43 Things: The Website Dedicated to Your Goals

The latest hot website on the internet is one called 43things.com. It's a website based on the idea of making and achieving your goals. On the website there are thousands of goals to choose from. If you can't find the goal you want to achieve you can make up your own goals. You are allowed up to 43 goals. It may not sound like a lot but you'll accomplish some goals and you'll get to add them to you're "I've done this!" list. The website will even remind you once a week of your goals. The wonderful thing about the reminder is that it keeps you on track. No more forgetting those New Year's Resolutions!

Here's a look at the Top Ten goals of 43things.com. These are the most popular goals since the website came out... and probably for good reason.

1. Lose weight.
Everybody wants to be thinner. America has become a nation of diets. South Beach, LA Weight Loss, Atkins, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and a host of others. This goal is probably also fueled by the unrealistic standards the media puts forth and we impose on ourselves. Maybe we should replace this goal with a more general "be healthier". A healthier person will lead to more than just a thinner body.

2. Stop procrastinating.
Procrastination is the favorite pastime of many high school, college, and adults alike. You put off what should be done now (but not necessarily a "must") for what is more fun to do now. The habit of procrastination most likely stems from a culture of immediate gratification. We would rather go to a party now than study for the test next week. It seems like this behavior is carrying over from college... into career aged adults.

3. Fall in love.
Seems like everyone is looking for love. It's interesting that people would rather lose weight than fall in love. With the recent popularity of websites like Match.com and E-Harmony, it's no wonder that the oldest emotion has become a marketable trend.

4. Write a book.
Apparently a good deal of people feel that they have something important, worth while, and creative to say. I'd say Associated Content is a testament to that feeling. If you check the community forum for other writing gigs the dozens of websites that pay people to write attest not only to the demand for writers but also for the hundreds and thousands of people willing to do the writing.

5. Be happy.
This is the goal that I wish was on the top of the list. It seems that many people feel that the goals above this one will make them happy. The ultimate goal should be to be happy in life.

6. Get a tattoo.
What is about tattoos that are so appealing? Perhaps it's the fact that a tattoo suggests daring that most people don't have. Most people will never get a tattoo, it's not even a realistic goal, it's the idea that is appealing. It may also just be the spontaneity that this goal requires.

7. Drink more water.
Apparently we are a nation of dehydrated people. We simply have too many other beverage options to choose from. I'm not only talking about unhealthy choices such as the dozens of sodas and energy drinks but also dozens of new combinations of juices. Instead of just regular milk, we now have a variety of soy milks to choose from. Most of these are much tastier than water. No wonder we don't drink it anymore.

8. Go on a trip with no pre-determined destination.
As with the tattoo, I think a part of the appeal of this goal is its spontaneity. Many people want a flexible life where they can just up and leave at the drop of a hat. However, most people can't do that. They have kids and jobs that aren't exactly the epitome of flexible. Once up on a time this goal would have been a possibility for college students. However, now days, that's even close to impossible. Inflation has been growing at an amazing rate and the price of gas is incredibly high. Couple that with a low minimum wage... there's no way to pay for a trip short of sleeping in your car the whole way and prostituting yourself to pay for the rest.

9. Get married.
Getting married is the ultimate joining of two people. While some people insist that it's nothing more than a social contract made official by a piece of paper, the popularity of this goal says that the majority still hold that marriage is much more than that.

10. Travel the world.
What we wouldn't do to have just a little more freedom. That seems to be all we want... the freedom to move about and make uninhibited choices. However, as we all know, while choices give you freedom, they at the same time limit you by closing other doors.