Have you heard of a Ta Da list? It’s a list of accomplishments and achievements rather than a list of things you need to do. At the end of each year I sit down and write a Ta Da list. I’ve been doing this since 2006.
I have all of my lists collated into a google document at the moment. They were in various diaries, journals and blogs and a couple of years ago I decided to gather them all into one spot. I haven’t located a Ta Da list for 2014 unfortunately. It’s hard to believe I didn’t do one but I have no idea where it is! I might have to sit and come up with one if I don’t find it soon!
I won’t share all 11 lists as that would be difficult for anyone to stomach apart from me! But I thought it would be fun to show you what my first Ta Da list looked like back in 2006…
My 2006 Ta Da List
- Got through the New Zealand immigration medical including a blood test which I was absolutely terrified of!
- Tried white water rafting for the first time (and looking forward to a higher grade river next time!)
- Got New Zealand permanent residency
- Bought a house
- Bought furniture for new house
- Started a course on Freelance Journalism
- Started working permanently at a recruitment agency
- Moved into house
- Got a dog (and I love him even though he is a complete and utter nuisance!)
- Learnt to scrapbook
- Gained my New Zealand Drivers license (by completing a scratch card theory test!)
- Bought a kick-ass ‘proper’ BBQ
- Made lots of friends
- Completed Basic Dog Obedience lessons with the dog
- Had Mum here to visit
- Had a housewarming/birthday/Mum’s here BBQ celebration ~ in the rain!
- Zorbed (it was so much fun!)
- Luged (again, lots of fun!)
- Lost 6kg (more next year!)
- Tried Go-Karting (which was painful and I had bad bruises to prove it – they are just disappearing now! But I’m willing to give it another shot once the painful memories fade away!)
- Had a Christmas BBQ ~ in the rain (can you see a recurring theme here?!)
- Visited South Island
- Went on the Inter-Islander ferry
- Swam with the dolphins (and I can’t wait to do it again now I have worked out how to snorkel!)
- Learnt to snorkel (but no diving yet!)
- Watched whales
- Wrote this list and realised that I have achieved a lot this year and am quite content with the way life is panning out in most areas!
Tips for creating a Ta Da List
I thought I’d share some ideas for coming up with your own list. I usually find the first 10 or so items easy and then it gets tricky. Some detective work is required to ensure you get everything on the list.
Writing a Retrospective Ta Da List
- If you keep a diary/calendar – have a skim through and pick out any key events that happened
- Check your social media accounts – I find Instagram a great visual reminder of what I’ve done over the year
- If you keep a gratitude journal read it. This is a great activity to do at the end of the year anyway and always fills me with the warm fuzzies and a dose of nostalgia
- Check out your photostream on your phone/camera and see what you snapped this year
- Ask close friends and family what they think your biggest achievements are this year
- Consider different areas of your life – career, education, health & fitness, personal development, relationships etc
- If you set yourself goals or resolutions or intentions this year – look at the list and see how you did
- Let yourself daydream and remember the year – what key moments do you remember? What made you most proud? What did you enjoy about each season?
Forward planning for next years Ta Da List
- Set a weekly or monthly reminder to note down your achievements and accomplishments
- Create an ongoing list to add to as you go
- In 2017 I created a ‘Monthly Highlights” spread in my Bullet Journal and that’s forming the basis of my Ta Da List for this year. When I review my monthly pages at the end of the month I write the Highlights list
- If you use Instagram set up a hashtag (it will need to be something unique to you so your photos don’t get caught up with millions of others!) to add to photos that document your Ta Da’s.
My Ta Da Lists have captured big life moments like getting married, welcoming my baby boy and buying and selling houses. They’ve also captured the smaller day to day accomplishments which have made me proud. Having them all collated in one document shows a snapshot of my proudest achievements and the fun I’ve had over the years. I think it will be a great document to look back on as I grow older and to share with my children and grandchildren.
Do you write a Ta Da list? What are you most proud of in 2017? And what can you do today to help you document your proudest moments moving forward?
I better get busy writing my 2017 list!
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