I love goal-setting and making lists. Unfortunately, I don't always stick with those goals and lists (a trip through this very blog can show you that...). However, I recently turned 39, and I feel like I'm at a turning point where I want to make some HUGE changes in my life. While I was thinking about these changes, there were some things that popped up that I want to accomplish, which lead to the start of this list. Some of these things are just for fun and are things that I've always wanted to do. Others are things that are going to get me closer to the changes I want to make. Either way, I'm putting these items out in the world and am planning to update monthly so that people can see my progress and harass me about them. Here we go!
1. Get another tattoo - I'm thinking peas in a pod with my mom!
2. Visit the beach - I haven't been to the beach in at least 15 years, plus Charli has been begging to go, so we need to make a family beach trip happen somehow!
3. Do a cartwheel - Charli has been taking gymnastics, and while I know that I'll never be a gymnast, it has made me want to try to do a cartwheel - something I've never done!
4. Purple hair - I don't know if I want to do a few streaks or a whole head, but I've always wanted purple in my hair and have shied away because of the bleaching process. No more waiting!
5. Ride a bike - I haven't ridden a bike in ages, but I've been wanting to. I bought a new seat for my comfort, so I just need to help my mom get the bike out and cleaned up!
6. Get a curl cut - My hair has been wavy/curly since I had Charli, and I've never really known how to deal with it. I want to go to a curl cut specialist and see if they can shape this mop into something that I can work with!
7. Find a skin care routine - I've never been great about taking care of my skin, so I'd like to find a good morning and evening skin care routine to help with breakouts, sun damage, wrinkles, etc.
8. Get my nose pierced...again - I had it pierced when I was 29, and I didn't love the placement of it. I want to get it done again and maybe try a hoop this time instead of a stud to see if I like it better.
9. Buy a new phone - If you've seen my phone in real life, you'll understand this one. I want to hold on to it until it won't work anymore, but I'm afraid that day will be here sooner than I think
10. Create a will - This is something that we've needed to do for a while, so I'm putting it on here to pressure myself to get on it!
11. Have family pictures made - We haven't had pictures made since Charli's newborn pictures, so we're way overdue!
12. Go to the eye doctor/get new glasses - I went at the end of February 2020, so it's time for an updated prescription and some new glasses. I'm thinking pink and sparkly this time!
13. Make our family notebook - This is a project I've been putting off, but it feels like something that will make me feel like a more responsible adult. Basically, it's our family's information in one place and a way to keep track of things in case of emergencies.
14. Go to Cheekwood during the fall or spring - I want to see either the pumpkin displays or the tulips. The Nashville Library has free day passes, so maybe we can go both times!
15. Try five new restaurants/coffee shops in the area - Local places that aren't chains!
16. Go to the dentist - I haven't been since having a wisdom tooth pulled in early 2020, so this is yet another thing I'm overdue in doing!
17. Take a picture in front of a Nashville mural - I know this is a silly, touristy thing to do, but I want to do it!
18. Stick with our budget every month, starting in August - Self-explanatory, but this is another thing that would make me feel more like a responsible adult, plus it will help us achieve some other goals (including some on this list...).
19. Set up a craft area - I've been using my Cricut fairly regularly, but I've got everything scattered around the basement and piled up on my work desk. I need to set up a nice, dedicated area for my Cricut and all of my other artsy things that I've got everywhere else around the house!
20. Go to a UT football game - Will and I have talked about doing this every year, and we haven't managed to do it yet, so this is our year!
21. Do a 5K - I used to do them fairly often, and I found out that work will reimburse us for a registration fee for one, so I need to find one that's a few months out so I can get my sedentary, work-from-home self in the habit of walking regularly!
22. Take a weekend trip with Will - We took a weekend trip a few years ago, and it was really nice to have a couple of days to explore a different place. Our 10th anniversary is in the spring, so maybe we can take a weekend trip to celebrate that!
23. Go kayaking - Mom and I have talked a little about kayaking, so I'd love for us to get to do it!
24. Pay off most of our debt - We've been dragging some of this crap around for years, and I'd love to start my 40s fresh and mostly debt-free! I know we can't get the house paid off in a year, and I've got student loans hanging out still, but I believe with a lot of focus, concentration, and effort, we can get rid of everything else this year!
