Why, I've just done this now! This is my 71st completed goal so far, and I have 433 days left to go.

I'll update this list with more notes as I complete more goals.

Before I wrote this list of goals, I'd tried to write a song with my husband once before. It didn't go very well. I'd been in a vulnerable emotional state at the time, and felt very insecure about my ability at, well, everything, so I kept feeling like I was too untalented in comparison, which made me too miserable to continue.

Fortunately, by the time we tried again, I was in a much better state, and this went quite well. The song we wrote together was quite short, but involved very little friction - and it served a practical purpose as a video soundtrack. Goal complete.

'Let's Plays' are YouTube videos of people playing a particular game, usually a computer game. Some of them are a bit like walkthroughs, but more often they're just fun videos of people experiencing regular gameplay.

My husband and I, being fans of Magic: the Gathering, wanted to do one for Magic. And we did, several. In fact, we even started up our own YouTube channel for them.

We also crossed off this goal during our Two Weeks of Fun in November 2015, where we hosted a different event every day for 14 days straight. We filmed ourselves and about 10 other guests reacting to a short horror game. There were a few scary bits, but it wasn't the scariest game around - some people jokingly referred to it as a 'walking simulator'.

It was a fun night, but the video quality turned out poor. For some reason, I was the only person you could really see on camera with the lights dimmed, possibly because I am pasty white, but probably because the light from the screen was slightly pointed towards me. (less)

'Let's Plays' are YouTube videos of people playing a particular game, usually a computer game. Some of them are a bit like walkthroughs, but more often they're just fun videos of people experiencing regular gameplay.

My husband and I, being fans of Magic: the Gathering, wanted to do one for Magic. And we did, several. In fact, we even started up our own YouTube channel for them.

We also crossed off this goal during our Two Weeks of Fun in November 2015, where we hosted a different event every day for 14 days straight. We filmed ourselves and about 10 other guests reacting to a short ho (...more)

Planescape: Torment is a game I regretted not playing when it was new. Renowned for its complex story and de-emphasis on violence, it sounded fantastic. But by the time I saw it, the interface was so dated and unwieldy that it was horrible to play, despite the brilliant story.

So when I saw the Kickstarter campaign for a spiritual sequel to Torment, I knew I wanted to play it. It was coming out during my goals period, so it was added to the list.

The game was due to be released in June 2016, but I actually got my hands on it earlier as part of the beta test. This did make it very buggy (and even unplayable at at times thanks to certain bugs), but I took it seriously and reported all the bugs and issues I found. Despite all the bugs, I still thought it was a great game and intend to play the full version very soon.

Full version or not, I consider this goal complete. (less)

Planescape: Torment is a game I regretted not playing when it was new. Renowned for its complex story and de-emphasis on violence, it sounded fantastic. But by the time I saw it, the interface was so dated and unwieldy that it was horrible to play, despite the brilliant story.

So when I saw the Kickstarter campaign for a spiritual sequel to Torment, I knew I wanted to play it. It was coming out during my goals period, so it was added to the list.

The game was due to be released in June 2016, but I actually got my hands on it earlier as part of the beta test. This did make it very buggy (...more)

It's amazing to think this goal was on my original list, because I have done so many escape rooms since I wrote it! The idea behind escape rooms is that you are locked in a room for 45 minutes and have to solve puzzles to find your way out before the timer runs out.

The goal was first crossed off in Melbourne, during our honeymoon. It turned out that Melbourne was full of escape rooms, unlike Perth. The first one we went to was a place called Trapt, which combined the rooms with a good-quality cocktail bar, and we enjoyed it so much that we went back and did all their other escape rooms as well. We did two more escape rooms at another venue, but they weren't quite as good.

My husband and I were no good at it by ourselves, but we met up with two of our friends for the Prison Break scenario, and it was much easier with four people instead of two. In this scenario, we started off in the dark with only a single candle, in separate cells, and had to pass the candle (among other things) back and forth in order to unlock ourselves. Great fun. (less)

It's amazing to think this goal was on my original list, because I have done so many escape rooms since I wrote it! The idea behind escape rooms is that you are locked in a room for 45 minutes and have to solve puzzles to find your way out before the timer runs out.

The goal was first crossed off in Melbourne, during our honeymoon. It turned out that Melbourne was full of escape rooms, unlike Perth. The first one we went to was a place called Trapt, which combined the rooms with a good-quality cocktail bar, and we enjoyed it so much that we went back and did all their other escape roo (...more)

The 'custom cube' is a set of custom cards myself, my husband, and two of our friends were making based on the game Magic: the Gathering. We put quite a lot of effort into it, but it had stalled for a long time when I created the goals list, so I added it as a goal to get back on track.

We briefly got back into it for a while leading up to the wedding, when one of the people involved would be travelling into the city, and managed to even play a test game (during which we discovered many issues with various cards). It has since stalled again, but we did indeed continue work on it and so I consider this goal complete. (less)

The 'custom cube' is a set of custom cards myself, my husband, and two of our friends were making based on the game Magic: the Gathering. We put quite a lot of effort into it, but it had stalled for a long time when I created the goals list, so I added it as a goal to get back on track.

We briefly got back into it for a while leading up to the wedding, when one of the people involved would be travelling into the city, and managed to even play a test game (during which we discovered many issues with various cards). It has since stalled again, but we did indeed continue work on it and s (...more)

Adding this goal to my list was a little risky, as it relied on someone else being motivated enough to do something. However, a friend of ours had been talking about a new RPG system he was developing and I was eager to help him test it out.

It took about a year and a half before he was ready, but eventually the test game happened. I was very impressed by the system and only had positive feedback to give, and I had a lot of fun playing it. My friend was also an excellent storyteller. The only downside is that we didn't get to finish the story, so perhaps this goal is not quite done yet if I can arrange a follow-up session! (less)

Adding this goal to my list was a little risky, as it relied on someone else being motivated enough to do something. However, a friend of ours had been talking about a new RPG system he was developing and I was eager to help him test it out.

It took about a year and a half before he was ready, but eventually the test game happened. I was very impressed by the system and only had positive feedback to give, and I had a lot of fun playing it. My friend was also an excellent storyteller. The only downside is that we didn't get to finish the story, so perhaps this goal is not quite done ye (...more)

This goal was something my husband and I had done several times before, but the reason it made it onto my goals list was because we had missed the last few prerelease events due to needing to save money. Prereleases did cost a fair bit of money.

(A prerelease is an event for the Magic: the Gathering card game where cards go on sale immediately before the official launch of a new set. There are usually particular types of games to play during the event which are a lot of fun, so we both enjoy them greatly.)

I've since exceeded this goal by attending several prereleases, but I first crossed it off during our honeymoon in Melbourne, which coincided with one. Thanks to this, we were able to experience the fun of a prerelease event in a new city - not bad! (less)

This goal was something my husband and I had done several times before, but the reason it made it onto my goals list was because we had missed the last few prerelease events due to needing to save money. Prereleases did cost a fair bit of money.

