It has been three months since I decided to “forget the plan, but not the idea.” Let’s see how my 15 ideas have turned out.

A huge reason why I started this blog is to keep me accountable to moving forward, to taking risks, and to challenging myself to try new things while hunting for my passion in life. With that in mind, I want to revisit this blog post “3. Forget the Plan, but Not the Idea” that I wrote in November of 2015.

As a refresher, here is a segment from that blog post:

When I was packing up my life I sat down and made a plan for what I wanted to get out of my time in LA. What I decided is that I wouldn’t have a plan at all…I would have an idea. An idea of what I wanted to do, try, and see while taking a step back.

Here is the list I came up with, in no particular order:

1. Put my family first
2. End up somewhere unexpected
3. Further my friendships
4. Exercise 3 times per week
5. Learn a new skill
6. Study for the GMAT
7. Help people think big
8. Apply for MBA programs
9. Do something that scares me
10. Learn to live with less
11. Create something special
12. Make 3 new friends
13. Give something up
14. Let the weather determine the day
15. Live authentically

So how have these ideas shaped up for me three months post-publication?

1. Put my family first – I had “crossed” this off my list three months ago and I still stand by that. My family is still, and always will be, my number one. How could you not love these weirdos?!
2. End up somewhere unexpected – Hell yes. This is one big fat check mark. Between New York, New Jersey, Texas, Oregon, Disneyland, Santa Cruz, Nevada, Lake Tahoe, and Ukiah, I feel like I have been to some of the most unexpected places! Still to come: Oregon 2.0 and Montana. I have a trip to Hawaii in the works too.
   

   

   

   
3. Further my friendships – I still fully believe that this has been an easy to work toward goal. I have made a strong point to rekindle friendships from my LA childhood and still maintain the relationships I formed while living in NorCal for the past 5 years. 
4. Exercise 3 times per week – I have actually been really good about this! I often hit about four workouts a week. I have got really into running again and still love to hike! 
5. Learn a new skill – Well, I wasn’t sure what this skill would be three months ago. Aside from creating a website, I predicted that it would be learning to play the piano. Unfortunately, that has yet to happen (but is still on the list!). Instead, the new skill I have learned is how to wallpaper. Read about it here. 
6. Study for the GMAT – Well, I decided to take the GRE instead of the GMAT, but yes. Check this one off the list. I put aside a few hours each day to study for my graduate testing. Test date is March 11^th! Wish me luck!
7. Help people think big – I had written that maybe this blog would inspire others to think big, as I am trying to. Well, although I cannot attest to the level of my influence, but with readers in over 35 countries now, I would like to think I have touched one or two of you.

   

8. Apply for MBA programs – Yes! My applications are IN! Fall 2016 MBA programs, here I come! 
9. Do something that scares me – Well, much to my mother’s satisfaction, I still have not got a tattoo, nor have I skydived. One thing that I did do is co-pilot an airplane takeoff. That was a really thrilling experience and I cannot wait to do it again!
   

   
10. Learn to live with less – I have written pretty extensively about this already, but I have loved my road to a more minimalistic lifestyle. Read more here. 
11. Create something special – So far I haven’t written a novel, poem, or song, and I haven’t painted a masterpiece. I have, however, come up with a business model that I am pretty excited about. I’ll let you know if it becomes a thing once I have my MBA. 
12. Make 3 new friends – This has been one of my favorite goals. During my travels I have meet so many amazing new people, three of which have already visited me in LA. Once again: check, check, and check.
    

    
13. Give something up – Well, I haven’t really given anything up Lent style, but I will say, with my minimalistic attitude I have not purchased makeup in 5 months. So I guess we can go with that ? Read about my makeup purge here. 
14. Let the weather determine the day – I think I have been pretty good with this. I make it a point to get out of the house daily, whether to work out or visit a friend. With the recent rain in LA, I have been able to start a new book, “Living Well, Running Hard” by John Ball. 
15. Live authentically – This is still a hard goal, but what I find is that as I continue to unapologetically be myself, people become more accepting of me. I love the person that I am, and as I continue to support and love myself, the people around me do it. 

So there you have it, a little public check in to hold myself accountable. I’m not perfect, and I’m not trying to be, but I do strive to be the best version of myself, little by little, one goal at a time.

-TM

What goals are you working toward? Let me know below.