45 And Countin' em Down

Last week I threw out the idea that I was considering a personal challenge to further expand on my list of 45 Things I Know Right Now and blog about each list item. I have a few cheerleaders out there saying I should do it.

One reason to do this would be to infuse some direction and commitment to my blog. My blog has always been a place of unpredictability and surprise. You can't expect to see me routinely participating in weekly blog games or having my own predictable structure. Apparently, I don't have the discipline for such routine. Frequently, I surprise myself by what and when I post. But that spontaneity has turned into an act of floundering. The structure of knowing I have at least 45 topics to tackle may help to cure my case of the blogger blues.

Another key impetus is for me to personally explore those sweeping statements I made. My list simmered in my head over a few days and was boiled down to the top 45 right before I published. By taking on each list item individually, I can fully understand why each was thrown into the pot. For example, I know I said

1. Family relationships can be the most challenging and gratifying ones -high stakes but grand rewards.

But what do I really mean by that? I need to get deeper into that and all the others statements to make sure my list is complete and accurate. My husband paid me a great compliment after he read the list. He said he really thought I captured a fair representation of myself and how I try to live my life, which could be support for

25. Honesty and integrity are the most important traits of healthy relationships...with yourself and others. 

As I take on this challenge, I better be careful though not to become the object of my own proclamation that

33.  An unexamined life is not worth living (credited to Socrates) but an overanalyzed one without change or action is tiresome (credited to me). 

So through this process, I will do my exploration with the goal of amending my list and my life if needed changes are discovered along the way. And I will be sure to remember that

17. There is humor in everything.

Otherwise, no one (including me) will want to keep up with this exercise.

With that, I have convinced myself to take my personal challenge. I do need to set some parameters though. To be clear, I will NOT be doing all 45 items within 45 days. I can't blog on a daily basis and I know it. I'll loosely set a 45 week deadline. I can work within that.

And I won't be addressing the list in numerical order. I will stick with my tried and true approach to blogging of unpredictability and surprise and blog what's on my mind at the time. So I'll be jumping all around my list. Don't you worry; it will be my own little mess to keep up with what numbers I have and haven't addressed. You won't have to do a thing to keep it straight.

Just so you know, I'll likely tackle the easier topics first. Which proves my point of

25. Many things you don't want to do are precisely the things that you should do.

Drat!