Sept. 15, 2009 and May 2, 2011. Two times where I reviewed, edited, and updated my list of 35 Things To Do Before I’m 35. Having turned 30 a few months ago, I had a little realization…I have less than 5 years until this list expires. The funny part is that when I first created it, it was the end all, be all. It was a life list that I had to achieve or accept the idea that I failed myself.
The funny part is how in creating this list and growing up a bit from 27, I’ve developed a truer sense of what achievement means to me. Failing is just one more part of the adventure. (Honestly, I still struggle with this, but just because I’ve failed at something doesn’t make me a failure. It means I was going out of my comfort zone and challenging myself, and it didn’t work out this time.) Sometimes things work and other times they simply don’t.
I recently talked to my best friend about failure, achievement and setting goals. Goals that are not based entirely on known reality, but instead are more than challenging and as a result, help push you to continue to work harder for it. He said something that struck me, as I was arguing the side for setting realistic goals that could be achieved (which is what I’ve always been taught – can anyone relate?):
“If you shoot for the moon and miss, you’ll still be among the stars.”
Good point. Even setting a challenging big life goal and ultimately not reaching it, means you’ve still achieved amazing things by aiming for the lofty goal over settling for a ‘more realistic’ goal that’s easily achieved. Never to be one to settle, I’m going to shoot for the moon for this year’s resolutions/goals (more to come on those) and update my 35 things list once more. But this time, I know some of these things may not be achieved and that’s okay. Striving for them may unlock other things that I hadn’t even thought of, plus I’m going to keep working at bettering myself and LIVING in the moment.
35 Things To Do Before I’m 35
1. Buy my own place – completed June 2009
2. Go skydiving – planned for March 2013
3. One big international trip a year –
- Ireland in 2009;
- No international trip in 2010, but did travel to: San Antonio, Hollywood/Los Angeles, 2 trips to Washington, D.C., Austin, Madison, Indianapolis, Aspen, Pittsburgh, Columbia, MO and 2 trips to St. Louis);
- Australia in 2011;
- No international trip in 2012, but did travel to: Nashville, 4 trips to Chicago, 3 trips to Seattle, Los Angeles, College Station, TX, Pittsburgh, Memphis, Telluride/Mesa Verde/Great Sand Dunes, Oahu, Los Angeles/Anaheim/San Diego, St. Louis, Baltimore, Yountville/Napa Valley, New York City;
- Iceland in 2013;
4. Go to South by Southwest to mingle with bloggers and social media addicts – completed March 2010
5. Start my own social media marketing company – completed March 2012
6. Hike at least one Colorado 14er (that’s a mountain above 14,000 feet elevation!) – completed Quandary Peak August 2011 and Mt. Bierstadt September 2011
7. Learn to snow shoe and go during the winter season – completed March 19, 2011
8. Run a race at least once every year –
- Bolder Boulder 10K May 2008;
- Fans on the Field 10K September 2009;
- Platte River Half Marathon 13.1 miles March 2010;
- None in 2011;
- Girls on the Run 5K May 2012;
9. Get married and have a family
10. Go on an annual trip with my girls from college –
- Chicago August 2007;
- Lake of the Ozarks September 2008;
- St. Louis/Kansas City June and September 2009;
- Columbia/St. Louis October and December 2010;
- New Orleans July 2011;
- Memphis June 2012;
11. Complete my family tree with as many pictures as possible – have started this
12. Visit the seven Wonders of the World
13. Vacation in a place like Bora Bora where you stay in a hut above the crystal blue water
14. Paint my own piece – completed January 2011
15. Take on a more minimalist lifestyle decreasing the number of possessions I have, and focus more on relationships and experiences – cleaned out closet December 2012, next up: pantry, linen closet, bookcase
16. Visit the Grand Canyon and Mount Rushmore
17. Throw a spooky Halloween party
18. Start a personal blog – completed Sept. 13, 2009
19. Get a dog
20. Go backpacking in the Rocky Mountains
21. Learn how to make sushi – completed winter 2010
22. Take a photography class
23. Save $50,000 in savings
24. Read the autobiographies/biographies of key figures in our nation’s history including Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Martin Luther King and Thomas Edison
25. Make a Thanksgiving dinner all on my own
26. Read Jane Austen classics including Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, Emma, and Persuasion.
27. Tour the Napa Valley wine country with my family – completed September 2012
28. Plant and grow a vegetable garden
29. Make my own pottery
30. Go with a group of friends on a house boat trip to Lake Powell
31. Volunteer at the Denver Art Museum or Denver Museum of Nature & Science
32. Learn about different forms of art by visiting local art galleries and determine what art style I prefer – completed Santa Fe Art Walk Fall 2011 (I’m a huge fan of Impressionism and contemporary pieces, life-like artwork, paintings where gobs of paint color create a work of art)
33. Cut and donate my hair to Locks of Love – still growing 
34. Write a poem
35. Host a wine, chocolate and cheese tasting party
Read Full Post »