This week I realized that it is going to take some real organization and planning to make sure I complete all Forty-Two Things by March 7, 2022. Sure, it’s six and a half years away, but adulting really makes time fly. And so many of the Things have many components. I mean, I have nearly 300 books to read (or get rid of), 106 recipes to prepare, and I have to learn to crochet well enough to make stuff like this:

Awesome Harry Potter patterns from Crochety Crochet.

or this Baby Groot from Twinkie Chan!

Although, who are we kidding, I’ll be thrilled when can make stuff like this:

Also awesome washcloths from Craftyholics Anonymous.

There’s also a financial planning element involved with the traveling Things like going to the Grand Canyon, a beautiful beach, and a place where we can get stamps in our passports (and getting the passports). So I realized I should break the list down a little more, create some categories, and start budgeting my time and money.

Enter…a spreadsheet! I created a spreadsheet to classify Things that will take lots of time, Things that will take a little or a lot of money, Things that will require the help of another person, among other classifications. I selected 10 Things to start between now and March 7, 2016.

Two of them are done — this blog and organizing Librarything. I’m nearly done rereading the Hitchhiker’s Guide series. I’ve started working on the Read or Rid Thing, and I’m writing a humor essay to submit for publication. I have seven more Things I need to start over the next six months:

1. Cook all the recipes in a cookbook, (I was going to start this one last weekend, but our air conditioner went out. Cheddar Swirl Breakfast Buns, we will meet soon.)
2. Blog regularly for six months,
3. Finish a 10k.  This one will take some training so I figured it’s best to start early. Also will complement the Cookbook Thing,
4. Send handwritten letters to 20 people, and
5. Learn to crochet.

Beyond that, I made goals for Things I want to have completed by my birthday in 2018, 2020, and of course 2022. I’m sure I’ll break it down into smaller goals as I go along. I’m saving most of the travel things for when Fig is at least five years old, which gives me time to save up for the trips, and several of the making things Things will have to wait until Fig is old enough to help.

So far so good, y’all. Thanks for following this journey with me!