48 in 480

I am new to the world of blogging, and 'world' is just what it is. I had no idea of the immense number of blogs out there. Literally tens of thousands of people putting their thoughts, ideas and inspirations into print for others to read. On one hand it feels a little voyeuristic, sometimes its almost so huge and diverse its a bit scary, and often times I have to stop myself hopping from blog to blog as I feel little obsessions that eat up otherwise useful time growing, but mostly I am touched and inspired.

This week I have read two blogs that gave me energy. One has inspired this post, and the other will filter through in the weeks to come, no doubt.

As most of you know we have been living in the UK since 2005, and plan to be here until summer 2009. This is the country of my childhood, and I had great plans to show as much of it to Marti and the boys as possible - after all it’s a fairly small island that would fit into Alberta, or so I'm told!

Have you ever noticed that when you live in a place or know it well apathy takes over and you never manage to actually do any of the things that draw others there? This is what is happening to us. We have seen lots of great places, but not enough. Much of the parts of Europe that intrigue me are left un-explored.

So, in true planner, list maker, J-type fashion I have decided to embark on a project inspired by Sarah, who was in turn inspired by the '101 things to do in 1001 days project' Here begins '48 in 480'
Let me explain. 480 is the approximate number of days left for us in the UK. 48 is the number of goals I am going to set for that time. I should add a disclaimer here. I may add more. It’s just that 48 scans well with 480. I'm ever the perfectionist when it comes to neatness of prose.
Also, not just anything will make the list. As Sarah says, its a 'To Live list rather than a To Do list'. To be added to the list an item has to push boundaries, enrich our collective lives, make an impact on the future, or take steps toward a longer term, or long held goal. The things on the list will not only be intentional (by their very nature) by accomplished with intentionality, i.e. thought will go into the journey, not just the end result.
Here comes the teacher in me... My goals will also be SMART - that, for those of you not in my Personal and Educational Development seminar, equates to Specific, Measure, Achievable, Relevant, and Time Bound (hence the 480 days!)

So, wish me luck... Its Day 0. List making starts tomorrow....