30 Before 30

A few months after getting married, Darrell and I compiled a list of 101 tasks to complete in 1001 days. While we certainly won't be able to accomplish all the items on the list before the 1001 days are up on April 19th (pretty sure skydiving is not going to happen between now and then), we have gotten through quite a few of the items on the list. We've even managed to accomplish a few things that we probably wouldn't have prioritized if they hadn't been on the list (like attending a state fair), and for that reason alone I'm glad we at least attempted the list.

So, when I realized that I'm rapidly approaching my thirtieth birthday (goodbye, mid-twenties!), I thought that it would only be fitting for me to put together a similar list. I've learned that I'm much more likely to follow through on something if I set concrete goals instead of having an ambiguous desire to accomplish "something" by "some point". And with a baby on its way to change our world as we know it, I thought now would be an especially fitting time for me to set some goals tailored to making sure I don't lose sight of who I am as an individual as we transition into a family of three.

Of course, I couldn't just be normal and create a single list of 30 things to accomplish before I turn 30 (which will happen in approximately 30 months, hence the reason for the timing of this post). Instead, I decided to create four lists, each tailored to a specific passion of mine. Thirty months seems like quite a bit of time, and if there are thirty items on each of the four lists, then I only have to accomplish four things per month, which is just one thing per week. Totally reasonable, right? (This would be where Darrell tells me I'm biting off more than I can chew. This would be where I respond that I don't care.)

As you can probably tell from my blog content, I very much enjoy being in the kitchen. So, one of my lists is going to be "30 Before 30: Food". I also enjoy leisure reading, although I don't always make time to read as much as I'd like, so I'm going to do a "30 Before 30: Books" as well. The last two lists are things that I want to get better at doing, so hopefully having a goal for accomplishing them will be the spark I need to get going. One is "30 Before 30: Crafts", and the other is "30 Before 30: Running".

In the next few weeks I'll go into a little more detail on the food, books, and crafts lists, but they'll all follow the same general pattern: the goal will be to complete thirty tasks related to the list by the end of the thirty months. The slight variation to that will be the running list. I considered making it my goal to complete thirty road races before thirty, but with pregnancy, being out of shape, and terrible running conditions six months of the year, I decided that it was more realistic for me to aim for completing thirty miles in road races instead of thirty individual races. Thirty miles would be the equivalent of ten 5K races, or if I were really ambitious I could run a marathon (26.2 miles) and get most of the miles done in one fell swoop.

I know a lot of people fear turning thirty (just ask my sister who hits that milestone in October!), but I feel like if I can end my twenties on a high note (maintaining my sense of personal identity while learning how to adjust to life as a mother) then I can handle anything the thirties throw at me!