DR. JOHN GODDARD is one of the world’s most famous explorers and adventurers. “To dare is to do, to fear is to fail.” This philosophy has characterized John Goddard since he was 15, when one rainy afternoon he was inspired to create a list of 127 challenging lifetime goals, such as living with headhunters in Borneo and New Guinea, driving a dog sled in the winter snows of the High Sierras, exploring the world’s greatest rivers, and climbing the world’s highest peaks. He has now accomplished 108 of these goals, along with more than 300 others. These were not simple or easy goals, and his lifetime achievements are truly remarkable and inspiring.
A well-known world traveler and one of the first three men on record to traverse the entire 4,200-mile length of the Nile River. Goddard would make a movie of the trip to be shown on a lecture tour as well as on television adventure programs. He has also published a book recounting the expedition: “Kayaks Down the Nile.”
He led the first expedition in history to explore the entire length of the world’s longest river, the 4,200-mile Nile River, which the Los Angeles Times called “the most remarkable adventure of this generation,” matched later by his becoming the first man to explore the entire length of Africa’s 2,700-mile Congo River. In recent years he has climbed lofty peaks in Africa, South America and Asia, including 22,000-foot Huascaran, highest mountain in the Peruvian Andes, and 19,000-foot Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
The subject of numerous articles in magazines such as National Geographic, Life, and Readers Digest, John Goddard has been a guest on over 200 television shows, including “This Is Your Life,” and NBC’s DATELINE on April 7, 1998. His original list of 127 goals was featured in the best-selling book “Chicken Soup for the Soul” (more than 7,000,000 copies sold).
Perhaps Goddard’s story can inspire us with its fresh perspective, curiosity and zest for life. If we all follow our dreams, no matter how impossible they seem, we may be amazed at what we can accomplish.
His official website can be found at: www.johngoddard.info
“If you really know what you want out of life, it’s amazing how opportunities will come to enable you to carry them out.”
–John M. Goddard
Below is John Goddard’s List from when he was 15, marking off his accomplishments to date:
Explore:
- x Nile River
- x Amazon River
- x Congo River
- x Colorado River
- Yangtse River, Chine
- Niger River
- Orinoco River, Venezuela
- x Rio Coco, NicaraguaStudy Primitive Cultures in:
- The Congo
- x New Guinea
- x Brazil
- x Borneo
- x The Sudan (John was nearly buried alive in a sandstorm.)
- x Australia
- x Kenya
- x The Philippines
- x Tanganyika (Now Tanzania)
- x Ethiopia
- x Nigeria
- x AlaskaClimb:
- Mount Everest
- Mount Aconcagua, Argentina
- Mount McKinley
- x Mount Huascaran, Peru
- x Mount Kilimanjaro
- x Mount Ararat, Turkey
- x Mount Kenya
- Mount Cook, New Zealand
- x Mount Popocatepetl, Mexico
- x The Matterhorn
- x Mount Rainer
- x Mount Fuji
- x Mount Vesuvius
- x Mount Bromo, Java
- x Brand Tetons
- x Mount Baldy, California
- x Carry out careers in medicine and exploration (Studied premed and treats illnesses among primitive tribes)
- Visit every country in the world (30 to go)
- x Study Navaho and Hopi Indians
- x Learn to fly a plane
- x Ride horse in Rose ParadePhotograph:
- x Iguacu Falls, Brazil
- x Victoria Falls, Rhodesia (Chased by warthog in the process)
- x Sutherland Falls, New Zealand
- x Yosemite Falls
- x Niagra Falls
- x Retrace travels of Marco Polo and Alexander the GreatExplore Underwater:
- x Coral Reefs of Florida
- x Great Barrier Reef, Australia (Photographed a 300-pound clam)
- x Red Sea
- x Fiji Islands
- x The Bajamas
- x Explore Okefenokee Swamp and the EvergladesVisit:
- North and South Poles
- x Great Wall of China
- x Panama and Suez Canals
- x Easter Island
- x The Galapagos Islands
- x Vatican City (Saw the Pope)
- x The Taj Mahal
- x The Eiffel Tower
- x The Blue Grotto
- x The Tower of London
- x The Leaning Tower of Pisa.
