We've talked about this topic before, but I think that one side effect of having lists of this type, ordered or not, is that they tend to impose an artificial sense of scheduling on one's life. Which can lead to not only a sense of falling behind (if you have X things on the list to do and only Y expected years in which to do them), but also to set time-linked goals for yourself and then feel disappointment when life doesn't turn out that way.
For example, when I was in high school, I was sure that I needed to be a published author by 20. 25 at the latest! 30 was clearly *too old*, and would be a sign of abject failure And by some metrics, I've achieved that goal, and by others - notably the ones I was focused on at the time, being fiction and professional comics work - I completely didn't. And you know what? I'm okay with that. Life is too short to hold yourself hostage to what you imagined your life should be like over a decade ago.
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Date: 2011-01-31 07:10 am (UTC)For example, when I was in high school, I was sure that I needed to be a published author by 20. 25 at the latest! 30 was clearly *too old*, and would be a sign of abject failure And by some metrics, I've achieved that goal, and by others - notably the ones I was focused on at the time, being fiction and professional comics work - I completely didn't. And you know what? I'm okay with that. Life is too short to hold yourself hostage to what you imagined your life should be like over a decade ago.