The Chuck It List

You've all heard of the Bucket List, made famous by some actors that used to be insanely respected. According to IMDB, the movie is about two terminally ill men who escape from a cancer ward (who knew one had to "escape"?) and head off on a road trip with a wish list of to-dos before they die.

Back in 2001, I had a similar list. Before I turned 30, I wanted to live on the edge a little. I made decisions that were normally a bit out of my comfort zone, took my little sister on a quick cruise to Mexico and treated my brother to a sky diving excursion, which was made that much more incredible (and terrifying) by the breathtaking view of gorgeous green broccoli-like trees on the way down.

Now in 2011, my lists have been tweaked a bit. There's really only one thing on my list to do before I'm 40, something I will share very soon. But for the most part, I'm more interested in recognizing the things in my life that make me feel super happy inside (look for my Top 40 list coming out February 21) and working on making positive changes in order to create that same feeling in other areas.

I'll first work on what I want to remove from my life before I turn 40.


THE CHUCK IT LIST

Making Chex Treats (think Rice Krispies but with Corn Chex) under the ruse of doing it for the kids.

Eating said Chex Treats for breakfast, convincing myself it's like having a bowl of cereal.

Getting dressed to exercise, only to end up out of shape and unshowered at the end of the day.

Feeling guilty for taking time to exercise, instead working, performing tasks or doing household chores while the kids are at school.

Spending a fortune on the search for jeans that don't zip up to my arm pits or show off my goods when sitting.

Saying "yes" to things I know are spreading me way too thin and making me less productive.

Random hairs on my chin.

Spending time / energy on things and people that don't positively affect my family, including myself.

Expectations of other people.

Cutting my own bangs and/or eyebrows between appointments.

Stressing over small stuff.

Forgetting what's really important.

Taking life too seriously.

Using "working from home" as an excuse to avoid a shower, razor and hair brush.

Impatience.

Buying "motivation" clothes.

Beating myself up when motivation clothes don't fit.

Not spending enough time with my friends.

Losing my car in a sea of silver minivans.

Negative self-talk.

Frowning.

Letting fear get in the way.


What's on your "Chuck It List"?