A few
months before my 28th birthday, I noticed that a few of my friends from college
were posting 30 Before 30 lists. I
always liked the idea of making lists of things to accomplish by a certain time,
and I have no idea why I never sat down and made this particular list. I have always had an ongoing Bucket List in
my head, but I have never written anything out.
Putting goals in writing is a good step toward accomplishing them,
because it holds you more accountable.
So, I started making that list, but I didn't finish it until after I
posted last month's blog.
Making a
list of 30 things to do before I turn 30 was harder than I thought it would
be. I wanted to make my goals
reasonable; things that could be attainable in 2 years, so that narrowed down a
lot of my Bucket List items. I also started
thinking about things I had done that I would have put on the list if I'd made
it sooner. Before I share my 30 Before
30, I would like to share 15 things I have done in the last 5 years. Some of them may seem silly, but they were
definitely on my mental bucket list. Believe
it or not, I have done 11 of these things in the last 3 years since I turned
25!
1. Start
a blog :)
2. Graduate
college
3. Fly
in a plane
4. Visit
Florida
5. Do
a 5k run/walk
6. Go
to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios
7. Use
public transportation to get around a city
8. See
the east coast/Atlantic
Ocean
9. Lead
a Bible study
10. Complete my
first year of teaching
11. Go on a
horse-drawn carriage ride
12. Eat sushi
13. Go to
church camp as an adult counselor
14. Ride a
motorcycle
15. Take dance
lessons
As you can
see, a lot can happen in a short span of time.
I know this hasn't been a very serious or spiritual post so far, but I
do believe that God has helped me to see the good in my life over the
years. Sometimes everyday life can seem
so dull, but then I remember the things I have seen and done and the things God
has lead me through. I just made a list
of the "big" things, but there are so many things God has helped me
accomplish since college, since high school, since I moved to Oklahoma
1. Write
a book (at least a children's book)
2. Finish
a 5k in 30 minutes or less
3. Make
a three-course dinner for more than 5 people
4. Read
at least 30 books from a top 100 book list
5. Host
a party
6. Finish
independently reading through a Bible study book
7. Play
through a song on the piano that uses both hands
8. Have
a 5 minute conversation in Spanish
9. Complete
a mission trip or vacation scrapbook
10. Attend a
Broadway show as an adult
11. Plant and
cultivate at least one garden plant
12. Learn the
basics of a third language
13. Plan a week
of meals
14. Spend 30
minutes a day working on a hobby for a week
15. Fix and
bring a side dish made from scratch to a church dinner
16. Post a
video on Youtube
17. Visit the Grand Canyon
18. Invest in a
retirement account
19. Send a
photo or article to a magazine
20. Make up a
dance routine
21. Sew a pair
of culottes
22. Have a spa
day
23. Completely
unplug from technology for a week
24. Pay off
loans
25. Have a
Harry Potter movie marathon
26. Get rid of
old stuff and reorganize my room
27. Volunteer
somewhere I never have before
28. Play
paintball
29. Learn 2 new
things to do with my hair
30. Read
through the Bible with commentaries
Ta Da!
Well, there it is. I'll admit that I took some of the ideas from other lists
I've seen. As I mentioned earlier, there
are also things I did not include because they were either too hard to
accomplish within 2 years or not entirely under my control, such as traveling
overseas or getting married. I will try
to keep you updated on things I have finished.
"A goal without a plan is just a wish." - Antoine
de Saint-Exupery
"What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not
fail?" - Dr. Robert Schuller
"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans
will succeed." - Proverbs 16:3
