Life Goals & Seizing The Moment

I am generally proactive and fearless in tackling new challenges & trying something new, yet sometimes I find myself sounding like a broken record talking/thinking about the same things over and over again. For whatever reason(s) I often put off, for a later year *ahem* day, the very things that I know (or at least think) will give me a sense of satisfaction. For example, I’ve been ideating for some time now about putting together a comedy act and hitting up some open mic nights, amateur contests, etc., but *errrr* it’s yet to happen and I can’t continue to fool myself with the myriad of reasons excuses I keep coming up with. I mean, what’s the freakin’ problem? What am I waiting for?!

Dreaming is cool  and all, but unless you take elaborate steps to get the ball rolling, it’ll remain just that, a fantasy; or worse yet, before you know it you will grow old and lament that you did not make more of your life and seize each precious moment in a more meaningful way.

Frustrated at the status quo I decided to shake things up…


The main question that I decided to ask is, what can I do differently to get the desired result of being more successful at accomplishing various goals? After a few months of challenging introspection I have decided on an action plan. Here it is…

From a work/business stand point, there’s a stark difference in my output & production on the days that I work off a to-do list vs the days when I do not. Crossing out an item from a to-do list is amazingly gratifying & the structure definitely helps me get more done. So in that spirit, I decided to give in-depth thought about the things that I am genuinely interested in accomplishing and creating a to-do list with these goals. The next step, which is what I am doing right now, is putting myself out there by publishing my “bucket list”, aka life goals. I feel a little exposed by doing so, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing - I’m publicly holding myself accountable and essentially co-opting my social graph to join me on this journey. We all feed off each other sharing energy, inspiration…and knowing that all of you will be joining me on this journey lifts my spirits and gives me courage.

With the publishing of this blog post I am making a social declaration to taking my goals more seriously than I have in the past and being more deliberate in fulfilling them. Life is short and there are just wayyy too many AMAZING experiences to get into for me to not put my best foot forward.


So without further delay, please find my goals list below (finally!)! I will cross out items as I conquer them (or try to) and if there is a compelling backstory, I will share a short blurb for why that goal made my bucket list & how the experience turned out. Should be fun =)

  1. Rent an RV and travel the country
  2. Learn a new language (spanish or Arabic)
  3. Visit more than 50% of the world’s countries
  4. Learn a new dance (cha cha cha, waltz, salsa, uh…belly dancing?=)
  5. Go at least 2 days a month without speaking
  6. Go snow boarding
  7. Write a stand up comedy act and perform it live in front of an audience
  8. Take up astronomy
  9. Help fund the construction or acquisition of a building for the Iranian Cultural & Educational Center 
  10. Fly in a helicopter
  11. Fly in in the cockpit of a plane
  12. Become a wizard magician; specifically, learn at least 5 magic tricks a year
  13. Start a non-profit helping those in need
  14. African safari
  15. Get lost for a day
  16. Keep improving my self-awareness
  17. Join a basketball league
  18. Fire a pistol (shooting range)
  19. Buy some land and build a home in the mountains
  20. Do a better job of staying in touch with people I care/think about
  21. Tell loved ones that I love them without sometimes feeling awkward/self conscious
  22. Climb a volcano
  23. Go to a SuperBowl
  24. Space travel
  25. Drive an exotic car at a race track
  26. Help produce a movie
  27. Welcome a Cane Corso to my family
  28. Dust off & start using my Technique 1200s
  29. Learn to surf
  30. Walk the Great Wall of China
  31. Visit Mecca
  32. Create a song/rap
  33. Get the ole’ 6 pack back
  34. Go whitewater rafting
  35. Go to Rio Carnival
  36. Skydive
  37. Own a bricks and mortar business
  38. Return visit to Iran, my country of birth
  39. Backpacking across Europe
  40. Expand my awareness; be in the moment for longer stretches of time
  41. Memorize Yoda’s best lines
  42. Go snorkeling
  43. Create the emotional space to potentially cry at least once a month
  44. Go in a hot air balloon
  45. Convince my High School & College to add a self awareness class to their curriculum
  46. Visit the Taj Mahal
  47. Audition for a role in a movie
  48. Fall asleep in a hammock
  49. Visit Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa
  50. Take a Yoda Yoga class
  51. Get a boating license
  52. Wear sunscreen whenever hanging out in the sun
  53. Stretch before leaving the gym
  54. Volunteer at a soup kitchen every Thanksgiving
  55. Read at least one book per month
  56. Go to a World Cup
  57. Kwit drinking alcohol for at least 1 year (kicked off on March 26th, 2011)
  58. Eat at least one piece of fruit a day
  59. Fresh squeezed orange juice or a shot of wheat grass per day
  60. Swim with dolphins
  61. Donate clothes and things I no longer wear/use on an annual basis
  62. Conserve energy
  63. Achieve debt freedom
  64. Organize a conference (topic tbd)
  65. Stop wasting food
  66. See the launching of a space shuttle, live
  67. Regularly share my life experiences via a blog
  68. Avoid doing things that make me feel guilty
  69. Learn 1 new word per day & use that new word the following day
  70. Visit the Kremlin/Russia
  71. See Mount Rushmore
  72. Improve on my ability to release negative emotions & limiting beliefs
  73. Take an ice cold shower once a week
  74. Niagara Falls
  75. Parachute jump
  76. Fiji Islands
  77. Drink at least eight 8 ounce glasses of water per day
  78. Live abroad for at least 3 months
  79. Create a “Goals List”  (Done - February 7th, 2011)