July - What to put in the bucket list

July will be a tough month to achieve any really big bucket list events - the reason being is that I am working 12 hour days for nearly every day of the month, including weekends on a remote mine site. Also, when I have got weekends off, one of them will be spent running 96k as part of an ultra marathon event (Kokoda Challenge - next weekend) and my wife turns 40 the weekend after, so that will be a big night (I have not drunk much alcohol this year, as I have been training for these crazy events (see my other blog, if exercise and exhilaration is of interest). It will be all guns blazing when Julie turns 40 - look out, we will be painting the town all shades of colours, I would expect.

Anyway, onto July, and what can be done at night time, for example, and maybe in front of a computer. One thing I heard about recently was on line museums. Apparently, you can visit them,like you visit other museums. It is not a tough one, and should not take too long, but that will be the July challenge.

Actually, seeing it is so small, there needs to be another challenge for July. Got it! The one thing that I am getting into lately is Bear Grylls and Man vs Wild - how great is that show. Bring it on. I love Bear in some sort of very platonic man crush way, but there must be thousands of Bear Grylls out there that have that special forces background, and are just bad arses. I am going to find one, and interview them about their experiences. What an idea. I will post the interview here, or on my site (might even video record it). Can't wait. Yee Hah.

Stay tuned. It will be a great interview. Check out www.antonguinea.com.au for more motivational stuff.

Anyway, until next time, keep ticking things off your bucket list.

Anton

June Done

Well, the June challenge - to sell something on EBay, has been completed. Yee Hah. That is the first time that I have done that, and it is so easy to do. It is really quite painless, and something that I will do more of in the future. Again, what a great outcome of doing these 101 things each month, and of course, over the course of this year.

We got $16.50 for my wife's bike helmet, which she doesn't use anymore. Amazing, How many more of these things could we sell. Who knows.

I highly recommend it to everyone - look around your home for stuff that you can sell, it is all money sitting there ready to be auctioned. It really is only a 5 minute job, once you have an EBay log in, a PayPal account and the photos of the product. Go you good thing.

So, what will July be, I wonder. What should this month's challenge be? Not sure, as yet.

May Done

Well, it is mid June, and I have done the May challenge, which was quite inspiring, and I highly recommend it. It was what some people might call 'a weird one' - and I accept that, but it is quite amazing to really be thinking and planning your future. As a reminder, my monthly challenge for May was to go to an entertainment centre or theatre and write myself a cheque for $1M - what I want to earn each year from public speaking work (I don't currently, by the way - it is my dream to be an international speaker - and working towards it). Yep, a bit bizarre, but the story of Jim Carey always inspired me, as he did the same thing in Hollywood when he was out of work, and before his career sky rocketed.

Go to www.antonguinea.com.au for more info on my motivational work, if you want it.

In all honesty, it was a powerful experience, to commit to working towards future goals, to put something into my future that will be a life changer. Anyway, it was empowering, and I recommend something similar to people. May ... done.

June's challenge is a simple one - sell something on EBay - which I have not done before. We have heaps of stuff that could be sold eventually, so it is a matter of getting started and just doing it. The photos are taken, there is still heaps of time left in the month and it should not be a problem. The item is my wife's old push bike helmet.

So, what will July be. Not sure yet.

With the yearly 101 things to do list, one of the things on the list is to learn something new. That was going to be to learn to surf. I think that might still be a good thing to do, but something else that I am going to learn this year, is how to be a personal trainer. Yep, Certificate IV in Personal Training. I have always wanted to do it. As well as that, I want to learn to teach the Les Mills classes in Gyms (like Body Balance, Pump, Body Attack etc). That is also on the hit list for this year, too, now.

This is great doing 101 things all the time. It is all about doing something new, regularly. Great fun.

May - Missed it

Heaps of news for this edition of the blog, some good, some not so great. Let's start with the not so great first.

See, the reason that I do this blog is to keep me honest, and keep me achieving things that I would not usually do. Great idea. To that end, I have three lists, one is the 101 things to do in life list (high level), I have a 10 things to do in 2010 list (mid level), then I have one thing to do each month (low level). Occasionally (more so this year, I have ticked off some of the 101 things - actually about half a dozen so far, so that is good. I have done about a third of this year's list - going well. But, in May, for the first time this year, I missed the monthly thing to do. Bummer. It was to visit an entertainment centre, or similar, and write myself a cheque for one million dollars (like Jim Carey did, when he was a struggling actor) for the motivational speaking work that I do. I got slack and did not do that in May. I will carry it over to June.

For June, I have come up with something simple, and that is to 'sell some stuff on eBay'. I have never done that, and it has always been on my to do list. It is time, I reckon, to do it. Nothing major, but something. It can't be that hard. And, I will make a little cash on the side. Not sure what to sell, as yet, but hey, it is something new and different.

