Lots of people make bucket lists — the things that they want to do before they “kick the bucket” and die. I’ve never made one, nor am I big on creating New Year’s resolutions.
Still, since the decision to have weight loss surgery grew from facing the fact that my obesity was making so many things more difficult or impossible for me to do, I realized that I was starting to think of things I couldn’t wait to try or do once I lost weight. I began to keep a promise list of the experiences I’m looking forward to in the future. When I think of something else I write it down and usually call one of my friends and share the new item.
Some of the promises are basic. I’m looking forward to walking with more ease, no pain, and easy breaths. Some involve trips. I want to go to Hawaii. I want to zip line in Costa Rica. I also want to take a trip to Disney World and the other theme parks with grown-up friends, walk all around the parks and go on every ride. There are at least a dozen other things on my list that range from improvements in my daily life to more elaborate adventures.
The process of imagining the things I want to see and do makes me smile, gives me hope and helps me stay on the path to success with my weight loss journey. The dreams are bright, shiny and, best of all, absolutely attainable.
I’m already on the way.
Do you have a promise list? What’s on it? Is anything keeping you from checking items off of your list?
Weighty Matters 
[…] on February 9th, I posted about my Promise List. (You can see that post here.) In the comments of my post yesterday at Reinventing Fabulous, someone asked if I’d mind […]
Oh I love disney. dh and i went there on vacation and let me tell ya there were more adults, esp forty and over than there were families with kiddos. It’s a GREAT fun destination and you have to do Soarin at Epcot, so cool
My promise list is full of places I want to go and see – pyramids in Egypt, castles in Scotland, the French countryside – things I’ve read about or seen pictures of but want to experience first hand.
ZIP LINE!!! Whoo-hoooo! There’s one in Hawaii I’ve heard of that is like 7 or so zip lines, all one after another down a mountain. How cool would that be?
Backpacking, just for a weekend, as my back improves and some weight comes off so I don’t have to carry it and the pack.
Karen, can you find out more info about the one in Hawaii? I saw one on Hawaii 5-0, so I guess it’s in Honolulu. I could do that when I make the trip to Hawaii and combine two things from the growing promise list. Woot!
There’s information at http://www.hawaiiinfoguide.com/zipline.htm Some of them have weight restrictions, or health restrictions, so you’d need to check them out beforehand. That didn’t sound mean, did it? Because I didn’t mean to sound mean, just informational-like. Because I have plans, unformed but real, to come down to Key West and visit you!
Not mean at all. Thanks for the info!
If you’ve never been to the Keys, or even if you have, it’s definitely a great place to visit!
Me, too! and the zip line in Costa Rica!
I’m in for a Disney trip. 😉