(A prerelease is an event for the Magic: the Gathering card game where cards go on sale immediately before the official launch of a new set. There are usually particular types of games to play during the event which are a lot of fun, so we both enjoy them greatly.)

I've since exceeded this goal by attending several prereleases, but I first cros (...more)

My husband had hired a spa once before I wrote this list, but I knew it was something he wanted to do again, and I wasn't averse to it, either. So onto my list it went.

We hired it early on for a week, just before our wedding, as part our combined 'stags and hens' night. Unfortunately, it spectacularly backfired due to my husband forgetting to turn it on to warm up during the day, and though our guests waited for many hours, it just wouldn't warm up to a comfortable temperature in time. (Which says to me it's a pretty dodgy spa, taking that long to heat up.)

On the upside, my husband and I did get plenty of use out of it on other days when there were no guests over, so it wasn't a waste. (less)

My husband had hired a spa once before I wrote this list, but I knew it was something he wanted to do again, and I wasn't averse to it, either. So onto my list it went.

We hired it early on for a week, just before our wedding, as part our combined 'stags and hens' night. Unfortunately, it spectacularly backfired due to my husband forgetting to turn it on to warm up during the day, and though our guests waited for many hours, it just wouldn't warm up to a comfortable temperature in time. (Which says to me it's a pretty dodgy spa, taking that long to heat up.)

On the upside, my husband a (...more)

When I wrote this goal, I had no particular road trip in mind.

It ended up being a short one, driving down to Margaret River for a long weekend. I ended up staying with my husband's family, driving around to wineries and mazes and generally having fun. It was a very relaxed weekend, but embodied the road trip atmosphere well. Good fun was had by all.

I assume when I wrote this list that I knew I needed another rhizotomy (I can't remember), or this would have been a risky item to include. This must have been about the time I started having a relapse of the sharp, stabbing pains in my back. The first rhizotomy only lasted about 12 months before the pains came back. It wasn't long after writing this list before I had the second one.

It's been over a year since the second rhizotomy, and the sharp stabs haven't come back this time, so I'm hoping it did the trick this time. Apparently 80% of rhizotomy patients don't need another, so hopefully I'm in that bracket this time.

Of course, I still suffer from back pain, but the stabbing pains are worse, so the rhizotomy was helpful. (less)

I assume when I wrote this list that I knew I needed another rhizotomy (I can't remember), or this would have been a risky item to include. This must have been about the time I started having a relapse of the sharp, stabbing pains in my back. The first rhizotomy only lasted about 12 months before the pains came back. It wasn't long after writing this list before I had the second one.

It's been over a year since the second rhizotomy, and the sharp stabs haven't come back this time, so I'm hoping it did the trick this time. Apparently 80% of rhizotomy patients don't need another, so hop (...more)

Although I frequently eat vegetarian food, I've never been a vegetarian before. I'm conscious that it's a better decision for the environment, so it was something I was interested in experimenting with - thus one of my goals was to go vegetarian for a month. My husband did it with me, as it also aligned with his views.

I found it to be harder than I expected. The main problem was with work lunches. Buying vegetarian groceries for myself was easy, but when I had to go out for lunch at cafes, my options were severely limited. I discovered that most cafes typically had only one token savoury vegetarian course on the menu, or cake. During the vegetarian month, I found myself having to change my behaviour to repeatedly visit the same cafes far more than I would normally. Thankfully, I worked in an area that had a wide variety of places to choose from, or it would have been even harder.

We did have to restart once - we got through almost two weeks the first time, but then found ourselves at an event where our only choices were eating meat or not eating at all - so we agreed to eat meat that one time and then start a new month of vegetarianism from scratch. So in total, we were vegetarian for almost 6 weeks (with a tiny gap in the middle). (less)

Although I frequently eat vegetarian food, I've never been a vegetarian before. I'm conscious that it's a better decision for the environment, so it was something I was interested in experimenting with - thus one of my goals was to go vegetarian for a month. My husband did it with me, as it also aligned with his views.

I found it to be harder than I expected. The main problem was with work lunches. Buying vegetarian groceries for myself was easy, but when I had to go out for lunch at cafes, my options were severely limited. I discovered that most cafes typically had only one token sav (...more)

The original idea was to put $1000 into superannuation over the 1001 days, but then I realised I had to put $1000 in each year anyway to be eligible for the $500 government co-contribution.

So in practice, I've put $1000 in each year in June as it makes the most financial sense in the long term. It has meant I've struggled for money in the short term, especially during the first year when it coincided with expensive medical bills and, well, normal bills, but it was easier this year. Goal exceeded, regardless.

This is something I'd wanted to do for many years before I came up with the idea for the goals list. I'd planned on having a room in the house filled with beautiful lights.

Most of this goal was filled with trying to find suitable lights. It was surprisingly difficult to find anything I liked - which was mainly along the lines of intricate patterns. The first light I found turned out to be very cheap and nasty (even cheaper and nastier than I thought possible), to the point where I had to assemble it by hand and found it impossible due to the poor quality of materials, instructions, and parts. Even if I'd assembled it, it would have continued to look cheap and nasty wherever I placed it.

The rest of what I found was either fairy lights, which weren't practical, or expensive heavy stage rigs where each light only did one specific (usually boring) thing, or tacky-looking cheap disco lights, which looked terrible. Eventually, however, when I wasn't specifically looking for lights (and thus wasn't drowned out by the miles of terrible-quality goods) I found a link to an LED lightbulb called Ilumi, which was perfect. The downside was that these bulbs were horribly expensive.

However, I bought six. They were app-controlled via Bluetooth, worked like a charm, were very user-friendly, and essentially everything I'd hoped for. Unfortunately, four of them broke a month after purchase due to some incompatibility with one particular lighting circuit in our house, so we had to go back to using the old bulbs. Luckily, Ilumi's customer service was great and sent out four replacement bulbs free of charge. They're still installed in our house but sadly can't be placed in the living room due to the faulty circuit. I'm waiting for us to move before we can use their full effect. At any rate, goal completed. (less)

This is something I'd wanted to do for many years before I came up with the idea for the goals list. I'd planned on having a room in the house filled with beautiful lights.

Most of this goal was filled with trying to find suitable lights. It was surprisingly difficult to find anything I liked - which was mainly along the lines of intricate patterns. The first light I found turned out to be very cheap and nasty (even cheaper and nastier than I thought possible), to the point where I had to assemble it by hand and found it impossible due to the poor quality of materials, instructions, (...more)

This goal wasn't on the original list of goals, but I added it as a high priority after going through a particularly bad bout of back pain (whilst removing a goal I knew I didn't want to do anymore and was no longer relevant). It wasn't simply remembering to do my physio exercises every day - it was to do *all* my physio exercises every day, without missing a day.

