That’s the question that made me stop scrolling down my Instagram feed. If you didn’t have to do it perfectly, what would you do? Not only was it an unusual post for my feed, but it also got me thinking two things:
- What a great question
- Why hadn’t I thought of it before?
As someone who has a bazillion goals-one of which is to grow physically and mentally-the question is straight to the point, challenging and meaningful all at once to answer. I think it can actually help people who are currently stuck in life and don’t know the next steps to take, while also serving as a goal-setting prompt.
So, for today’s blog post, I thought it would be interesting to give you my top 10 answers to the question and expand on each point:
1. Read my poetry in front of an audience
So here’s the thing, I’m a writer not a speaker. Why do you think I write poetry, have a blog, work in PR and write on Wattpad!? This is just my preferred way of expressing my thoughts, feelings and experiences with the world. I feel like reading my work to an audience is a completely separate experience, however, I’m not sure why I haven’t gone through with it yet.
2. Learn how to paint
I love learning new things! I actually started painting a while ago, but stopped because I felt like I didn’t understand the ‘concepts’ and wasn’t satisfied when my pieces were finished, but didn’t look like what I had envisioned in my mind. Did I just sum up every artists’ dilemma?
3. Host a live event
Again, back to the public speaking. Sigh. Fun fact: public speaking is still the #1 phobia that people have. Yes, even before spiders, heights and tight spaces. Furthermore, 3 in 4 people have speech anxiety. With that being said, I clearly want this to change. I mean look at my list for crying out loud. Human beings are social beings. So wouldn’t that also mean that being social is having the ability to communicate?
4. Learn parkour
It looks so dope! Yes, it seems risky, but I want to physically challenge myself. For me it’s more of a ‘letting go of control’ type of experience. It’s also getting over that fear of the future–aka what could happen after I jump over that fence, or figuring out if I do have the strength to climb all the way up a wall, onto the top of a house–and finally being able to feel like I’m on top of the world.
5. Start my own business
I have so many ideas that I want to develop. With a business, I can do anything I want to do. While I’m aware of the risks of having your own business, I’m willing to sacrifice that for freedom, creativity and flexibility.
6. Sing in front of an audience
I like to think I have a good voice. I’m no Adele, but I can hit a note or two haha. I love singing. I do it in the kitchen, in the shower, while cleaning to annoy my siblings…I don’t know, it’s just part of my love for music. When I watch musicals, I’m that person who saves the original soundtrack album to my Spotify account.
7. Deliver a motivational speech
I’ve been moved by many influencers on social media and people in real life as well. I like to believe that at one point, it will be my turn to inspire someone in real life to make a positive change.
8. Make a piece of clothing
Clothes–we all wear them. But where do they come from? WELL, how it works is a person designs the outfit (by hand or on a computer) and then sews it or gets someone to sew it. Oftentimes, ‘poor’ countries like Bangladesh, China, India and Turkey, normally mass produce clothing. Keeping that in mind, I want to stop supporting brands that exploit these countries and learn how to make my own clothes.
9. Traditionally publish a book
I’ve published stories on Wattpad, but I’d really love to have my work physically printed. I’ve done my research and have been working hard on my ideas, so hoping it’ll happen soon–fingers crossed!
10. Travel alone to _______
Maui. Belgium. The Netherlands. Morocco. Australia. Iceland. New Zealand. South Africa. Alaska. San Francisco. Greece. Norway. Bali. Saint Maarten. England. Vancouver. Yukon. Arizona. Japan. I just want to discover new foods and experience different cultures (but I’m mostly interested in the food).
Well, that’s my list. If I took anything from doing this exercise is that I have goals that are pretty do-able. The only things truly stopping me are my introversion and my fears.
However, now that I know what’s holding me back, I can actively practice public speaking, presentations and everything else in order to reach my full potential.
If you read all the way down to the very bottom of my post, I want YOU to make your own list and share it with me in the comments below. Let’s work on this together 🙂
xo,
Aissatou