65 challenges in a year

You're very ambitious, Magsymoo! I drew up a list when I was around 57 of 60 things to do before I turned 60. By the time I did, I'd only managed 35 of them, so I upped the ante to 65 things to do before I turn 65. I really need to dig out that list and crack on with it!

One of my original challenges was "Become a grandma", and it was a bit of a joke, as there was no sign of any little ones on the horizon. I've achieved that challenge 3 times over since then, so really I'm not too bothered about the rest!

That's more than one a week

Yes, but I've forgotten what most of them were
Should have written them down

35 is quite an achievement. But for me becoming a granny wouldn't count because I think you need someone else's help to achieve that! I don't think it will be easy but that's the whole point, to challenge myself and avoid getting in a rut of doing the same things all the time.

I've been thinking along similar lines. I have lost 3 St. In weigh since the beginning of the year and have been making a list of things I will do when I am at my target weight. I come back later with a few of my ideas. Always good to have a challenge.

So what's on your list, Magsymoo? Some of mine were treats such as eating oysters, doing the Sydney harbour bridge walk and a balloon ride, read a (long) book in a day. Others were to watch 50 of the 100 best films, go on a demo, complete a 5000 piece jigsaw, sing in public on a stage. Some daft ones like eat nothing but chocolate for a day (it was horrible!). I'm glad you've started this thread, it's made me want to look at that list and get on with the ones I've been putting off. Going screen-free for a week was one Knitting something was another (I never even finished the pair of bootees I started when expecting DD1).

65 is a lot but good luck with it and I hope you find some things you enjoy so much that you will keep doing them. I challenged myself in my 60th year to learn to swim and just about made it but I haven't kept it up as we don't have a pool nearby that I can use. I wanted to ride a horse this year so I must get on and do that.

I can't wait for the day when I can set myself umpteen personal challenges but will have to wait until retirement at 65+. At the moment I have to content myself with challenges at work! Otherwise I would like to travel lots and go to the theatre every month for a year to see all the shows I fancy.

Do any other grans set themselves challenges?

I don't have to, challenges present themselves all the time.

Just had my 70th birthday and I've given up challenges/stress/traumas for the next ten years!

At the moment I don't have a list, I am just trying to do new things as they occur, for example today I was in the gym and there was a piece of equipment, a sort of moving staircase, that I will try next time I go. I was in sainsbury's and spotted some okra which I have never eaten so bought some to cook for myself when I've worked out how to cook it. They are just little challenges to spice up life. I'd love to hear ideas from other people though to inspire me. Just thought of another, I want to have a ride in a helicopter...

Challenges?
or a 'bucket list' of things that we would like to do?

I think that eating bubblegum icecream would be a challenge too far for me [yuk]!

My list is a mixture of both, Jamila. The treats are more fun, but the challenges make me feel oh so very virtuous.

I got into hot water once on Gransnet for suggesting that a blogger wanting sponsorship for her list, which included such hardships as eating at Michelin starred restaurants, shouldn't expect us to sub her just for having a good time. I was accused of being grumpy (hard to believe, I know ).

So if anyone would like to sponsor me for fighting my way through the taster menu, plus wine pairing, at Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck, here's your chance.

Jalima, not Jamila, sorry.

I always think these challenge games come over as a sign of desperation, at any age. They started with a list of things for (mainly) terminally ill children to experience before they died and when I hear of older people doing the same thing it has a similar air of desperation plus an element of self regard.

I think what we should do as we get older is develop new fulfilling lives for ourselves, long term activities that can get us out of armchairs and out and about, or at least pottering around our houses and exercising our minds if ill health or disability limits us. These can be anything from volunteering to sewing to more frivolous activities. I am not suggesting lives limited to worthy activities.

However bucket lists always strike me as omthing better found in a bin.

Desperation and self regard. Well that's us told.

And here I was thinking it was just a bit of fun.

I did say they have the 'air of', which means 'appear to be'. I did not say 'were'.

And I did make it clear it was a personal opinion which obviously many will not agree with. What is the point of discussing anything online or off if everyone sits around nodding there heads and agreeing with each other?

My challenge today was to make one of those wool dollies (the ones made by winding wool round cardboard then tying it in a doll shape, used to be called something else when I was a child not to be mentioned out loud.
I ended up making eight.
Challenged by the DGD, not for myself I should add

I've never come across these, Jalima (had to google them). Very cute, I've added them to the things to do with/for DGS list. As for the name, please don't tell me, it'd just be another one to remember not to let slip

Some people 'appear to be' real party-poopers magsymoo - you go for it.

Jalima Just make sure to avoid yellow ones! Remember how there was a craze in one town many years ago (can't remember where and it may have been more widespread) for schoolgirls to wear one to indicate that they had "done it"

Gasp Elegran I have never heard of that!!
No, I didn't make a yellow one.

It was back in the sixties. May have been just an urban myth.

Having a list of challenges, a bucket list of things we would like to achieve would get us out of our armchairs, though, wouldn't it, M0nica?

Although I admit that yesterday's challenge kept me in a chair for longer than I had anticipated!

It works for me, Jalima. But then again I like nothing better than ticking something off a list. Sometimes to the extent that I'll add something I've done to my to do list just so that I can have the pleasure of ticking it off!