On a good day, it would take me 40 minutes to do them all, and on a bad day it could take over an hour, so this was actually a very challenging goal. I got through it by writing up a chart listing all the days versus the exercises, and tick them off one by one. Often I would be up until 2 or 3am doing exercises, especially if I'd gone out at night, but I was determined to do it properly, and told myself the lack of sleep was preferable to having to restart over from scratch.

This determination saw me through without missing a single day, but it wasn't an easy month. Alas, it seemed to have little impact on the back pain, though. (less)

This goal wasn't on the original list of goals, but I added it as a high priority after going through a particularly bad bout of back pain (whilst removing a goal I knew I didn't want to do anymore and was no longer relevant). It wasn't simply remembering to do my physio exercises every day - it was to do *all* my physio exercises every day, without missing a day.

On a good day, it would take me 40 minutes to do them all, and on a bad day it could take over an hour, so this was actually a very challenging goal. I got through it by writing up a chart listing all the days versus the exe (...more)

I 'accidentally' crossed off this goal while writing the music for the backing track of my Kickstarter promo video (also another goal). I hadn't realised it until after I was done, but it belonged to the Chillstep genre, which was a genre I hadn't written in before.

I also arguably crossed this off while writing music for the game Dead End Alley, where I attempted to write a Drum and Bass song (I don't think it was the best example of the genre, but I tried).

One of the most important goals on my list, though a little easier than my goal of securing a $60,000 salary or more, this was one of the most difficult goals to achieve on my list. Thanks to a very lengthy run of misfortune in relation to career goals, I was extremely disillusioned about jobs and lacked any form of self-esteem.

While applying for jobs, I was frequently tempted not to strive for this job, as it would make it harder to find a job. However, I knew that finding another entry-level job would not help my situation, as my whole emotionally-fragile state rested on my lack of self-worth from not being able to move up from entry positions.

It took several months, but eventually I did manage to find a job that was not only not entry-level, but also met my salary requirements. I was overjoyed! I'm still in that job now and can say it has made my life objectively better in every way. (less)

One of the most important goals on my list, though a little easier than my goal of securing a $60,000 salary or more, this was one of the most difficult goals to achieve on my list. Thanks to a very lengthy run of misfortune in relation to career goals, I was extremely disillusioned about jobs and lacked any form of self-esteem.

While applying for jobs, I was frequently tempted not to strive for this job, as it would make it harder to find a job. However, I knew that finding another entry-level job would not help my situation, as my whole emotionally-fragile state rested on my lack o (...more)

My original plan for this task had been to design the card graphics for a card game my husband was working on. However, after creating my list of goals, he decided he wasn't interested in pursuing his game any longer.

However, I was still able to complete this goal thanks to the Game Jam I participated in as one of my other goals. My husband and I entered as a team and created a card game together - which I made the graphics for, thus completing the goal.

I had originally planned to work on this idea at GovHack, but was disappointed to find that, although I'd had the idea years ago and nobody had done it at the time, someone had since made their own sustainable fishing app for Australia. My GovHack plans shattered, I decided to do these designs earlier than planned and use them for a portfolio piece instead.

It was about 3-4 solid days of work, but I got the app designs done fairly quickly and included them on my resume. They were in the portfolio that helped me land my new job, so I'd say this goal was successfully completed!

This was intended as a single, stand-alone goal, but ended up crossing off three of my goals in a single weekend. To complete this one, I and my husband participated in the 2016 Global Game Jam as a team. We had to make a game to the theme of 'ritual', which was unveiled at the start of the event.

Most of the other teams were working on computer games, but since we lacked programming skills, we put together a physical card game. We came up with a good idea fairly quickly, though it took a lot of hashing out. Over half of the event was spent refining the idea before we began on any production work.

The end result was a near-complete game that was fully-playable and fairly well-balanced. The people who tested it enjoyed it and said it was a success, and it even got a couple of minor write-ups in a local game blog. The end result was that we decided to refine it and run it as a separate Kickstarter campaign (though I made it clear I had to finish work on my current one first before starting another). A grand success! (less)

This was intended as a single, stand-alone goal, but ended up crossing off three of my goals in a single weekend. To complete this one, I and my husband participated in the 2016 Global Game Jam as a team. We had to make a game to the theme of 'ritual', which was unveiled at the start of the event.

Most of the other teams were working on computer games, but since we lacked programming skills, we put together a physical card game. We came up with a good idea fairly quickly, though it took a lot of hashing out. Over half of the event was spent refining the idea before we began on any pro (...more)

When I made this list of goals, I'd already done most of the work I needed to on my RPG adventure I planned on Kickstarting. The only thing left to do before beginning the campaign was the promo video, which would help boost the chances of the campaign's success.

Despite that, it took me nearly a year to get around to doing the video. This was primarily because setting up the cameras and reading scripts took a lot of effort and time, and could only be filmed during the day (we didn't have a great lighting situation). This was mostly procrastination on my part - though I was very eager to Kickstart the adventure, I was less than eager to film the video. I didn't have stage fright, I just wasn't looking forward to what was going to be annoying, fiddly and dull work.

Eventually, I put my foot down, suppressed my dread, and just did it. It took about a month from shooting the footage to finishing the editing, and another week to compose an original song to play as backing music, but once I was done I felt a massive hurdle had been lifted from my shoulders. Once the bottleneck was gone, I initiated the Kickstarter campaign almost immediately after.

As it turned out, the video was five minutes long and could easily have been half that, saving me a lot of effort. Well, I know for next time! (less)

When I made this list of goals, I'd already done most of the work I needed to on my RPG adventure I planned on Kickstarting. The only thing left to do before beginning the campaign was the promo video, which would help boost the chances of the campaign's success.

Despite that, it took me nearly a year to get around to doing the video. This was primarily because setting up the cameras and reading scripts took a lot of effort and time, and could only be filmed during the day (we didn't have a great lighting situation). This was mostly procrastination on my part - though I was very eage (...more)

When I created this goal, I had no plans for what the big party would be. I just knew I wanted to host something large that a lot of people attended. This had been a personal goal of mine since, well, forever.

As a child, I was very unpopular, and I was never OK with that, always wanting to host just one party that lots of people would want to attend ('lots' being more than thirty, which was the best I'd ever been able to pull off except for once in Japan).

It turned out that this party was the wedding. There was a satisfyingly large turnout, and despite all the problems that plagued the wedding (namely unexpected severe illness), I felt that desire had been satisfied at last. And so the goal was complete. (less)

When I created this goal, I had no plans for what the big party would be. I just knew I wanted to host something large that a lot of people attended. This had been a personal goal of mine since, well, forever.

As a child, I was very unpopular, and I was never OK with that, always wanting to host just one party that lots of people would want to attend ('lots' being more than thirty, which was the best I'd ever been able to pull off except for once in Japan).

It turned out that this party was the wedding. There was a satisfyingly large turnout, and despite all the problems that plagued (...more)

I finished this goal only a month or two after starting the list, which surprised me as it wasn't a small task and I hadn't expected it to be done so quickly.

