I am very excited to bring you today’s guest post by my good friend, the “ahhh-mazing” Natalie Hartford. She’s an urban redneck; a cross-breed of city girl and redneck. She loves high heels, bling, all things pink and sparkly along with ball caps, 4X4ing, camping, and drinkin’ beer. She often mistakes tacky for fahbulous! She’s also a writer just starting out in the adventure of novel writing and has been blogging for about a year and a half. She entertains me with posts such as women peeing standing up, Twisted Tuesday fun with stuff like sunglasses that rock my beer or a new trailer hitch stripper pole, and her Urban Word Wednesdays where she teaches us words like masturcising and vajazzle.
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I am super excited to be here Jessica, thanks so much for having me at your digs. It’s so fun and fresh here. The color just picks my mood up and sets me on my way!
This January instead of making a New Year’s resolution, I made a quit list. My quit list included a number of things I want to stop doing in order to become more productive in my life. I am determined to stay focused and centered on my priorities this year! And although I love my quit list, I am a strong believe in what you focus on grows so I decided to make a Love List as well. You know, gotta cover my bases from every angle of the karma spectrum!
My Love List is a compilation of things I’d love to do or start doing in 2012. When I started my Love List, I eliminated roadblocks and dream killers. This isn’t a list I’ll be accountable to and I won’t be crossing things off or feeling guilty about undone tasks at the end of the year.
On the contrary, I plan on adding things to my Love List while removing other things throughout the year because I want my Love List to grow, change, and flourish with me. It’s a reflection of who I am, my dreams and my inner most goals. I plan on using my Love List to fuel my creativity by being a constant reminder of what is most important in my life.
My 2012 Love List:
- Learn Spanish
- Read writing craft books
- Take some online writing courses
- Read a lot of fiction in a variety of genre
- Travel to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
- Walk the dog more often
- Eat healthy and exercise more
- Rework my office so it reflects me and my writing
- Do more spontaneous romantic gestures to hubby
- Be a great friend
- Make new friends
- Be a supportive blogger
- Take time for me
- Learn to meditate
- Write a book
- Have as much fun as possible
- Learn to snowmobile
- Be authentic and honest
- Enjoy more compassion
- Do meaningful work
- Learn a new hobby (like Jessica learning archery – sooo cool and such an inspiration)
What would you really love to do in 2012 (and beyond)? Have you made a Love List before? Will you?
Thank you again for having me Jessica! It’s been fun!
Woot woot – thanks so much for having me Jessica! I can’t wait to hear about everyone’s love list!
Thank you for stopping by!! Just don’t go too crazy with the bedazzle gun.
Loved it! I’m a list maker too, and I ofeten create those lists. Sometimes the satisfaction of writing a check mark near one item is greater than the satisfaction of accomplishing the item itself
I’ve never created a quit list, though, and I find the idea brilliant.
And, of course, the term “love list” is just genius. I make them every year, but I just name them “to-do lists”. Lame
Thanks, Natalie and Jessica!
You are so right Fabio, there’s something so fulfilling about feeling like you are reaching some of your biggest and bravest dreams. It’s makes life sparkle!
Ah yes – the LOVE list – the name is definitely more inviting than “to do”. LOL!
Thanks for swinging by Fabio!
Yes, Quit List and Love List are so much better than To-Do List! Must change those list titles
Great post Natalie. Thanks for having her Jessica.
HAHAHAHA!! Soooo true Raelyn!!
I’d love to learn French and piano, but I know I can satisfy all my passions while working full time and pursuing a writing career. So I’m sticking to writing passions (and walking every morning!)
Great list! I’d also like to walk my dog more (though part of what’s been holding me back the past couple months is the Canadian winter
) I’d love to start playing my violin again, go rock climbing more with my husband, and I have a whole list of new hobbies I’d like to at least try.
I used to make many lists. I loved crossing things off. It gave me a sense of accomplishment. And now, I don’t know what happend to that. Maybe it’s because I’m older. I don’t feel the sense to rush, or get it done right now or I will self destruct. Maybe it’s because I feel that sometime it doesn’t matter how hard you push, things will get done in their own due time. So I make mental lists now. And it a certain something doesn’t get done today, then tomorrow is another day my friend. Not to worry, it will evenually get done or it really wasn’t as important as I thought it was. This had helped me be more at peace with things. But I definitely would, if I could, put Punta Cana on my mental list too Natalie. In fact in my mind, I’m already there!
Thanks Jessica for being such a gracious host and having Natalie as your guest! What a joy!
What a great list! I know you’re working really hard to meet all of those goals, and major props to all the healthy strides you’ve taken so far this year.
I think the idea of a quit list is great, because that’s the only way to truly change bad habits. That said, a love list is wonderful, too. Nice rewards for all the hard work:)
What a great title: The LOVE List! I have a life list of sorts (My 40 After 40 list of forty things to do after I turn forty, which I have). It includes singing at a karaoke bar, learning to tap dance, riding in a small plane (preferably open cockpit), and taking another family vacation.
Natalie, you forgot ‘peeing standing up’!
Reading your Love List has made me feel worn out – I’m going for a lie down
This is a wonderful idea! I think it would be so refreshing to make a list that you don’t necessarily plan to accomplish. I mean, there’s always that notion of wanting to tick items off it…but with a life full of lists already, it would be fun to make something like this. Thanks for the idea, Natalie!
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I love the idea of a love list! I’m a lousy quitter. I have a ton of bad habits that I can’t break. Maybe having a love list is the way to go. I look at my quit list and feel bad, so I head straight into self-flagellation. The love list as you have it -not goals, but things you’d love to do – is a great idea. No more looking at all the times in the past I have failed, but at things I may get to do some day in the future.
I have a few lists but I’ve never had a “love list” – this is amazing. I would love to have a love list now. Off I go to make one. Yippee, thank you, sista!