The Fun of Having a List of 100 Dreams

I love lists. Is that an Enneagram One thing? I’m sure it ties into being a completionist. I also love planning. Of course, I had a bucket list. But most of the items on my bucket list seemed too far off in the future. They were ideas for when the kids were older or even grown. For when we had free time. For when we could afford big dreams. So when I heard Laura Vanderkam talking about having a list of 100 dreams, I was intrigued.

100 Is a Lot of Dreams

Laura writes about having this list in her book 168 Hours. The beauty of this list is that 100 dreams is a lot. It sounds easy at first, but once you’ve gotten the big, bucket list items out of the way, you’ll probably only be about a third of the way there. You’ll have to start thinking smaller. And, as it turns out, smaller is a lot more doable in any given year. I would love to visit Paris someday. That was an easy addition. But I can’t do much to get there in my current season of life. What I can do is work on item #26, learn the basics of a new language.

Because I love lists and planning, I incorporate my list of 100 dreams into my annual planning. I try to pick out 10 or so dreams I could accomplish in a given year. Sometimes that’s too many. Sometimes I finish them all and get to tackle a few more! I also add to the list so that even as I complete items, the total of uncompleted items hovers around 100. And of course, I keep them in a Disney-themed notebook so I don’t lose track of them.

Every so often, I love to plan out the next decade. I assign one or two fabulous trips to each year. I dream about what order we will renovate our house in. The ages my kids will be affects what we’ll be able to do together. (It’s heartbreaking to realize that my oldest will be an adult in 10 years!) And I sprinkle in the other smaller projects.

Of course, that dream decade isn’t going to be possible (unless I win the lottery). Certain items will get pushed. I won’t be able to complete 10 items from the list every year. But it’s fun for me to dream about. That part might not be fun for you, but I still think having the list is worthwhile. It’s a great way to think about fun you might be able to add to your daily life. Here are some categories to consider as you think about your own list.

Travel

This is a big one for a lot of people. I’ve got some international trips on my list, like Paris and London. But we’re Disney people too. So once I’d checked off the baseline “take the kids to Disney World,” I thought about some other Disney experiences I’d like to have. For example, I’d like to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge for a couple nights while the kids are still young enough to be intrigued by the animals. I wanted to do a trip just with my husband and stay at the Grand Floridian. We got to check that off last year! We’re staying at another new-to-us resort this summer. So even if you like to return to the same vacation spot year after year, think about what new experiences it can offer!

Home Improvement

My travel dreams often conflict with my home improvement dreams. I like the idea of alternating a trip with a project, but sometimes the pull of Disney is just too strong! However, I’m learning that completing these projects can make a big difference in how much I enjoy my home. So I’m trying to include smaller, more manageable projects on my list. Maybe there’s one closet I want to reorganize. Or a piece of furniture to replace. Or a Lacanche range I want to convince my husband we need…

Kids

Experiences I want to have with my kids took up a good part of my initial list. And then when I had another baby several years later, I was able to add some of the items back, like reading him a thousand books before kindergarten and teaching him to read. I’ve included special books I want to read with the kids (are you sensing a theme?), trips I want to take, and important passages I’d like to help them memorize.

Creative Projects

I’m a quilter, so I usually add a quilt project to my list every year. I try to slowly expand my skills with each project. I’ve also included some variations on this theme, like making a table runner. And I’ve added writing projects and dusting off my piano skills. If there’s a skill you’d like to hone or a new project you’d like to try, include it on your list!

Miscellaneous

Even with all these categories to consider, coming up with 100 dreams can still feel like a stretch. It’s totally ok to include some random, easy-to-complete tasks—and some that are so out of reach that they might never happen! I’m a sucker for coffee table design books that then just sit around. So I add reading them to my list—and then I actually do it!

However, I’ve also been trying to systematize working through my cookbook collection for years. And I’ve never been able to manage it. That’s ok! I recently started letting more of my cookbooks go to Goodwill to make this more doable. But eventually I might decide I don’t actually care about doing this—kind of like the 10K I’ve had on my list for over a decade.

So far, the first unchecked item on my list is #8: Stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I tried to make it happen this summer, but we decided it would be too hot to be worth it. But I’m not giving up on my dream! And I’ve got 99 more to pursue in the meantime.

Have you ever made a list of 100 dreams? I’d love to hear about it! Let me know in the comments what your top item is!

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