At the time, though, I was looking for jobs and felt it was pretty important that my website be redone to focus more on my assets as an employee than my services as a business (which was now defunct) - so I had quite a lot of motivation to get it done.

The new website wasn't amazing, but it was well-coded and showed off the design and coding skills I felt were most relevant to the jobs I was applying for, so it did the job. It can't have hurt, because I didn't do too badly at getting job interviews after that. (less)

I finished this goal only a month or two after starting the list, which surprised me as it wasn't a small task and I hadn't expected it to be done so quickly.

At the time, though, I was looking for jobs and felt it was pretty important that my website be redone to focus more on my assets as an employee than my services as a business (which was now defunct) - so I had quite a lot of motivation to get it done.

The new website wasn't amazing, but it was well-coded and showed off the design and coding skills I felt were most relevant to the jobs I was applying for, so it did the job. It ca (...more)

The scavenger hunt was our big-ticket item during our Two Weeks of Fun (an event where we hosted a different event every day for 14 days straight), and a lot of preparation went into it.

The first half comprised the scavenger hunt, where we gave people semi-cryptic ideas to hunt for, and the second half took the form of a car rally, where they had to travel all over the city and complete tasks. We worked hard to ensure nobody could simply get the answers off Google - they had to be there in person.

A few weeks' worth of preparation went into it, but we had trouble drumming up interest ahead of the event. We ended up with fewer participants than expected, but still managed to scrape together four teams. Aside from a minor mishap caused by a timed event happening earlier than expected and causing an unforeseen rush, it went well, and I think everyone enjoyed seeing the results at the end. (less)

The scavenger hunt was our big-ticket item during our Two Weeks of Fun (an event where we hosted a different event every day for 14 days straight), and a lot of preparation went into it.

The first half comprised the scavenger hunt, where we gave people semi-cryptic ideas to hunt for, and the second half took the form of a car rally, where they had to travel all over the city and complete tasks. We worked hard to ensure nobody could simply get the answers off Google - they had to be there in person.

A few weeks' worth of preparation went into it, but we had trouble drumming up interest (...more)

The original plan had been for my husband and I to take amateur photos of each other, but when his birthday approached and I was lacking a plan, I changed my mind and decided to purchase him a glamour photography session as a present.

This turned out to be very expensive, but worth it (provided neither of us have another one done at any point in the next ten years), and the photos of Jonathan look fantastic.

I'd expected I'd need to sit down and make a concerted effort in my own time to complete this goal, but I was actually able to cross it off at work. I had been working on an official booklet announcing some statistics and was able to put some of them across in an infographic style, thus completing this goal.

It did take a couple of weeks of solid work to complete the booklet though, so no small amount of effort went into it.

The person in question ended up being my husband, and I ended up helping him achieve not one, but many of his goals.

While we were on our honeymoon, I told him about my list and encouraged him to make one of his own. He did, and since then I helped him achieved multiple goals ranging from going to a game jam (also one of my goals) and creating a card game to helping him with some MTG-related goals. (MTG, or Magic, is a card game both I and my husband enjoy.)

Initially this would have been in the 'Easy' category, but as it turned out it was very time-consuming to get through all fifteen audiobooks. Where I could have finished fifteen physical books in a couple of weeks (or less), audiobooks were much slower than my reading speed.

Like physical books, they also required me to have most of my attention on them while listening, which meant I couldn't simply work on a project or play a game while listening. I went through a brief period at work where I conducted various repetitive tasks and was able to listen then, but mostly I listened at home. I kept finding myself reaching points where I couldn't stand sitting down doing nothing and kept starting projects, only to find I'd accidentally tuned out the last 30 minutes of story and had to start again.

I got through the books most efficiently by combining them with my physio exercises, another goal on the list. To be honest, though, the books were much more helpful at getting me through the exercises than vice-versa, as normally I'd have been bored out of my brains. The combination of physical and mental stimulus worked together very well.

It took me probably about 2-3 months to get through all the books this way, but eventually it was done. (less)

Initially this would have been in the 'Easy' category, but as it turned out it was very time-consuming to get through all fifteen audiobooks. Where I could have finished fifteen physical books in a couple of weeks (or less), audiobooks were much slower than my reading speed.

Like physical books, they also required me to have most of my attention on them while listening, which meant I couldn't simply work on a project or play a game while listening. I went through a brief period at work where I conducted various repetitive tasks and was able to listen then, but mostly I listened at ho (...more)

Another very tough goal, this one involved my husband and I bringing to life our plan to run a soup kitchen at the local Blazing Swan festival (an official offshoot of the infamous US Burning Man festival) in 2016.

The original plan was to make just our chickpea soup, but as we involved more friends in the project to help make it a reality, so too did our ambitions grow until we ended up making six soups - a new one for every meal.

This one was a lot of hard work, but great fun to pull off. Even the preparations were enjoyable, including soup tastings, corrugated iron sign-making with spray paint, and shopping for bulk ingredients.

Our stall was very basic and nowhere near as visually impressive as most other theme camps, but it became very popular once word got out that hot, delicious soup was being served. The fact the festival was drenched in rain also helped get people in the mood for soup.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to see the entire thing, as my husband fell sick on the second day of the festival and we had to return home early - but it continued on without us, and I still consider it a grand success. (less)

Another very tough goal, this one involved my husband and I bringing to life our plan to run a soup kitchen at the local Blazing Swan festival (an official offshoot of the infamous US Burning Man festival) in 2016.

The original plan was to make just our chickpea soup, but as we involved more friends in the project to help make it a reality, so too did our ambitions grow until we ended up making six soups - a new one for every meal.

This one was a lot of hard work, but great fun to pull off. Even the preparations were enjoyable, including soup tastings, corrugated iron sign-making with (...more)

An immense amount of work went into this goal, making it easily one of the hardest on the list. After my Kickstarter campaign (another goal) was a success, literal weeks of work went into producing the materials, which took me about seven months in total, working around my full-time job, ending in July 2016 as originally planned.

I didn't get compensated for this work monetarily, but that was expected - the Kickstarter was only to cover the project's base printing costs. As I write this now, I have only the last finishing touches to add before the book gets sent out to printers - very exciting!

Another very difficult goal, this one required a lot of work. It was held up by another goal (creating the Kickstarter promo video), but once that was done I was able to launch this one into action quickly.

The goal was only to run the campaign, not to succeed (I was very skeptical of its success after failing once before), but I worked hard at preparations and promotion, and just managed to push it past the line on the last day. It even managed to score a review on a local games blog. It was a very unambitious Kickstarter goal at just $3,500, but it meant all my printing costs were covered, and made a huge difference to what I could achieve. (less)

Another very difficult goal, this one required a lot of work. It was held up by another goal (creating the Kickstarter promo video), but once that was done I was able to launch this one into action quickly.