The other thing that I have changed is - as well as learning to surf this year - which is one of the things on my yearly list, I am going to learn to be a Personal Trainer, and even learn how to be a fitness instructor of Les Mills fitness classes. Sounds like fun, hey. Will keep you informed.

So, in short, missed May, will make it up, will sell something on eay in June, and become a PT and fitness instructor in 2010. Very exciting.

Reply

Hey, I got a reply from Mitch Albom, the author that I emailed to tell him how good his books are - it was short and sharp, though, but a reply is a reply. Shows he is interested enough in the feedback to respond.

Here is his response:

Hi Anton,

Thanks for the kind words.

A reply is a reply, though.

Now I have added to my 101 things to do in life to meet him. That would be just outstanding. He is the man - if you have not read his books, don't wait another minute

Update

So, how am I going for the year, so far, now. Here is an update.

1. Travel overseas - Planned for August 13, 14 and 15 to Thailand (and December) - all good
2. Learn how to do something new (surf) - No plans as yet
3. Do an endurance sporting event - Done on May 15 and 16 - Yee Hah - What an effort

4. Do an extreme sport (parachute) - Nothing planned - very scared
5. Achieve an unrealistic goal (buy a General Lee Dukes of Hazard Car) - Nothing planned
6. Meet someone famous Done on May 20 - Gordon Tallis (Go the Maroons)
7. Put something on You Tube - Nothing planned as yet
8. Change someones life - Nothing planned as yet
9. Have sex every day for a week - Can't wait
10. Give up alcohol for at least one month - Done - twice, leading up to the Mooloolaba Triathlon and leading up to The North Face 100 - easy peasy

So, 3 down, 7 to go.

I might have to book in a parachute jump now, to make it happen, then some surfing lessons.

Will keep you posted.

Live the dream

Anton

Another one down

Well, that is another one done. And, thank god it is over. I have completed an endurance event - my first 100k ultra marathon.

In the end, it turned out to be a 30k run and a 70k walk, as I cramped up at the 30k mark. That was never going to stop me, and even if I had to crawl, I was going to get to the finish line in 24 hours. The North Face 100 has been conquered.

I highly recommend, at some stage in your life (or every year), that you do an ultra marathon. It is a rewarding experience, and it is one of those; ‘if I can do that, I can do anything’ things that you achieve along your journey of life.

The other thing that I can tick off my list for this year is the meeting someone famous. And, surprisingly enough, it did not happen at the North Face 100, which I thought it might (thought it might have been a famous ultra runner), but it happened on a plane trip from Sydney to Brisbane in the week following the event.

If you are Australian, you will know very well that Gordon Tallis is a hero for many Queensland rugby league fans. He is the epitome of being ‘as tough as teak’, he struck fear into opposition sides and we loved to watch him take the ball up, and through, opposition defensive lines. He was a state of origin hero (if you are reading this outside of Australia, state of origin is one of the biggest events on the sporting calendar in Queensland and New South Wales, as the two states play 3 games to win the title of state of origin champion for the year). Gordon Tallis was one of Queensland's best.

With the first state of origin match less than one week away, it was timely to meet Gordon, who was a wonderful bloke.

We chatted briefly, and the conversation went something like this:

Me: Gordon, would you mind signing something for my two boys, please?

GT: Mate, I would love to, you should have asked me on the plane, as I would have signed my boarding pass for them!

Me: Are you looking forward to next Wednesday night (Game 1, 2010)?

GT: Shit yeah!

Me: Do you get involved, and get the boys all stirred up before the games?

GT: Mate, they don;t need me, they can get themselves stirred up for games like these!

Me: Go the Maroons (Queensland)!

GT: Go the Maroons!

Gordon was quite a big unit. He was tall, not hugely built, though he appears to have kept in shape since he retired.

I haven't told the kids yet, that I got his signature for each of them, but they will be wrapped.

So, there you go, in 7 days, two things ticked off the list. Bring that on.

Oh, and also, in May, I am going to go to an Entertainment Centre and write out a huge cheque, like Jim Carey did. I will be putting it out there into my future.

As well as that, for May, I have contacted my favourite author, Mitch Albom.

Here was my message to Mitch:'

Hi Mitch,

I am an Aussie who picked up one of your books in a second hand shop in Perth (Tuesdays with Morrie). I read it in a day, as I have all of your other books, which I purchased as soon as I had read the first one. I have loved all your books, and I just wanted to say thank you for all of the stories, for the challenges, for the stimulation and for the tears.

You are an amazing author, and you have some great stories to tell. Keep up the great work, and I wish you all the best.

PS, I just finished reading Have a Little Faith, and like the others, it was a great read. It has prompted me to spend more time with my parish priest and to discuss the finer points of the teachings of my faith.
Thanks again. Love your work.

I hope to receive a reply, and will let you know if I get one.

For more information on either the ultra marathon or the book reading that I do, go to www.antonguinea.com.au