Do you ever find yourself stuck, feeling in a rut? Dare I say bored in your life? As a leadership and life coach, one might think I had this stuff figured out, and yet I found myself telling my coach (yes, coaches have coaches!) that I was bored. Given that she is an outstanding coach, mentor, and human, she simply looked at me. You know that way they do … because you have the answer within yourself, and it really is your job to figure out what you want to do about it? Coaches are annoying that way.
After a rather frustratingly long silence, she asked, “What do you want?” I paused and reflected. What do I want? What do I really want? Dropping the initial “shoulds” and “have to’s,” I said, “I want to try new stuff, but not stuff that sucks.” (I can be eloquent that way.) As we explored what that might look like, she ended our call with a challenge: Come up with 50 things that do not suck. (Am I allowed to use the word “sucks”?)
I noodled on that for a week or so, and then came across a link to Rob LaZebnik’s article in the Wall Street Journal “How to Avoid Being Boring at 60”. LaZebnik decided to try 60 new things outside his comfort zone as a reclamation/celebration of turning 60. Big, small, ridiculous, outrageous, or banal, I was inspired. I could do that! And handily I had my 54th birthday approaching. Caught in the excitement, I took pen to paper and started writing down 54 things I could do this year that did not suck, cost a lot of money, run afoul of the law, and/or potentially cause injury. Here’s a smattering of some of them:
- Throw an axe (I’m from Idaho and somehow this has never happened.)
- Get permanent fake eyelashes. (Don’t judge me!)
- Make a piece of pottery.
- Make pasta from scratch.
- Throw out a first pitch.
- Get thrown out of a baseball game. (Again, don’t judge. I will ask politely.)
- Hug a nun.
- Stay overnight in a yurt.
- Attend the raspberry festival at St. Gertrude’s.
I posted the list on social media (as one is wont to do) and received an outpouring of love and support. People offering to help with some of my items: Sarah will go paddle-boarding; Lauren will help start a fire from scratch; and Tiphaine will pull taffy and make a basket! Others were inspired to start their own lists. One friend even decided to put donated food in Little Lending Library Pantries for her birthday as a tribute to the list. Who knew it would inspire both love and action in others?
So far, I have thrown an axe. It was a rather large axe, and the results were less than spectacular. (Note to self: Walking on a trail with a large axe can be a bit socially awkward, but the additional space you get on the trail is so worth it.) However, I did it! Cross it off! Most importantly, we laughed ridiculously hard and made the silliest of memories.
What would be on your list? What might you do this year? Who might you inspire and/or confuse with a random list of 50 things that do not … reinforce soul-killing boredom?
With you along the way, inspiring both love and action!
On paper, Laurie Whitcomb is an Oxford educated, certified Human Resources professional with a thriving career in the Federal Judiciary. In practice/person, Laurie is a deeply human student of life, a leadership and life coach, mindfulness practitioner, and dedicated “whole person” cultivator. She is passionate about bringing head and heart together in every coaching conversation and actively “walking beside” all humans as they work to get un-stuck and flourish. When not championing growth, development, equity, and inclusion, Laurie can be found practicing yoga, listening to podcasts, and offering helpful advice to baseball umpires throughout Washington State.
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