My 30s are coming, like it or not. So here, in no particular order, are 30 things I would like to accomplish before my 30th birthday. I'll update the blog with my successes (and, potentially, failures) with the items on this list. Some are big-picture lifestyle changes, others are tiny goals.
1. Learn to ride a road bike without injuring myself, possibly train for/ride in some sort of race/rally. Hopefully this will not be what it looks like when I take to the roads:
2. Buy and install a new chandelier for dining room - hopefully from somewhere thrifty like the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store or a garage sale.
3. Establish a weekly house chores schedule and stick to it.
4. Learn to cook more vegetarian dishes. Not because I want to BECOME a vegetarian, mind you. But just to have healthy, fresh meal alternatives that don't always include meat.
5. Take time at least twice a week for stretching. Though I love working out, I HATE stretching and never do it. Consequently, I am one of the least flexible people EVER, and I have problems with tightness in my muscles all the time. I'm not getting any younger...so I guess it's time to do something about it!
6. Learn to use a sewing machine and also do simple hand-stitching. And maybe loom knitting...I really like this loom, and it looks easy enough even for me.
7. Run a 10k - I've done the half marathon, and after losing a toenail and acquiring persisting hip and foot aches/pains, I think I'll stick to shorter races...but it's still fun to have a goal. Maybe I'll also do a 5k with my mom.
8. Find a brand/style of jeans that REALLY fits my body.
9. Implement bi-monthly date night with Jeff.
10. Learn to cook more things from scratch - jam, pizza sauce, breads, sauces, etc.
11. Grow something in a planter or backyard garden - just one or two vegetables, to see how it goes.
12. Organize our office in a way that allows it to STAY organized...not just stuffing things in drawers/on shelves until crap overflows onto every available surface.
13. Visit a new city (or a city Jeff and I have never been to together). Maybe here:
14. Finish the book I started writing about my grandparents' lives (this needs to be done by Christmas 2010, so really I only have a couple months)!
15. Finish (ok, ok...start and finish) my wedding scrapbook.
16. Brush up on my Spanish through self-study books or a continuing education class.
17. Learn to love the body that I have, not the one I think I SHOULD have, and be thankful for each day of health I'm given. I don't think this is something that can ever really be "checked off" my list. It's more of an overall attitude adjustment I know I need to make in order to be a good role model for my children someday (especially daughters). Trying to improve my physical appearance (to an unattainable level) through diet and exercise is something I struggled with heavily in high school and college, to the point of being unhealthy at times. I want to cleanse myself of that mentality. That's not to say I can't work hard to gain greater physical fitness for health and overall well-being...that will always be important to me, and I think valuing fitness is a good thing. But as for the other stuff...like the fact that I am holding onto a few more pounds than I was 10, or even 5, years ago...and that my skin is more pale and must stay that way (thanks, melanoma)...and that it's harder to tone those problem areas to look good in a swimsuit...SO WHAT? I want to truthfully be able to say "SO WHAT??" and be happy with what my mirror reflects. It may not happen by the time I'm 30, but hopefully I can make small advances toward this eventual goal.
18. Organize the zillions of pictures on my computer; copy them to CDs.
19. Create a gallery wall somewhere in the house. I love gallery walls; they bring such interest to a space in a different way than pictures alone. I like this one with family photos, but I also like mixed walls with photos, paintings, clocks, and other wall art.
20. Get CPR certified.
21. Get re-certified to teach spinning. I used to love teaching my bi-weekly spin class in college. I think picking up a spin class or two would be a great post-baby "job" for me. Not only would it help me stay fit after having kids, but it would give me a sense of accomplishment in a task I could do outside the home.
22. Landscape the yard with pretty flowers/bushes and actually remember to water them so they don't die.
23. Get a professional bikini wax. Wow, dream big, right? But I've never gotten one before, and I feel like it's something I should do once in my life...plus, surely the short-lived pain is worth it?!
24. Host a grown-up dinner party at my house where I serve a multi-course meal with wine on a nice table setting.
25. Learn something about photography.
26. Go to a driving range and learn how to hit golf balls (may need assistance of super-golfer dad for this).
27. Go on a cold-weather vacation. Maybe learn to cross-country ski or snowshoe since Jeff can't downhill ski due to bad knees. Here's my dad and I, circa 1997 (or thereabouts)...did not realize until now that we were matching ski-dorks!
28. Start (and stick to) a daily skin moisturizing regimen (face, body, hands, & feet) and nail care regimen.
29. Go fishing with Jeff more often (even if it means getting up BEFORE the crack of dawn). But only if he can teach me to catch whoppers like this:
30. Make the effort to visit my out-of-town friends and family more often. I have such great people in my life, and they are spread out across Texas - from my parents in Tyler to my two best friends, Amanda and Alli, in Spring (still jealous you ladies live so close to each other!) to my grandma in Fort Worth and my cousin/college roomie and his family in West Columbia. These people mean the world to me, and nothing would make me happier than to see them more often. I plan to make an extra diligent effort to spend more time with them in the coming years.
Making this list was lots of fun...I didn't even realize I had certain goals until I sat down and thought about things I want to accomplish. I LOVE lists and feel more accomplished already just by making one! Do you keep a list of goals for yourself? What things do you want to accomplish within the next few years?
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3 comments:
Love you and Rachel's lists! I wish I would have done one (although the thought of accomplishing 30 things now is exhausting).....I did notice that buying CordyRoys was not on your list. I bet that little Prudhomme will be on his/her way by the time you're 30, so definitely #31. Best of luck, excited about watching your progress!
LOL, Tessa! Yes, #31 for sure. Though maybe my goal should be to NOT buy every single one of those before I even have a kid! Oh, screw it...they are cute, so why not?! Although I didn't see them last time I was in CM...very disturbing if they stopped carrying them!
I feel like I should make a list now too!! But I need more time to accomplish mine - maybe I'll do 35 before 35.
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