Living To Do

While “Living To Do,” “100 in 1,000” and many other ways of saying “things to do before I die” have been around for years, the first time I heard of a “bucket list” was when I saw the movie featuring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. And since then, I’ve been seeing “bucket list” popping up all over the web, and am so excited that so many people are creating their own!

I don’t know why it’s so exciting, really. Maybe because I know, from my own experience, that it can bring some joy into your life. I’ve made “Living To Do” journals for family members as gifts and, while I don’t know if they’ve used them or not, I always hope that they’ve come in handy—and maybe inspired someone to complete one lifelong dream, at least. Read more

Boy am I glad to have this one crossed off my list! I got pregnant during my junior year in college and was worried that I wouldn’t be able to finish my degree while working full-time and taking care of my premature baby.

Though I had to change my major to do so, I was luckily able to finish a degree and graduate just a year after my baby was born through online education. If finishing school is on your Living To-Do List, don’t give up. Make a plan and follow through. If I could do it, so can you! Read more

CPRNumber 1 on my Living To Do list is “Save a Life.” Some friends have even told me that I’ve done this for them, in various ways, but I would say that’s pretty much an exaggeration! Ideally my saving a life would be rescuing someone out of human trafficking—my dream is for that to end forever—but I have no idea how I could do that. Still, it could happen.

If you want to save a life, there are a number of things you can do to get it crossed off your Living To Do list. Try one of these or add your own.

Learn CPR and first aid. Then you’ll be ready to save a life in many situations. Try your local Red Cross or other health services to find a training near you.

Donate blood, marrow, or partial organs. You can also become an organ donor and have your organs donated to people after you die. This is absolutely life-saving. Read more

Signature Dish?I won't lie to you, when I was in college, my list was all about sex. It would have made Dan Savage proud. One by one as I slowly ticked off my list, it lost its luster and didn't have the same resonance for me. I couldn't articulate it, but I wanted something more. I resolved to improve myself, maybe with books, but since I was already an extremely active reader, I decided that this really wasn't fair either. Hopefully this list, which I am now formalizing at this very minute, is a little more interesting, broadened, and applicable to people outside of myself.

1.  Capture my Grandpa on video talking about his life, so that I can show the world how great he really is.

Cheetah2. Take a safari in Africa somewhere, sometime, but preferably one in which I am not in grave danger or in a situation where I am forced to use my lightning-fast running skills to out-run leopards and/or cheetahs.

3.  Take a month-long road trip to the south-west of the United States. Read more

SkydivingThings to Do Before I Die... Living To-Do. Dream List. Whatever you call it, you’ve probably either thought about one or started one of your own. It’s a list of things—whether 5 or 5,000—you want to do in your lifetime. It’s fun, simple enough for anyone to do, and helps you set some goals while having some fun in your life.

Here at Living To Do, you can post your whole list, or links to your list (perhaps you have a 100 in 1,000 project already in progress?). Suggest things for others to do—and link them to things on the web if they exist. If you have a cool idea to share or that you made up, post it, too, and tell if you did it, how to do it, whatever you want to share. Read more