I don’t want to describe myself as a world traveler, since I’ve only seen a small fraction of the earth. In fact, I haven’t even made it to all 50 states yet. However, considering it’s approximately 25,000 miles around the world, I have traveled over 28,000 miles in my first 5 months of retirement, so I’m already working on a second loop around the globe! I will, undoubtedly, more than double that travel mileage total in the next 6 months, based on what we have planned. I have a goal of reaching a million miles in the 20 years of my retirement.
Goals are just as important in retirement, as they have been all my life. I religiously have put together a list of business and personal goals for as long as I can remember, and that won’t change. I love to make lists, diaries, and logs, as this is all part of visualizing and accomplishing dreams.
Here are 20 of my personal goals, to show that I practice what I preach:
- Run three miles every day, but at least one mile regardless of the circumstances.
- Attend at least one exercise class every week.
- Get at least 7 hours sleep every night.
- Talk or write with my son and grandchildren each week. Contribute to their education and expenses.
- Post at least one article every day on www.blog.johnstonwrites.com
- Write at least one poem each week.
- Spend at least $2,500 monthly on travel (as opposed to save for the future – well, the future is here)
- Learn something new every day.
- Read a book each week.
- Win at Spider Solitaire every day – just for fun.
- Complete a Seven Little Words puzzle every day – keep my brain sharp
- Weigh myself every day, hoping to lose 5 more pounds.
- Add to my collection(s) each week. (baseball cards, limoges boxes, stamps, coins, sports memorabilia)
- Celebrate with my wife weekly on our Wednesday Date Night.
- Enjoy some time with the dogs (and cat) each day.
- Call my sister every Monday (a habit established with my parents before they passed away).
- Cook dinner every Tuesday night.
- See the beauty in life each day
- Take my Grandchildren someplace special each year.
- Pay off my credit cards each month without fail (debit card priority)
It’s my granddaughter’s 8th birthday. They are celebrating at Disney world this week. Since we’ll be missing this special occasion, the best I could do was send a Disney birthday package of a cake, balloons, snacks, and personalized mouse ears to the room. I will see them all in Florida in July and again in August when we all travel to San Francisco. I wish we had more time together, but work circumstances for my wife have led to thousands of miles between us.
Here are some of the items on our combined bucket list (if you write them down – you do them):
Hot Air Balloon Ride over Napa Valley (wife has not been in a Hot Air Balloon)
Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Festival
Helicopter Ride over the Grand Canyon (wife has not been in a helicopter)
Round the World Cruise (when we’re both retired)
Hot Springs and Diamond Crater (search for raw diamonds) – both in Arkansas
Marfa, Texas
Lobster in Maine (Fall) – one of my two missing states
Mt Rushmore (wife has not been there)
Yellowstone Park (wife has not been there)
Arches National Park
Vancouver Gardens
Northern Lights
London Theater District
Venice (planned for 2018)
Egyptian Pyramids
Jungle Safari
Live by the Beach
French Laundry dinner (on a waiting list for August)
Machu Pichu
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Cowboy Stadium Dallas
Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame
Billy Joel Concert (planned for December 8th)
Parthenon (planned for 2018)
Return to Rocamadour, France
Hood to Coast Run (planned for August)
Watch my wife’s daughter get her Doctorate diploma
Super Bowl
MLB All-Star Game (planned for July)
Greek Islands (planned for 2018)
Croatia (planned for 2018)
Portugal/Spain
Ireland/England
NYC Annual -3 Broadway Shows each year
Florida Annual (son and grand kids)
DC Annual (daughter)
Kauai Hawaii
Annual Family Vacation
Crater Lake
Moab, Utah
Madison Square Garden Game
Rose Bowl and Parade
LA Coliseum Game
Macy’s Day Parade in NYC
Blair Place – Mendocino, California (Murder She Wrote Bed and Breakfast)
Las Vegas annual
College World Series
Football Hall of Fame Canton, Ohio
Iceland
Alaska Cruise (one of two missing states)
Thailand
Japan
Great Wall of China
Acapulco
Australia/New Zealand
It seems a little greedy, but I’ve got 20 years to get there, providing that the “Hassles of Retirement” do not include health issues.
Hot Air Balloon ride does not need to be over Napa Valley; just so long as you’ll go with me. 🙂