The goal was only to run the campaign, not to succeed (I was very skeptical of its success after failing once before), but I worked hard at preparations and promotion, and just managed to push it past the line on the last day. It even managed to score a review on a local games blog. It was a very unambitious Kickstarter goal at just $3,500, but it meant all my printing costs were c (...more)

When I created this goal, I thought there was a very good chance I wouldn't be able to achieve it. I'd had a very poor success rate with previous job applications, and resultant self-esteem that was equally as poor. I'd been very tempted to set the bar lower at a lower salary, and had to fight against that temptation the whole way. I had to keep telling myself that $60,000 was reasonable and that I deserved no less - but it was a genuine struggle.

When I achieved this goal, I was over the moon, as I'd seen it as being easily one of the hardest goals on the list - and the most important, bar none. My career is extremely important to me, and if I could only achieve one goal on the list, this would have been it.

Achieving this goal has also made it far easier to achieve many of the other goals, as many of them had a financial component. More importantly, it has markedly and objectively increased my happiness and quality of life. I may not be rich (or even above average) in terms of income, but at least I no longer have to worry about not being able to pay the rent or my medical bills, and my significant self-esteem issues have vastly improved. I'm so glad I managed to stick to my guns and say to myself - no, my work is worth more than what people would like me to believe it's worth.

This was a very difficult goal to achieve, not least because it relied on others believing in me - and I can control my own actions all I like, but if others won't see my worth as an employee, then I'm helpless to change my situation. I can't overstate what a difference achieving this goal has made to my entire life, in every aspect of life. I am so much more happy, empowered, and sane as a direct result, and far less emotionally vulnerable. I can also devote more time to my hobbies now that I don't have to worry about constant job applications. This one has really changed my whole life for the better. (less)

When I created this goal, I thought there was a very good chance I wouldn't be able to achieve it. I'd had a very poor success rate with previous job applications, and resultant self-esteem that was equally as poor. I'd been very tempted to set the bar lower at a lower salary, and had to fight against that temptation the whole way. I had to keep telling myself that $60,000 was reasonable and that I deserved no less - but it was a genuine struggle.

When I achieved this goal, I was over the moon, as I'd seen it as being easily one of the hardest goals on the list - and the most importan (...more)

I crossed this one off about 3-4 weeks after creating the list of goals.

Triangle is a fantastic movie my husband and I saw a couple of years ago and wanted to share with people. We'd been planning to host a movie night for it for a while, but hadn't gotten around to it. This goal proved to be the motivation I needed to make it happen.

As it turned out, quite a few people (about 12, I think) showed up and our tiny living room was packed out. But the night was a huge success, with everybody talking about the movie for days afterwards and recommending it on to their friends.

This goal was crossed off as part of our Two Weeks of Fun (a fortnight where we hosted a different event every day for 14 days straight). It was the last event of the fortnight, where we hosted an evening picnic in Kings Park.

Everyone brought a plate of nibbles to share. Unfortunately it was just a little too cold that night, so it was a little uncomfortable, but the goal was still complete.

A very simple yet extremely lengthy goal, I started on this one straightaway... but it took about one and a half years to complete.

Basically, we had a lot of tea. People kept giving us tea as presents, more tea than we knew what to do with. This goal was limited to just the T2 tea, because that was the majority of it, but also because I think I realised I didn't want to make the goal so difficult to achieve that I started hating tea on principle.

I served up tea every chance we got, whenever we had visitors, and often between just my husband and I. And it still took over a year - that's how much tea we had. (less)

A very simple yet extremely lengthy goal, I started on this one straightaway... but it took about one and a half years to complete.

Basically, we had a lot of tea. People kept giving us tea as presents, more tea than we knew what to do with. This goal was limited to just the T2 tea, because that was the majority of it, but also because I think I realised I didn't want to make the goal so difficult to achieve that I started hating tea on principle.

I served up tea every chance we got, whenever we had visitors, and often between just my husband and I. And it still took over a year - tha (...more)

This was one of the very first goals crossed off the list. I sent Dad an email shortly after creating the goals list with a link to the music video for 'Path', my favourite Apocalyptica song. He did seem to quite like it.

This goal was crossed off in Melbourne, where my husband and I both went out for a professional hot stone massage on our honeymoon. It was very relaxing, if a little expensive, and was a nice addition to the holiday.

A very easy goal, this made it onto my list purely because I knew I needed some sort of motivation to convince me to sit down and passively watch a TV show. While I used to do a lot of this, in recent years I've largely stopped watching TV and so even my favourite shows needed a little incentive to get me to watch them.

It took me the better part of a year, but I did eventually get around to watching this.

A very straightforward goal, all this was was a motivator to get me to clear out all the useless material taking up space in my filing cabinet.

I believe it took me an hour or two to get through, but at the end of it I had quite a large pile of outdated or useless files ready for recycling, and was able to sort out the rest of it into more logical folders.

It was a boring job, but long overdue.

The only reason I hadn't completed this goal earlier was that it was essentially a dull chore. It only took me about 10 minutes to set it up when I actually got around to doing it (which, to be fair, was only a couple of weeks after creating the list). The hard part was simply overcoming the associated boredom.

As easy as it was, I needed this goal to provide me with enough motivation to get the task done.

This was a surprisingly difficult goal for the 'easy' list, mainly because its entire premise rested on me being able to persuade my husband to do something he had no motivation for.

It took many months of me presenting him with various books and reminders (which progressed to downright pestering) before he finally read one. But it's done, and I've learnt my lesson; I won't try to make him read another one.

In hindsight, this goal was far too easy, because $1010 dollars is not a big ask for savings, and that's assuming I managed to complete every goal on the list. It seemed like a lot of money at the time, but of course I failed to account for the fact I'd need to save up far more than this to be able to afford many other goals on my list.

Still, it's well and truly crossed off now.

'Tsudoku' is a Japanese word we came across from a Facebook meme, meaning 'a pile of books you're meaning to read'. Since that was highly appropriate to me at the time, we kept referring to my ever-increasing tsundoku pile. This goal was the motivation I needed to finally get through it.

By the time I got around to starting this goal, I think there were about 11 books in the pile. It didn't take me long to finish once I'd started, however, only taking me a few weeks to get through it. Some of the books were horrendously boring, but most were OK reading. None were particularly good from recollection, which I'd probably subconsciously guessed, hence why they sat in the pile for so long. (less)

'Tsudoku' is a Japanese word we came across from a Facebook meme, meaning 'a pile of books you're meaning to read'. Since that was highly appropriate to me at the time, we kept referring to my ever-increasing tsundoku pile. This goal was the motivation I needed to finally get through it.

By the time I got around to starting this goal, I think there were about 11 books in the pile. It didn't take me long to finish once I'd started, however, only taking me a few weeks to get through it. Some of the books were horrendously boring, but most were OK reading. None were particularly good fro (...more)

Back when I was running my own business, I bought a Wordpress book under the belief it would teach me the difficult end of Wordpress - such as the coding, for example, or how to create custom themes.

