Taking a note from Chris Guillebeau, creator of the online manifesto ‘A Brief Guide to World Domination’ and author of ‘The Art of Non-Conformity,’ I’m beginning the process of narrowing down my goals by creating a ‘life list’ of anything and everything I’d like to accomplish before I die. Of the twenty ideas I’ve jotted down so far, here are a few that I surprised myself with:

• Dye my hair pink
• Take my nieces and nephews on a trip
• Plan a wild and wildly successful birthday party for someone I love
• Live in another country for longer than 4 months

And here are what I’ll call the ‘vanilla’ variety of my life goals, not because they are less exciting, but they are things I expect to see on most people’s bucket lists these days:

• Run a half marathon
• Own a house
• Learn to play the guitar
• Travel through Asia

This blog is my first stab at reaching another goal on my life list: Create a blog that garners a readership of over 200 readers in just one year. I will make some big changes in my life over the course of this year that I have been avoiding out of fear, and share all the photos, epiphanies, downfalls and triumphs along the way, so as to give you the courage to knock down your own walls.

One of the items on my bucket list has been to get professional photos taken that make me feel sexy. Every woman deserves to feel sexy and strong and powerful. Earlier this year, a Living Social deal for ‘Boudoir Photos’ managed to escape my usual early-morning bulk-email archive activity. Awkward is a mild word for how I felt the entire time Ian was shooting me; I thought my nerves were painted all over my body. But instead, Ian was able to capture a side of me that is so natural and confident, and I’m really proud to show these to my grandkids someday.

Have you done something lately that will make your future grandkids proud? Share you story below.

With courage, love, and intensity,

Kristen

Photo credit: kharied / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND