The New 40 Before 40
The tasks and goals I set were a mix of hopes and interests. There are often experiences I want to try like exploring a new city, participating in a festival, or climbing a tree. Or things I loved but took planning like seeing a play, taking a course, or dying my hair. Some goals were chosen to help me improve a skill or expand an interest. There are always a range of goals that cover spiritual growth, personal development, relationship building, hobbies, physical health, and seeking joy. The more recent lists have included abstract goals like "take a risk" or "be spontaneous" that didn't have a clear expectation of what success looked like. Those are fun; I'm always curious what the year will hold for me to complete these challenges.
In 2017, I created a birthday bucket list to celebrate my "approaching" fortieth birthday (it was still four years away), the original 40 Before 40. Giving myself four years to complete the list would allow for some bigger dreams that take more planning, resources, and effort. I've slowly been working on it while still having the yearly goals. Over the past three years I have completed about a third of the challenges.
Just before my 39th birthday, I began reviewing the original 40 Before 40. What I discovered was that not all the goals still fit me and a few were almost impossible. I also wanted to add so new challenges to match new interests. So, I'm updating the list. Most of the challenges are staying, some are being redefined, and some are brand new. The following is the new and improved 40 Before 40:
01) Get Married
Do you ever have a deep hope that seems too much to even ask for? In 2017, when I made the draft for the original challenge, get marriage was on the top on the list. I wanted to put it on the list but it seemed too much to hope for and silly to put on the list. I was in a place were I still really wanted to meet someone, but also working on accepting my life choices might have made that not possible. It hurt when people would say things like, "Liz, you're so awesome, God's got someone special out there for you." because maybe He did but also, but maybe He didn't. And if it was the latter it was also okay. My life was good and whole and complete without another person.
I wanted to meet someone, fall in love, get married, and share a life together, which is why I found a less scary challenge option, #21) Try Online Dating. Which I did with little success. Then I stood in line at a comic con and met Alex. It felt like the challenge needed to change. And now we're just forty-five days till our wedding!
02) Read the whole Bible...again.
I completed the original goal in January. Then I started another one year reading plan with a devotional insights. So I am going to through Scripture again.
03) Earn 300 Crowns in Spanish Duolingo
The original challenge was to finish all of the Spanish Duolingo course. But in the four years since that was written the course has been expanded. I currently have 147 crowns, so the new goal to double my crowns.
04) Make a life time bucket list.
This is one of the original goals: This list would include adventures and goals I've already accomplished to remind me where I've come from and what has already been done as well as the things I want to do plus a few impossible goals to inspire me to keep dreaming.
05) Have a get out of debt plan...and use it
This is a modified goal. The original #5 was "to be debt free." Without winning the lottery, that I don't buy tickets for, that would be impossible right now. With that in mind, Alex and I worked out a plan. The new goal is to owe less then I do now.
06) Write about Grace.
The spring of 2015 I felt God telling me to write about about grace. I haven't put a lot of effort into the writing or the topic yet. I want to change that this year.
07) Break a bad habit.
It can be any habit but the one that I would like to work on is biting my nails.
08) Complete the 10 x 10 Game Challenge
The 10 X 10 Challenge is to play 10 board games 10 times each, which will be a total of 100 games played. Alex and I have each picked five games we would like to play this year.
09) Hug Micky Mouse.
There are/were plans to visit this Disney this year. They are currently on hold with the pandemic but if things improve we'll visit Micky and all his friends before my birthday.
10) Meet a Geek Hero.
This was originally a goal to meet one of the Doctors but with the most of the conventions this year on hold I am going to use a cool encounter that happened last year at comic con (not meeting Alex, a different awesome meeting.)
11) See more of Canada.
If money wasn't a limiting factor it would have read "visit every province" I don't want to set myself up for complete failure or the impossible. Instead, I want to see a part of Canada I haven't visited or remember visiting (I was born in Albert but have no memories of the west).
12) Explore Ottawa.
I've lived in or near Ottawa a few times. It has many things to see and do but I get stuck in my routine. I am not sure how many of activities are needed for a success, here are a few I'd like to do: 1) Skate on the Rideau Canal, 2) Tour the Parliament buildings 3) Visit the National Gallery, and/or 4) Watch the Canada Day fireworks on the hill. Do you have a recommendation? Leave a comment.