Unfortunately, it turned out to be a guide for the obvious details about operating a blog that most people would be able to figure out just by using Wordpress. There were still some quite useful tips in it, but not really what I was after.

However, without this goal, I probably wouldn't have found the motivation to read what was an uninspiring book otherwise, and I would never have known.

True to this goal, I looked into stem cell treatment for back pain by making an appointment with the sole doctor who dealt with it locally. He seemed to be very competent, but unfortunately couldn't treat me without first locating the source of the pain (my eternal problem is that nobody can pinpoint it).

He referred me onto an osteopath, which I was a little skeptical about given its bad scientific reputation, but the particular person I was referred to apparently had a very good reputation. He was quite confident he'd fixed my problem when I first saw him... but he hadn't, which he was quite surprised by. I was, funnily enough, reassured when he said there was nothing else he could do for me, as it meant that he wasn't a charlatan stringing me along for money.

So this goal led to me exploring not one but two new avenues. Both proved to be fruitless, but were worth a shot. (less)

True to this goal, I looked into stem cell treatment for back pain by making an appointment with the sole doctor who dealt with it locally. He seemed to be very competent, but unfortunately couldn't treat me without first locating the source of the pain (my eternal problem is that nobody can pinpoint it).

He referred me onto an osteopath, which I was a little skeptical about given its bad scientific reputation, but the particular person I was referred to apparently had a very good reputation. He was quite confident he'd fixed my problem when I first saw him... but he hadn't, which he (...more)

Though $300 was a lot of money to me when I started this list, the hardest part of this goal was dealing with the guilt I felt at not making it a bigger amount. To be fair, $300 is more money than I've donated to charity before, but when I directly compared it to the $1000 I was planning to put into superannuation and shares, each, not to mention the money I was putting into savings, it seemed stingy and heartless.

I had to mentally justify it by saying to myself - look, I'm a low-income earner. It makes sense for me to prepare for my own financial wellbeing because I can't trust anyone else to do it for me. And the more money I put into charity, the more likely I am to be in need of charity myself when I'm old if I don't adequately try to pay off my debts or prepare for my future. Which I think is reasonable. But I still feel guilty. Ironically, I think that setting this goal has made me feel more guilty than I would have if I'd decided to donate nothing at all.

I donated all $300 to research in the fight against mesothelioma, the cancer my husband's mother is suffering from. If it can help save her life and the life of others, it's well worth it. (less)

Though $300 was a lot of money to me when I started this list, the hardest part of this goal was dealing with the guilt I felt at not making it a bigger amount. To be fair, $300 is more money than I've donated to charity before, but when I directly compared it to the $1000 I was planning to put into superannuation and shares, each, not to mention the money I was putting into savings, it seemed stingy and heartless.

I had to mentally justify it by saying to myself - look, I'm a low-income earner. It makes sense for me to prepare for my own financial wellbeing because I can't trust anyo (...more)

A very easy goal to complete, this was done within mere weeks of beginning the list. Essentially, I looked up the best UX and UI design blogs I could find, and then followed the best five on Facebook (of the ones which had Facebook pages, which not all did).

It's been very useful so far as I've since been privy to many interesting design articles I would otherwise never have heard about.

This was one of three 'cheat' goals I added to the list, so named because I would have done them regardless of whether they were on the list or not. They were mainly included as a reminder or to-do list of the most important preparations that needed doing in the lead-up.

As it turned out, I needn't have bothered with this one, because although I put the playlist on during the night, it came out so softly that you couldn't hear it at all from the far end of the room. It was only at the end of the night that I realised the cable wasn't plugged in far enough, and by then it was too late.

Of course, that was the smallest debacle of the saga that was our wedding...

Still, I put the effort in and this goal was crossed off. (less)

This was one of three 'cheat' goals I added to the list, so named because I would have done them regardless of whether they were on the list or not. They were mainly included as a reminder or to-do list of the most important preparations that needed doing in the lead-up.

As it turned out, I needn't have bothered with this one, because although I put the playlist on during the night, it came out so softly that you couldn't hear it at all from the far end of the room. It was only at the end of the night that I realised the cable wasn't plugged in far enough, and by then it was too late. (...more)

If you've read my notes on some of the other goals on this list, you may notice a theme whereby I was quite poor at the start of this list. Not the poorest I've been, certainly, but nevertheless on a low income.

Because of this, and because I'd been even poorer previously, most of my work clothes were quite old (some were 10 or more years old!) and a bit too casual. I'd bought three nice pieces when I'd first secured my current job at the time, but it wasn't enough for a full work wardrobe.

So, a month or two after creating this list, I purchased a few new tops and dresses online. Some didn't fit and had to be returned, but I got another three nice pieces out of it and crossed off the goal. Since then, I've exceeded the goal with a second work clothes purchase. It was a simple goal, but one I considered to be important. (less)

If you've read my notes on some of the other goals on this list, you may notice a theme whereby I was quite poor at the start of this list. Not the poorest I've been, certainly, but nevertheless on a low income.

Because of this, and because I'd been even poorer previously, most of my work clothes were quite old (some were 10 or more years old!) and a bit too casual. I'd bought three nice pieces when I'd first secured my current job at the time, but it wasn't enough for a full work wardrobe.

So, a month or two after creating this list, I purchased a few new tops and dresses online. Some (...more)

The original idea behind this goal was to sit down and draw a single detailed illustration by hand (whether on paper or by drawing tablet), then colour it. What actually happened was quite different, and it ended up being one of several goals I completed 'by accident'.

This was completed while doing the game jam goal. I went into the game having no idea what I was going to do, but we came out of it with a card game. As part of the event, I spent about 16 solid hours creating not one but many small card illustrations for said game. Some were better than others, but overall I was fairly proud of them and considered them enough of an accomplishment to cross off this goal. (less)

The original idea behind this goal was to sit down and draw a single detailed illustration by hand (whether on paper or by drawing tablet), then colour it. What actually happened was quite different, and it ended up being one of several goals I completed 'by accident'.

This was completed while doing the game jam goal. I went into the game having no idea what I was going to do, but we came out of it with a card game. As part of the event, I spent about 16 solid hours creating not one but many small card illustrations for said game. Some were better than others, but overall I was fairly (...more)

I always knew this would be an easy goal. I completed this one about four or five months after setting the list. The hardest part was getting started, because I don't watch TV much anymore and find it hard to sit passively by without doing something more active.

Of course, Game of Thrones was so riveting that not only was it easy to finish once we started, but we watched the whole thing in just two or three nights.

Around my old job, I kept hearing people refer to 'Agile', and didn't fully understand what it was. It wasn't directly relevant to my job, but, being dissatisfied with my employment situation, I decided it was in my best interests to find out to help give me an edge in improving said situation.

