What Might My Curious List Look Like?

A few weeks ago, I read a post by Michelle at Wise & Shine about a Curious List.

A Curious List is NOT a bucket list. It’s not a collection of things to cross off before…well… you kick the bucket.

It’s more of a list of things that intrigue you–things to try, but maybe you don’t have to “complete.” Or maybe you lose interest before you actually get to it, which is fine.

I feel a little more pressure to think about putting together a list, as I might be changing up my job. Hitting FI means I feel freer to consider what I might do with my time if I don’t spend it all working.

Some activities seem to belong to a to-do list:

  • Keep up/improve my fitness. Including getting more tennis practice. And improving flexibility.
  • Clear out more of my house, and then keep it tidy/tidier.
  • Spend more time with friends and family.
  • Travel while I still can.
  • Participate more in my organized religion.

Some activities are hobbies I did in the past, and then stopped for one reason or another:

  • Play the piano.
  • Practice photography.
  • Resume a yoga practice, doing this several times a week.
  • Baking (however, if I start this, I need to figure out how to offload tasty treats, because my waistline can’t afford it if I eat all the products).
  • Play bridge.
  • Return to quilting/patchwork.

And then there are the interests I never quite pursued, maybe because they were a little scary, or didn’t suit my early-riser schedule:

  • Painting.
  • Learn to play chess, and play with others.
  • Study acting and try out for a play.
  • Learn to sing properly.
  • Learn to sew properly.
  • Watch the skies (astronomy). I might be cheating and have a bucket list item of seeing the Milky Way. And (another time) the Northern Lights.
  • Study abroad. Or maybe, now that I’m a grown up, live abroad and study the language more formally.

I put these lists together in a pretty short time. I suspect that I might be able to add more topics to pursue if I think about it a bit longer.

Nevertheless, I see a bunch of things to occupy my time and let me stretch myself. I see some significant challenges to trying some of these items, but nothing insurmountable if I choose to pursue a topic.

The big question for me is, which of these do I think I really want to go for soon?

And, if I might change my work schedule, can I do it in a way to allow me to try out several things on my Curious List, sequentially, if not all at once?

Painting of a flamenco dancer, posing in fancy dress
Flamenco dancing was never on any of these lists, but what about other types of dance? Is that something to pursue with my 2 left feet?

Do you have a items that belong on a Curious List? Have you gone after any of them recently?

2 thoughts on “What Might My Curious List Look Like?”

  1. I’m so glad my post inspired you to make a curious list. This kind of list is important at any stage of life, but especially as we approach a big life change like retirement or semi-retirement.

    I like that you differentiate a to-do list from a curious list. With my coaching clients, their initial curious list often looks like a “honey do” list of things they’ve been putting off while working. A true curious list includes things to stretch you and take you outside your comfort zone, and yours has that!

    As for my curious list, you inspired me to get it out and have a look at it. I’m currently wrapping up some loose ends but, once that’s done, I’ll dive into mine a little deeper.

    1. I’m glad to hear that I inspired you back.

      I plan to keep this list and look at it periodically, to make sure I’m doing something more than work and exercise and cleaning.

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