Creating a life list is one of the best ways to make sure you use your time and resources in order to accomplish or experience what you really want out of life. If you have been considering creating a life list, or if you want to expand a list you already have, remember that your health is one of the most important factors in your life – it keeps you alive!

Looking after your health could not only be a goal on its own, it could allow you to reach all your other goals. Without your health you cannot do anything. So, whether your health goals are to have the strength and energy to do anything you want, to look and feel fit or to age well, all your goals are achievable and even more so if you write them down and set out to achieve them.

Decide on what you want to add onto the health section of your life list and follow these simple steps: Start acting on them – plan out the successful path towards these goals. Secondly, be reminded of the list at all times – use environmental reinforcement and put the list up in a prominent spot where you will see it everyday or very regularly. A good idea would be to set it as your computer wallpaper, pin it on your notice board, print it out, or stick it on your locker, refrigerator door or wardrobe. Then, share the goals or ideals with your family and friends – you can even inspire them to create their own life lists, because by letting them know what your aspirations are, they can constantly remind you of them, and you will have more accountability for your own list. Lastly, review your list regularly – cross out the things after you have done or achieved them. See if some of the items have become irrelevant or if there are new things you might want to add. A good idea is to add new items as soon as you have crossed off another. Here are ten things you can add to your life list to better take care of your health.

1. Achieve your ideal weight, but more specifically, a weight that you will feel comfortable with. Make a clear end goal, tell yourself how much you want to weigh, detach yourself from how much you weigh now, and think whether you are willing to commit yourself to achieving this goal over the long-term. Constantly remind yourself of the end goal, and get an outfit ready which you would love to wear once you have achieved your ideal weight.

2. Run. Try finishing a 10km, half marathon (21km), full marathon (42km), ultra marathon (56km) or even train for the Comrades (almost 90km). The sense of achievement when finishing a task which took months of training and being rewarded for it has immense mental benefits, never mind the fact that the exercise is very good for you.

3. Take up a new sport. Try technique sports like golf or ice skating, a water sport like scuba diving or snorkelling, a group sport like soccer or cricket, or a racket sport like squash or even table tennis. Try anything that would be a challenge, but that you would still enjoy. There are thousands of sports activities to choose from, just do a little research and you will find something suitable for you.

4. Take up dancing. There is no better way to have fun and stay fit. Try salsa dancing, the tango, foxtrot, Latin, hip hop, tap dance, line dancing, belly dancing, the rumba, ballet or the cha-cha – whatever tickles your fancy.

5. If you are not a vegetarian, try out vegetarianism for roughly three weeks and experience it for yourself. After that, try veganism followed by raw veganism. Conclude which diet is best for you; even if you don’t pick one, at least you tried it.

6. Kick a bad habit. Quit smoking, eating take-out, drinking sodas or caffeine. Ask a few friends to join you for some extra motivation. It could be hard to quit a bad habit because it has most likely become some sort of an addiction, but the long-term benefits and sense of vitality that you will gain will make it worth the while.

7. Go on a meditation retreat. It will fill you with an inner sense of calmness and a balanced mind. Meditation does not only have short term benefits, which is the great thing about it. You can equip yourself with the knowledge to meditate on a daily basis to keep the peace and balance within your mind, body and soul whilst reaping the long-term benefits.

8. Take up a martial art such as Kung Fu, Jujitsu, Tae Kwon Do, Judo or Aikido. Not only will you get relief of tension and a great workout, but you will also learn how to better defend yourself which allows for a great sense of empowerment.

9. Start a special garden to grow your own fruit and/or vegetables. This saves money, is a great pass time and is also healthy. You could even grow your own herbs and soon enough your grocery bill will decrease drastically. Growing your own fruit and vegetables will also ensure there are no unnatural additives in your food and will help you feel full of vitality as well as keep your organs younger and in better condition.

10. Find yourself. You need to find out where you stand in your current state of spiritual growth. If you do not know where you stand, you cannot possibly know where you are going. Once you know where you are, you can better prepare actionable plans in the future. Take yourself on a journey to discover the real you – what you like, want and need.

Try to never limit your life list to a certain definition, rather focus on all aspects of your life and dreams. Sometimes, things that never occurred to you will present themselves, and life will start coming at you at an incredible speed, but as mentioned before, your health and well-being is extremely important when you want to pursue your goals.

There is no reason your life list should ever be empty. There is such an incredible wealth of things, events, activities and experiences to go through in life, that it is impossible that we will ever be done living.

“If you do not know where you stand, you cannot possibly know where you are going... Take yourself on a journey to discover the real you – what you like, want and need.”

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