This one was crossed off early. As it turned out, Agile was a system of management processes, and I spent a few very dull but enlightening hours reading up on its ins and outs. This was a goal that turned out to be easier than I expected, as I thought I would need to do much more in-depth study in order to understand it. It did let me add a new buzzword to my resume, though. (less)

Around my old job, I kept hearing people refer to 'Agile', and didn't fully understand what it was. It wasn't directly relevant to my job, but, being dissatisfied with my employment situation, I decided it was in my best interests to find out to help give me an edge in improving said situation.

This one was crossed off early. As it turned out, Agile was a system of management processes, and I spent a few very dull but enlightening hours reading up on its ins and outs. This was a goal that turned out to be easier than I expected, as I thought I would need to do much more in-depth study (...more)

This was one of three 'cheat' goals I created (so named because I would have completed them regardless of whether I had a goals list or not). All three were incredibly boring wedding-related goals that nevertheless had to be done, and this was my way of reminding myself of their importance and urgency.

It was successfully crossed off prior to the wedding as expected - although the original plan ended up falling apart when one of the bridesmaids decided she didn't like the dress we'd decided on. In the end, I just got everyone to wear a black dress of their own choosing, consistency be damned.

It's no secret that my husband is the better cook between us. Not only am I not as good, but I have a knack for making meals that are literally inedible. Even as recently as a couple of weeks ago, my attempt to make spaghetti turned out as a starchy lump of fused mush. I often blame this on the recipes in which I place my complete trust - they shouldn't assume that people already know they're supposed to do things like remove starch, they should say so (and also how to do it)!

At any rate, the list of recipes I know I can cook well is very small. When I made this list, it had only one item on it - fried shiitake mushrooms. I'd been telling my fiance for years I would make it for him, but because shiitake mushrooms are expensive, and because the recipe required large amounts of them to be in any way filling, I'd been putting it off.

Even after creating this list, it still took me over six months to get around to it. Eventually, though, I got my act together to make the dish, and (as expected) it was delicious. (less)

It's no secret that my husband is the better cook between us. Not only am I not as good, but I have a knack for making meals that are literally inedible. Even as recently as a couple of weeks ago, my attempt to make spaghetti turned out as a starchy lump of fused mush. I often blame this on the recipes in which I place my complete trust - they shouldn't assume that people already know they're supposed to do things like remove starch, they should say so (and also how to do it)!

At any rate, the list of recipes I know I can cook well is very small. When I made this list, it had only one (...more)

This was a bit of a 'cheat' goal, because I would have done it regardless of whether or not I wrote it down. I had three different wedding goals like this, and their purpose in the list was as more of a to-do or reminder list of the most important aspects of wedding preparation rather than anything else.

That said, I crossed it off and didn't have to worry about it anymore.

Simply writing a song would have been too ordinary for this list, as it's something I've done plenty of before. The key difference here was to write a song for somebody else as a commission (whether paid or not).

I crossed it off by writing two songs for a game called 'Dead End Alley', which actually ended up being a paid commission. Or was meant to be. It turned out that the client who was paying the game developer failed to come through with his payment, which meant I didn't end up being paid. A bit disappointing, but I didn't mind too much as I would have written the music for free and wasn't relying on the extra cash.

Since crossing it off, I co-wrote another short piece for a promotional charity video, exceeding the original goal. (less)

Simply writing a song would have been too ordinary for this list, as it's something I've done plenty of before. The key difference here was to write a song for somebody else as a commission (whether paid or not).

I crossed it off by writing two songs for a game called 'Dead End Alley', which actually ended up being a paid commission. Or was meant to be. It turned out that the client who was paying the game developer failed to come through with his payment, which meant I didn't end up being paid. A bit disappointing, but I didn't mind too much as I would have written the music for free (...more)

This was a very easy goal, but it didn't get completed until our honeymoon in March 2015. This was entirely due to financial expense, or I would have organised it much sooner.

Nobu is easily one of the most expensive (and also best) restaurants around, and I'd been to a couple of its branches before. I'd wanted to introduce my husband to it since we started going out, but because of going through an extended phase of being very poor, I'd been unable to.

This goal was made possible a little sooner than expected thanks to my dad treating us to a Nobu dinner for a wedding present. My husband was very impressed (as was I), so I consider it a grand success. (less)

This was a very easy goal, but it didn't get completed until our honeymoon in March 2015. This was entirely due to financial expense, or I would have organised it much sooner.

Nobu is easily one of the most expensive (and also best) restaurants around, and I'd been to a couple of its branches before. I'd wanted to introduce my husband to it since we started going out, but because of going through an extended phase of being very poor, I'd been unable to.

This goal was made possible a little sooner than expected thanks to my dad treating us to a Nobu dinner for a wedding present. My husb (...more)

I'm glad I didn't specify making a *good* smoothie, or this goal would have been failed.

I gave it two attempts. The first was a monument to cooking failure. The blueberries reacted with the milk to congeal the entire thing into a solid pile of mush that wouldn't exit the cup even when you turned it upside-down. This happened after leaving it alone for as little as thirty seconds. You can imagine I refused to drink (or, rather, eat) it after that.

The second smoothie went a little better in that it just thickened to the point of being unappetising rather than turning into a solid. I also made sure to drink it immediately after being poured, but it wasn't nice.

Both methods I tried were recipes from the internet, so I have to assume these people were either lying about making tasty smoothies, or possessed some magical cooking powers that I wasn't bestowed with. I've had delicious blueberry smoothies before, so I know it's possible to make them... but the secret continues to elude me. (less)

I'm glad I didn't specify making a *good* smoothie, or this goal would have been failed.

I gave it two attempts. The first was a monument to cooking failure. The blueberries reacted with the milk to congeal the entire thing into a solid pile of mush that wouldn't exit the cup even when you turned it upside-down. This happened after leaving it alone for as little as thirty seconds. You can imagine I refused to drink (or, rather, eat) it after that.

The second smoothie went a little better in that it just thickened to the point of being unappetising rather than turning into a solid. I a (...more)

Seeing as I made this list of goals on December 14 2014, this was the very first goal I crossed off my list. For the life of me, though, I can't remember what the present was.

Technically, I suppose I've exceeded this goal as I've now bought him a second Christmas present for the subsequent year, and will have exceeded it again by the time I reach the end date of this list.

This goal has been exceeded, since I've been to several very nice restaurants with my parents since setting the goal. However, the one that crossed it off initially was a trip to Galileo's restaurant in Shenton Park for Father's Day 2015.

I can't remember what all the others were, but they were all very pleasant evenings.

I managed to slightly exceed this goal by dying my hair interesting colours twice.

The first time was just before my wedding, where I had large bright red chunks put in my hair, contrasting with a dark brown base. The hairdresser did a fantastic job.