25. Go on six fun/different dates with Will - We haven't really been going on dates lately, even though Charli has basically moved in with my mom this summer, and we've had more opportunities than ever! Oops! I figure we can aim for six new date ideas over the next year since that's just one every couple of months. I know there's an arcade place we've talked about, so there's one right there!
26. Go on six fun/different mom/daughter dates with Charli - I'd love to have some more mom/daughter dates with Charli too! Even if it's just six different playgrounds, I know she'd love it...if I can get her to come home and see me...ha!!
27. Try a new workout class - One of Charli's classmates had a birthday party, and his mom told me about the workout place she works at part-time. I've been meaning to try it one Saturday when she's there because it sounds like a cool place!
28. Watch all of the Marvel movies/shows - I've seen some of them, but I want to watch all of them in the order they fall in the overall timeline. I think Will would be on board with this one too, even though he's seen most of them already.
29. Try two new recipes a month - I originally thought one per week, but I don't cook a lot, so I need to ease into this! We need to cook at home more often to help our finances and our health, so this is something I've been talking about even before it made it on the list!
30. Read 100 books - I've talked about my reading slump on here, but I still haven't gotten back in the habit of reading again (I've been spending waaaay too much time on TikTok...). 100 books is approximately 2 books a week between now and my 40th birthday, which is more than doable for me if I put down my phone and start reading again!
31. Get a new tablet or e-reader - I can use the library app on my phone, but I usually get distracted if I start reading on my phone. I've been wanting a new tablet for a few other things, so I'm either going to save towards one or an e-reader.
32. Replace my broken Pandora bracelet - I had a leather Pandora bracelet that broke back in January. Will fixed it with some strong glue he has, but then it broke again when I was in the office one day. I want to get another metal bracelet to replace it since the leather ones don't seem to hold up as well.
33. Make a house projects list and complete one a month - This is one that's been nagging at me for a while. We don't have huge projects, but there are a lot of things that we've needed to do since we moved in here...five years ago...for example, a retaining wall underneath our back deck, painting our front porch, fixing a dripping sink in Charli's bathroom, etc. I need to create a room-by-room list and pick a project for each month!
34. Buy new makeup and start a makeup routine - I don't really have a makeup routine now since I only sometimes wear it if I leave the house. I don't want to have a 25 step routine with highlighting and bronzing and whatever baking and setting is, but I would like to find makeup that gives me good coverage and makes me look a little fresher. I know I might have to spend a little more than the $5 I typically spend per product, but I think it'll be worth it!
35. Use the Instant Pot - Will has used it before, but it scares me, so I haven't tried it yet. If I want to try new recipes and save money, then I'm going to have to woman up and just try it!!
36. Play bingo in Kentucky - I love bingo, and I've always wanted to go to a bingo hall and play a few games, and since we don't have them in Tennessee, I've got to go north for this one!
37. Complete a 30 day challenge - This one is a little vague because I haven't decided what it will be yet, but I think it will be health/fitness related - maybe related to drinking water daily since I've really been slacking in that area. Stay tuned for more details when I figure this one out!
38. Monthly social media free days - I don't post a ton on social media, but I'm on the sites way too often (TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram are my worst offenders). I want to choose a day each month where I don't access any of them. I think that'll show me how much time I actually waste on them, plus it would be a good way to work on some of these other goals!
39. Make $500 from freelance writing - I have said for years that I want to be a freelance writer, but I haven't taken it seriously. Over this next year, I want to make (at least) $500 from writing projects to show myself that I can do it and motivate myself to work harder on that ultimate goal!
40. Get Koopa's DNA done - Let's end this on a silly goal! I want to know what kind of dog he is, and since he'll be 10 in March, I think we need to celebrate his birthday by finding out what breed he is. Or at least that's the justification I'll use to do it!
Whew! This was a lot harder than I expected it to be! Come back and visit on August 15 to see what kind of progress I made during my first month!
