30 Before 30
My 29th birthday was last week. I both don’t feel almost thirty, which only a few years ago felt so old to me, and don’t feel like I’m really a twenty-something anymore. Most of my twenties were about change: working through and finishing college, starting new jobs, moving to new cities, dynamic relationships, meeting new people, finding and re-finding myself.ย Now I can feel things slowing. I see changes in the future, but with so much less uncertainty. I feel more stability and intention.
Facing my thirties, I feel a totally different excitement than I did facing my twenties, but I still feel just as me as I did back then. Feeling a bit reflective this week, I was reminded of a challenge I gave myself on my 21st birthday. In 2010 I wrote myself a list of twenty-one things to do while I was 21 years old. I thought it would be fun to give myself a challenge this year as well: thirty things to do before I turn 30 years old.
- Travel somewhere new
- Visit an art museum
- Grow herbs to use for cooking
- Volunteer
- Take a cooking class
- Do karaoke
- Buy a house
- Go play in the snow
- Take an art class
- Build retirement savings plan
- Host a workshop
- Fill a creative writing journal
- Go to a live comedy show
- Go hiking
- Go play in the water
- Beat a video game
- Read 30 books
- Make a family photo album
- Go on a solo trip
- Go to the ballet
- Visit an amusement park
- See sports live
- Host an art/craft party
- Get a makeup lesson
- Develop signature mocktail
- Sell something I made
- Take a calligraphy class
- Get a new hairstyle
- Host a dinner party
- Do 30 days of something
This type of list has been done by many across the internet. My list is just a little reflection of me, 30 things I’d like to challenge myself to take on this year to keep me trying new things, taking time for myself, and enjoying my favorite things. I tried to keep several things open for interpretation to give more opportunity for success. Many of these items are not new to me, but things I’d like to fit into this new year of life. Others are meant to give me new experiences, to keep me from getting too comfortable as I feel myself settling down.
Have you ever attempted a challenge like this? How did it go?
Good luck with accomplishing everything! ๐
I love this idea! I just told my husband we should make lists like this for our birthdays this year! ๐
You’ve created a wonderful list of goals. It’s always good to use those milestone birthdays to reflect on where you’ve been, and consider mindfully where you want to go.
I become 28 next week and I have such a list too. But it worked only halfway because I underestimated the time (and money) these goals would require and they were often too unspecific. In the end I only managed half of the goals.
So for my next list I’m slowing down a little and try to be as specific as possible. This means that 12 of my 29 points at this list are books I want to read and I only set 3 goals which require more than 100โฌ. As guideline I also made a rough schedule where I highlighted which goals I want to accomplish in which month. Hopefully this will help me to become more consistent with my personal development.
I totally understand your hesitation to make goals that are unexpectedly financially burdensome. I prefer the less specific goals specifically to combat that, if you can believe it. My goal of going on a solo trip can be flying across the country to someplace I want to explore, but it can also be making the drive to the coast. To very different price tags on those options. When I did this challenge at 21, I think I got through 16 or 17 of the 21 items I had set for myself. A good number, but I also don’t go into a challenge like this thinking I’ll hit every one. I prefer to look at it as a guide to pushing myself to be more adventurous throughout the year, rather than declining opportunities and spending every weekend at home (my default response). I do wish you all the best with your goals, and I love that you set budget limits for them as well.
Your lists are beautiful! I often think about making a list like this and get intimidated by putting the big things like “buy a house on there” but I like the idea of breaking it down into manageable goals. One thing at a time.
Buy a house is probably the most specific, but when it comes to lists like this I really like to think about how I can make my goals achievable. For example, travel someplace new is really referring to a trip I want to do to Japan and South Korea, but life happens, so if I don’t make it that far, I can still meet my goals in other ways (like that trip to Seattle I still haven’t had a chance to take!)
Buying a house is a big goal in the next year! I love opportunities to reflect on change and what you want out of life. Happy birthday – being 30+ is great! ๐
I actually feel a bit cheat-y putting house buying on the list, since we are supposed to close on a place by the end of September (knock on wood everything goes according to plan). But I felt like it was a big one to be able to check off a list!