45 Before 45: Challenges 16 to 20

It is day four of planning the goals for my next birthday challenge, 45 Before 45. I will be posting five challenges a day, from June 11-19, until all 45 goals have been introduced.

This birthday challenge will span two years and two ages, April 26, 2024 to April 25, 2026 at ages 43 and 44 as I work on the 45 Before 45. Each of the 45 challenges are going to have a badge, similar to interest badges in Girl Guides. 

To add to the fun, the badges will have three levels of possible achievement (bronze, silver, gold). I went into greater detail about why badges and why levels for those badges in the introduction post. 

The Birthday Challenges 16-20

16) Reading

I have discovered, and you may already be aware, that buying books and reading books are two different hobbies. I love my books. I also love reading. I have been finding the latter the hard one to accomplish in the last few years. One reason is that in the last five years I have a number of major life changes that have shifted my priorities and focus, including starting a masters program. Most of my reading energy is given to textbook or research. I miss reading and stories. I want to take the time to enjoy personal reading as well as have thinking reading. The activities I have chosen should help me read more. I am going to be allowing two things for these reading tasks: 1) audiobooks, there will be traditional books read but there will also be books listened to because I enjoy both. 2) books finished can count in more than one task. Finishing A Tale of Two Cities would qualify as a classic and being in my TBR pile. A book may be read as part of a 2025 reading challenge and be a non-fiction. 

To achieve Bronze: one task, Silver: complete two more tasks. Gold: complete three more tasks.

• Read 24 non-fiction books
• Read 4 classic books
• Sign up for two or more 2025 reading challenges
• Read 10 books from the TBR shelf
• Re-read the Hobbit
• Re-read the Lord of the Rings
• Finish the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series with Alex (we’re half way through book 2)
• Finish rereading the Narnia series with Alex
• Finish rereading the Anne of Green with Alex
• Read/listen to 200 books

17) Journaling

I have been journaling since high school. It has been a tool that has been helpful in my spiritual life and for my emotional health. Discovering bullet journaling has also helped in my planning and staying organized. Somewhere in the last ten years the established habit has slipped from daily practice into a rare occurrence. I am wanting to encourage tools that are good for me. 

To achieve Bronze: one task, Silver: complete one more task. Gold: complete two more task.

• Create and use a Bullet Journal devoted to tracking the birthday challenges
• Renew a habit of daily reflection and gratitude journaling
• Keep a prayer journal
• In the Red Five Year Journal, have an enter for everyday between April 26, 2024 and April 25, 2025
• In the Red Five Year Journal, have an enter for everyday between April 26, 2025 and April 25, 2026

18) Blogging

Blogging is another practice that has slipped in recent years. I still enjoy having a blog. And I enjoy writing posts. In a given week I have two to ten ideas pop into my head as things to write about but never seem to get started. I know blogs and blogging have fallen out of style. I do miss the community that existed when I first started writing. That is not returning but I will be attempting to give some more focus to my blog. In January 2025, the blog is turning 20. I think it is time for some restyling and a name change. I still like Bowl of Stewart but I'm no longer a Stewart. I am thinking something like Liz's Birthday Adventures, but that sounds bland. It might forever stay Bowl of Stew(art). Either way, going to keep up with the blog over the next two years. 

To achieve Bronze: one task, Silver: complete one more task. Gold: complete two more task.

• Update Personal Bio (a friend pointed out last month there are a number of things that are no longer true)
• Rename the blog
• Celebrate 20 years of the blog in January 2025
• Update the blog theme and look
• Write 80 Thankful Thursday
• Post a reflection or article (that is not a person update or challenge review) 24 times.
• Post a reflection or article (that is not a person update or challenge review) 45 times.

19) Vlogging

This is going to be something new for me. I have done some livestreaming since 2020. I filmed things that I thought would be interesting to share on YouTube...but never got from the filming to the editing stage. I don't even know if what I am thinking about would be classed as true vlogging, or if that term is now dated. I want to make some videos over the next two years and share them. 

To achieve Bronze: one task, Silver: complete two more tasks. Gold: complete three more tasks.

• Write 20 scripts for video ideas I have
• Make a Birthday Challenge video or a short for each of the 45 challenges
• Learn to video edit
• Film and Edit videos about achieving the 45 Before 45 birthday challenges
• Create a realistic upload schedule
• Edit the 2021 family trip film into a video
• Edit clips we have for a “Seven Provincial Parks in Seven Days” video
• Edit the film of Provincial Parks stickers into cute shorts
• Edit my Ukulele journey into a series
• Film the first episode of a series on playing cooperative board games called “Can We Win?”
• If it was fun, film and edit more episodes of “Can We Win?”
• There are two other “series” ideas I have. Explore and reflect if there is time and energy to make them

20) Learning

There is a phrase I aspire to live, "being a life-long learner". It is the reason I created the first birthday bucket list challenge, it is why there are so many challenges about trying new things or reading different books. It is the reason I am continuing my education. And its the reason for creating this challenge. 

To achieve Bronze: one task, Silver: complete two more tasks. Gold: complete three more tasks.

• Finish three courses on Skill Share or a similar site
• Finish six (three more courses) on Skill Share or a similar site
• Finish a total of 12 courses on Skill Share or a similar site
• Finish a total of 24 courses on Skill Share or a similar site
• Take three courses at Tyndale
• Take five courses (two more courses) at Tyndale
• Take a total of seven courses at Tyndale
• Attend a seminar or conference
• Learn ten new skills
• Learn 1500 Spanish words in Duolingo
• Learn 2000 Spanish words in Duolingo
• Complete Section 3 of Duolingo
• Complete Section 4 of Duolingo
• Complete Section 5 of Duolingo