13) Attend a Festival.
Self explanatory, it can be any event near or far that has the word festival in its name or description.
14) Achieve four cosplay dreams.
Before the end of June I am going to write all my current cosplay hopes and plans. From that list I will attempt to make four of those dreams to come true.
15) Try a capsule wardrobe for a season.
A capsule wardrobe seemed really big in 2012, especially in the minimalist movement. It is when you chose a limited number of essential clothing items that work well together and only wear those 24-40 items for a fashion season. I've always wanted to try it and this is the year.
16) Try something new.
This has become a staple of my bucket lists. It is the perfect challenge because there are always new discoveries, subjects, hobbies, foods, or skills to experience. I am not sure what the "new" will be but I look forward to discovering it.
17) Take a class/course.
This is similar to #16. The differences are: 1) it must be educational in nature. I'm thinking auditing a class or correspondence. Whereas #16 has a broader scope of possibilities, 2) is that it could be a subject that I am already knowledgeable and #16 is something new.
18) (Attempt to) Publish a story.
The brackets are added because I realize that while I enjoy storytelling my stories may not actually interest an agent or a publisher. What I can do is submit and that is what I will do. I have four children's stories that I think are the best candidates but who knows maybe this years' NaNoWriMo will be the bee's knees.
19) Bake something new.
20) Do something extreme.
I've always thought of sky diving; right now I am not sure what the extreme will be. It could be sky diving, white water rafting, or something else.
21) Cook the family a Thanksgiving feast from scratch.
22) Memorize 40 new verses.
These new verses have to have been learned after 2017.
23) Read 40 Books.
24) Read a book on Theology.
Aaron Perry gave a challenge this year for pastors to read a theology book. I've accepted this challenge and am looking forward to reading a topic I haven't really explored since college.
25) Reread the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings.
I've read the Hobbit every decade I've been alive except my 30s; giving me only 3.5 years to keep the tradition alive. And I've read LOTR twice...so it's also due another look at.
26) Reread Narnia and more C.S. Lewis.
The chronicles of Narnia are another series I've read a number of times. I have loved them. I've also be thinking about re-reading the Screwtape Letters, Mere Christianity, the Great Divorce, and Til We Have Faces. What other Lewis should I add to my list? Suggestions welcome, leave a comment.
27) Give the blog a make over.
Something to freshen it up. I've gone as far as dreaming about having its own site and more stuff with a domain change but I'd be happy going for a new layout and look.
28) Finish a project.
It can be any project that I started some time before the posting of this message. It could be finish painting that canvas (the one that I've had for seven years) or a knitting project that I've shelved the past five years. Or maybe something else. Completion is the goal.
29) Knit a sweater.
30) Establish a Morning Routine.
One of my hobbies is researching is habits. I like thinking about goals, routines, challenges, and systems that lead to success. Much has been written about the important of rising and starting the day well. I completed this challenge a year ago but have decided that once Alex and I are married we're going to have to work together to create a constant routine that works for both of us.
31) Establish a Night Routine.
I've noticed that a successful day starts with how and when I went to bed that night before. What I said about the morning routine is also true for the evening habits. I have something that loosely works but would like to add a few things slowly to increase the chance of them actually sticking. I also did this at the same time as the morning routine but would like to set up something with Alex.
32) Practice Contemplative Spirituality.
33) Keep a Food Journal for 30 Days.
34) 30 Days of Journaling.
35) 30 Days of No Sugar.
36) 30 Days of Art.
37) 30 Days of Hair.
These next two challenges are linked. I wouldn't label myself as a tom-boy but I also consider myself not good at hair and make-up. In many ways it makes my life easier not worrying about hair and make-up. So for 30-Days I want to not only to do my hair, but to try 30 different hair styles.
38) 30 Days of Makeup.
With the make-up challenge it will be leaving the house with make-up everyday, removing make-up and caring for my skin each night, and trying six new looks or techniques (one every five days).
39) 100 Days of Dance.
While the 30 Day challenges above are consecutive days. This dance challenge is not. Over this next year I want to have danced more and the best way to monitor success is to have count days of dancing. A dance day includes a minimum of 15 minutes of dancing. It can be just silly dances. learning a new move, or actual dancing.
40) Do Something with the Canvas!
I have had this canvas for a decade, or nearly a decade. It is time to do something with it.
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