The second time was a couple of weeks before Blazing Swan 2016, when I had green, blue and purple streaks added to my hair in preparation for the festival. This hairdresser did an even better job than the previous one. The blue lasted only a week and was almost invisible by the time of the festival, but it turned out we were doused in so much rain that my hair ended up being tied up into a matted ponytail for the whole event, and nobody got to see it anyway. I have one photo of myself where you can only just see some of the green, and it's an unflattering one I'm unlikely to show to people. (I know it happened, though, which is the important thing.)

The purple lasted about a month and half longer, but the green (albeit faded) persisted for twice as long again, so despite a complete lack of attempts to maintain the colour on my part, I got good value from it. (less)

I managed to slightly exceed this goal by dying my hair interesting colours twice.

The first time was just before my wedding, where I had large bright red chunks put in my hair, contrasting with a dark brown base. The hairdresser did a fantastic job.

The second time was a couple of weeks before Blazing Swan 2016, when I had green, blue and purple streaks added to my hair in preparation for the festival. This hairdresser did an even better job than the previous one. The blue lasted only a week and was almost invisible by the time of the festival, but it turned out we were doused in so m (...more)

The figurines in question were Warhammer figurines (you know, those expensive modelled war games sold at Games Workshop), but we used them to provide miniatures for our Dungeons and Dragons game sessions instead.

My fiance had tried to teach me figurine painting once before, but I'd been so bad at it that I'd quickly become disheartened and wanted to give up too soon. At that time, I'd also been in a vulnerable emotional state due to ongoing distress and low self-esteem regarding my employment situation. This goal was an acknowledgement that I needed to try again when I was in a calmer mood, without feeling like a failure of skill on my part equalled my failure as a person.

About 6 months after I set the goals list, my husband went through a short figurine-painting phase. I capitalised on this, completing my goal by painting several generic zombies to contribute to a zombie army. I also painted one unique warrior figurine (I can't remember exactly what it was). All were a distinct improvement on my first failed attempt, so it was worth it.

I also crossed this one off as part of a "Two Weeks of Fun" event organised by myself and my husband, during which quite a few of my goals were completed. Every day we would host a different event, which we did for 14 solid days. The idea for this one was to host a figurine-painting workshop for our friends to attend.

As it turned out, it was our least popular event of the two weeks by far, and the only one which ended up being cancelled. This didn't stop us from doing it by ourselves, however. (less)

The figurines in question were Warhammer figurines (you know, those expensive modelled war games sold at Games Workshop), but we used them to provide miniatures for our Dungeons and Dragons game sessions instead.

My fiance had tried to teach me figurine painting once before, but I'd been so bad at it that I'd quickly become disheartened and wanted to give up too soon. At that time, I'd also been in a vulnerable emotional state due to ongoing distress and low self-esteem regarding my employment situation. This goal was an acknowledgement that I needed to try again when I was in a calme (...more)

This was the second goal I crossed off my list, less than a fortnight after creating it. My fiance and I had been saying for a while that we should host another board game night, but hadn't been putting in the effort to actually do it.

So, while easy, this goal was the motivation I needed to get my act together and pull together what ended up being a very successful and popular evening.

I have extensive job application experience, so this goal was easy and quick for me to cross off almost immediately. However, I was mostly taking it in conjunction with my two other employment goals, which were to secure a non-entry level job and a salary of at least $60,000, which were significantly more difficult.

I therefore far exceeded this goal with about 20 or 30 job applications under my belt by the time I found a new job. It might seem like this goal was too easy, but it was a very important step towards achieving some of the hardest goals on my list, and well worthwhile.

This was an easy goal in that it required little effort (I'd consider any amount of practice a win), but tough in that I had almost zero motivation to accomplish it. I find poi and fire-dancing beautiful to watch, but have little inclination to add it to my already huge list of hobbies I barely have time for. It serves no professional or practical purpose, there are other hobbies I'd rather spend my time on, and it requires an outdoor area to practice in, which was more effort than I really wanted to put in for something I had such little investment in.

It thus made it onto the list for these two reasons alone:
- My fiance had given me a beautiful, high-quality set of electronic poi that I wanted to do justice to, and
- I hoped it would help ease some of the envy I felt watching my very talented and graceful fire-dancing friends.

I eventually crossed it off at Blazing Swan 2016, the local offshoot of the infamous US Burning Man festival. If ever there was a time to practice using poi, this was it. I'm still absolutely hopeless with poi, but the point was to give it a go and have fun, which I did.

Since then, I've also had a go at swinging a real fire sword at a friend's bonfire, which doesn't quite fit the goal but provided me with a bit of fun in a similar vein. (less)

This was an easy goal in that it required little effort (I'd consider any amount of practice a win), but tough in that I had almost zero motivation to accomplish it. I find poi and fire-dancing beautiful to watch, but have little inclination to add it to my already huge list of hobbies I barely have time for. It serves no professional or practical purpose, there are other hobbies I'd rather spend my time on, and it requires an outdoor area to practice in, which was more effort than I really wanted to put in for something I had such little investment in.

It thus made it onto the list f (...more)

I've known for some years that my digestive system doesn't like coffee very much, but the real reason for this goal was to see if cutting it out of my diet completely would affect my back pain in any way. At this point, I had begun to suspect (following some vague indications) that perhaps my back pain was related to diet in some way.

As it turned out, it wasn't anything to do with coffee. This was a blessing, since I very much enjoy coffee and wouldn't want to give it up forever. It was a worthwhile experiment to run, however.

I was gearing up to plan a Kickstarter project for my tabletop RPG adventure when I started this list, and had already run several test groups by this point. However, it wasn't really enough, and I knew I should run at least one more before Kickstarting the game.

Turns out I was able to exceed this goal by running another three test groups prior to starting the Kickstarter campaign - two through work, and another one among my friends.

When I created my list of goals, my fiance and I had a ton of excess kitchen supplies lying around the house, a result of the double-up of belongings when we moved in together.

We got rid of some items through selling them at a flea market, others by donating them to friends, and the rest we donated to charity.

It didn't take long to cross this one off the list.

This goal was never high up on my list of priorities, but I figured I should listen to a podcast at least once, just so I could say I'd done it. These days I don't have much patience for sitting down and passively observing, and feel the need to be doing at least something else to keep myself occupied simultaneously.

The podcast I chose was 'Welcome to Nightvale', a surreal and dark radio show from the fictional town of Nightvale. It's often compared to the Twilight Zone in tone, although I found it to be more comedic in nature. I listened to about 14 episodes (there are many more), which I considered to be enough to complete the goal. It only took me a few months to cross this one off the list. (less)

This goal was never high up on my list of priorities, but I figured I should listen to a podcast at least once, just so I could say I'd done it. These days I don't have much patience for sitting down and passively observing, and feel the need to be doing at least something else to keep myself occupied simultaneously.

The podcast I chose was 'Welcome to Nightvale', a surreal and dark radio show from the fictional town of Nightvale. It's often compared to the Twilight Zone in tone, although I found it to be more comedic in nature. I listened to about 14 episodes (there are many more), w (...more)