- x The Sacred Well of Chichen-Itza, Mexico
- x Climb Ayers Rock in Australia
- Follow River Jordon from Sea of Galilee to Dead SeaSwim In:
- x Lake Victoria
- x Lake Superior
- x Lake Tanganyika
- x Lake Titicaca, South America
- x Lake NicaraguaAccomplish:
- x Become an Eagle Scout
- x Dive in a submarine
- x Land on and take off from an aircraft carrier
- x Fly in a blimp, hot air balloon and glider
- x Ride an elephant, camel, ostrich and bronco
- x Skin dive to 40 feet and hold breath two and a half minutes underwater
- x Catch a ten-pound lobster and a ten-inch abalone
- x Play flute and violin
- x Type 50 words a minute
- x Take a parachute jump
- x Learn water and snow skiing
- x Go on a church mission
- x Follow the John Muir Trail
- x Study native medicines and bring back useful ones
- x Bag camera trophies of elephant, lion, rhino, cheeta, cape buffalo and whale
- x Learn to fence
- x Learn jujitsu
- x Teach a college course
- x Watch a cremation ceremony in Bali
- x Explore depths of the sea
- x Appear in a Tarzan movie (He now considers this an irrelevant boyhood dream)
- Own a horse, chimpanzee, cheetah, ocelot and coyote (Yet to own a chimp or cheetah)
- Become a ham radio operator
- x Build own telescope
- x Write a book (On Nile trip)
- x Publish and article in National Geographic Magazine
- x High jump five feet
- x Broad jump 15 feet
- x Run a mile in five minutes
- x Weight 175 pounds stripped (still does)
- x Perform 200 sit-ups and 20 pull-ups
- x Learn French, Spanish and Arabic
- Study dragon lizards on Komodo Island (Boat broke down within 20 miles of island)
- x Visit birthplace of Grandfather Sorenson in Denmark
- x Visit birthplace of Grandfather Goddard in England
- x Ship aboard a freighter as a seaman
- Read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica (Has read extensive parts in eachvolume)
- x Read the Bible from cover to cover
- x Read the works of Shakespeare, Plato, Aristotle, Dickens, Thoreau, Poe Rousseau, Bacon, Hemingway, Twain, Burroughs, Conrad, Talmage, Tolstoi, Longfellow, Keats, Whittier and Emerson (Not every work of each)
- x Become familiar with the compositions of Bach, Beethoven, Debussy, Ibert, Mendelssohn, Lalo, Rimski-Korsakov, Respighi, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky, Toch, Tschaikovsky, Verdi
- x Become proficient in the use of a plane, motorcycle, tractor, surfboard, rifle, pistol, canoe, microscope, football, basketball, bow and arrow, lariat and boomerang
- x Compose music
- x Play Clair de Lune on the piano
- x Watch fire-walking ceremony (In Bali and Surinam)
- x Milk a poisonous snake (Bitten by diamond back during a photo session)
- x Light a match with a 22 rifle
- x Visit a movie studio
- x Climb Cheops’ pyramid
- x Become a member of the Explorers’ Club and the Adventurers’ Club
- x Learn to play polo
- x Travel through the Grand Canyon on foot and by boat
- x Circumnavigate the globe (four times)
- Visit the moon (“someday if God wills”)
- x Marry and have children (Has five children)
- x Live to see the 21st Century (He will be 75)
-John Goddard
Hi there!
I too am looking forward to further updates (my RSS reader is waiting patiently).
After a few years working for an investment bank (I.T. related), I am planning to travel the world. That seems easy enough, but to put off any concerns about coming home soon, I intend to take a laptop too. With this, I hope to take on work that can be done remotely (perhaps a bit of web design and other programming as a contractor, maybe running my own websites).
I’m not sure if that’s what you are doing, but I wondered if you have any thoughts on the matter (availability of work, plus how to do this without a permanent internet connection etc.) I have my own ideas already, but I’m looking on the internet for others who have already started on such a journey…
Anyway, as soon as it kicks off (early next year), I’ll start my own blog and let you all know!
Dan
John Goddard exudes life and inspiration to all.
An accomplished adventurer who has vanquished the most trying difficulties nature has to offer…and .. little ole me, in one fell swoop, almost deprived the world of this great man.
One day, in L.A. High, I was running late for class, and quickly ran out of the attendance office, into the hall – smack dab into the chest of good ole John Goddard.
He was at his alma-mater giving a talk about his latest travel accomplishments. I was sooo embarrassed –
I muttered a horrified “I’m sorry”, and, ran away.
He didn’t seem to mind, tho.. He was smiling.
Sure glad he’s a strong guy and survived my onslaught.
Wow you really are an amazing person. And some day i really hope i can accomplish at least one of the things on your list.
John Goddard is truly an exceptional person, not just because of his almost magical ability to set and achieve goals, but because of his demenor and positive spirit. I had the priveledge to speak with John and to hear him recount some of his “stories.” Truly fascinating stuff.
I just wanted to let anyone who may see this know of a brand new project John Goddard is working on with someone I know very well through my business dealings. He is actually coming out with an incredible program that reveals his goal-achieving secrets. I personally can’t wait to get my hands on it.
In the meantime, John is preparing for the launch of this project and wants to hear from as many people as possible. I already asked my question, “What has been your greatest recurring fear as you’ve pursued each goal you’ve set?” and can’t wait to hear his answer.
Ask your question at AskJohnGoddard.com.
I’ll post again when I get more information on a possible launch date!
There are a million questions I would love to ask John. But I will ask just a couple.
1. Was there anything John thought he was incapable of doing? Or was there anything he just hated or dreaded to do (but had to do it anyway)?
2. Did he have any addictions? [Except adventure, of course!
]
3. Did he provide for this family well before he spent money on his adventure?
I ask these questions because these are the things that have been keeping me from all the things I’d love to do!
hi john,
i have to do a project on a famous traveler and so i chose you.
You sound interesting so im choosing you
Dr. Goddard,
I so hope this e-mail actually gets to you. I am a middle school teacher in Ohio . I teach 7th graders the importance of high self esteem when it comes to decision making. Teaching goal setting is a big part of my curriculum. About 5 years ago I came across an article about your 127 goals and have shared it with my students ever since. I get excited every time I get to share this with them and they are always amazed with your accomplishments. With the internet I have been able to learn more about you. Quite honestly, I thought I had read that you had passed away,but from this latest information it looks like that information was incorrect. I would love to get more information from you to share with my students. I hope that there will be a movie about your life that will show all your great adventures. Do you ever do speaking engagements. I would love to have you speak at our school. You are an inspiration.
Sincerely,
Alisa Burnham