What's on your life list?

On living your dream, goal setting and - shit, I think my prefrontal cortex just developed.

London, April 1st 2025, I’d just finished work and took the tube to meet my best friends. Like every other person in their twenties in London - we’re in a constant state of flux. There’s an old SATC quote about how everyone in New York is always looking for at least one of these three things; an apartment, a new job, or a boyfriend. And London in 2025 is no exception.

We met at Liverpool Street and walked down to our favourite Chinese restaurant to unload about our days. From all-consuming jobs, breakups, and auditions - it has been a week to say the least. We’ve all got big dreams we want to achieve but as I sit with some of my favourite people I realise I’m living mine.

I recently watched ‘the life list’ on Netflix, and I loved it. Though it reminded me sometimes the dreams we have can also be everyday achievable ones too. So, I’ve decided to create a new life list.

1. Do the artist’s way

I don’t like to think of myself as stubborn but my best friend had told me to do the artist’s way for a while. Last week, I finally started and she, as always, was right. With one week of daily morning pages, inner work, and reading; I feel like me again.

2. Learn to cook beautiful foods

Like most people, my relationship with food has always been strange. They say by 25 you should have an odd relationship with your body, sex, and food - so technically I’m right on track. I don’t want to just eat for fuel anymore, I want to bring my creativity in to my meals. I want to make beautiful food just for my loved ones but also just for me. A somewhat ex said my romanticism is one of my most beautiful traits and I like to think he was right (just in this case anyway) so I’m going to make prosciutto wrapped asparagus with burrata just because it’s Tuesday.

3. Paint everyday

I am not an artist. This is what I tell myself anyway, but this week for the artist’s way I had to create a list of all the dream jobs I’d love to do. There were so many I’d love to do but one of them was a painter. I’d love to have a studio that lives across from water, I’d go down each morning and paint the same skyline and see something new in it everyday. But I am not a painter, I would say. So, I ordered cheap paints and now each morning I sit in my little London flat and before I write, I paint. I’m not very good but I think that’s maybe the reason. Maybe like you, your art can just exist. And that’s enough.

“You do not have to be good.” - Mary Oliver, Wild Geese

3. Ride a bike

Somewhere along my life, I have forgotten how to ride a bike, or maybe I never could. Or maybe I’ve just lost all my confidence. I don’t know, but sometime soon I’d like to give it another go.

4. Become green thumbed

My Nan had a beautiful garden, and so do my parents. I often dream about the day I can have a beautiful garden of my own. Full of fresh herbs for my big kitchen where I cook those elaborate meals I don’t know how to cook yet. Until then, I have decided to keep basil and mint on my windowsill, I’m going to create a mini slice of my dream garden right now in my little flat.

5. Be able to do push-ups

I don’t think I have tried in a really long time. Should probably give it a go.

The overarching theme of all of these things is I feel like I have to wait for my life to be perfect, or for me to be perfect, or it’s too late, or a billion other little lies I tell myself. But this isn’t true, I can have a little dream here and there everyday.

As I get older and I am lucky to check off big milestones and achievements, I have realised my greatest dream is quite an ordinary one. I want to sit in my kitchen of a house I own, in a place I love, with the door open on a summer evening. I want to hear children playing in the garden, and the sound of bugs and birds settling down for the night. I want a kitchen table overflowing with food and drinks; with my closest friends leaning into our conversation, elbows on the table, and coffee rings all over. I want the sound of my dog’s paws scratching my nice wooden floors and no need for music because the laughters so loud but we play it anyway. I want to make eye contact with the love of my life across the table and know this is what living a dream feels like.

Until then, I will live my little dreams every day and be very grateful for where my feet are because this life is pretty good too. How lucky we are to know dreams are still ahead of us. Tomorrow, I’ll get up and do my morning pages, and have coffee across from my best friend and cook an elaborate meal because every time the sun comes up it means I can start again.

This year, I’m really trying to love the time I’m given from who I am and who I am becoming.

“If life is a neverending to-do list of dirty dishes and laundry; that means every day is full of home-cooked meals and fresh clothes.”

-Shit, I think my prefrontal cortex just developed.