is possible.

All too often I speak to people who are letting fear stop them from making the leap to achieving their dreams. Like a friend who is all set up to be a photographer. She has the equipment, the skills and the savvy, but doesnt have the confidence to break out of her 9-5 and pursue her passion full-time. She’s effectively talked herself out of it by thinking of all the reasons her plan won’t work, instead of focusing on all the fabulous reasons it will succeed.

I’m another classic example. When I think of all the distractions I create to avoid thinking about my dreams, it makes me mad. TV. Social outings that I don’t really care to attend. Food. Alcohol. Hours surfing the net aimessly. Did I mention TV? I mean, those Winchester boys are delicious, but I have got to turn Supernatural off and get to work on what really matters – my life. Not some made up show that serves as a distraction from my current work situation.And that means focusing on the things that matter – my writing, my business, my relationship.

So, dear readers, this post is just as much for me as it is for you. Today, I’m committing to a new strategy. No TV. No alcohol. Saying no to social gatherings that I’d just as soon miss. The internets – I love you, but we need some time apart. It’s time to stop talking and start doing.

What about you?

I always get a little nostalgic at the end of the year. Sitting back with a cup of tea recently, I quietly reflected on the enormity of the last year and smiled as I realised I’m almost 25, and I still have no clue what I’m doing in life.

I thought it might be fun to have a look at my “Bucket” list that I created well over a year ago, and see what’s happened, what’s changed, and what new dreams need to be added…

So after some contemplation and way too many double coat tim-tams, here’s a rough version of my new “101 in 1001″.

This time, I’ve kept things simple and only listed what I think I want to achieve in the next 1001 days (roughly three years). Some things might stretch out to 5 years, like having kids, but I’ve included them anyway. It’s funny how much things can change over a year as well – the things that I thought were my top three goals aren’t finished and don’t even make it onto this list! I guess this is just part of being human – we evolve, we change and as we grow our priorities shift.

Here’s what I managed to cross off the list this year as done!

•  Swim with Dolphins – This was amazing! I went with a tour not far from where I live and we spent the day chasing dolphins around the bay, diving in to the water whenever we found a pod. It was an incredibly peaceful experience and one I would gladly repeat.
• Replant my vegie garden (since my dogs trampled everything in it): Jed built a whole new vegie patch with raised beds and a stepping-stone path. It is amazing! And right now its overflowing with corn, chillies, tomatoes, snowpeas and lettuce.
• Get my wisdom teeth removed – Done!
• Finish my novel – Done! Although I’ve had a few rejections from publishers which has inspired me to polish and edit the manuscript to a better level.

 Here are my top goals for 2010:

• get married in Hawaii – OK, this is just freaky. I wrote this down in September of 2008, with no idea of the events that would unfold this year. I never actually thought this one would happen! But I’m getting married in three months in Maui!
• Fnish my second novel – a much longer piece of work. Yes, its about vampires. Don’t judge me.
• Get a publishing deal
• Start a third novel
• Write every single day, even if its only a paragraph
• Exercise three times a week

And what’s still to come…

•  live in another country for 6 months or more – I actually have almost done this – I lived abroad for five months in 2006 (in the U.S.). I’d still love to do this properly though, staying in one place and settling in instead of backpacking.
•  take a film-making course
• Have a baby (maybe 5 years for this one!)
• learn how to scuba-dive – I’m going to make the extra effort to do this in 2010, even if it’s just an introductory dive and not a PADI certification.
• Holiday in Vanuatu
• Own a restored classic car – a ’67 Chevy Impala or a classic mustang, perhaps.
• Intern / work on a film set
• do nothing but watch classic movies for a weekend – Ah, I’ll definitely do this one come winter!
• design my backyard the way i want it and build it – Underway! The paving is mostly done, the vegie patch is thriving and the building plans for the shed are complete. Now, we just need to grass our unpaved area, pave and landscape our pool area, get some more plants happening, and build our shed.
• keep my pool clean…it’s a biggie… It’s clean right now, I’m proud to say
• learn a martial art
• get lasik surgery and throw my contact lenses away – 2011 is probably the year for this, when I have some more cash and less financial commitments.
• learn to ride a motorbike
• Donate blood at least once: I’m scared!
• Write and sell a film script
• Buy a digital SLR and learn photography
• Take a photo every day for a year (a 365 project)
• Learn to speak another language – I’m thinking italian or spanish
• Read all of the Anne Rice vampire books – I started this! I’m on book 1 but other things keep drawing me away.
• See another Red Hot Chili Peppers Concert – They seriously need to annouce a new world tour please!
• finish painting my house (only a bit left to go!)
• Set up a Christmas savings account
• Rent a studio in Maui for a few months and do nothing but write, eat and swim
• Make my own vision board
• Finish my e-book
• Write a guest post for one of my favourite blogs
• Write an article for CountryLiving magazine
• Keep my house clean and tidy for 1 whole week.
• Make my own wine.
• Own a little winery in Margaret River with a rambling cottage and a goat. Must have a goat.
• Finish my beach cottage off. This could take a few years.
• Makeover my kitchen – all white!