Dirty Thirty

Thirty years on this earth is rapidly approaching for me - in approximately 28 days. As I wind down the tail end of my 20's, I have decided to do a list of 30 things I hope to accomplish by this time next year. While this may be a bit aggressive, I am nothing if not persistent, so I am sure this will all come to fruition eventually. 

I know a lot of people tend to do the 30 before 30 list, but I have never really been one to follow a crowd 😉 

#1. Lose about 50 more pounds

For anyone that knows me personally, you know my struggle with weight. I have finally found something that is working for me, so if I stay the course, by this time next year I should be down another 50 pounds (I am down 4 pounds in 2 weeks already!) and maintaining that loss. 

#2. Take more pictures

But not necessarily post them all over social media. I do not have near enough pictures with friends from outings, nor do I have enough pictures with my family. When Nana was always snapping pictures during events when I was a kid, I was confused. When I was helping clean out her stuff, I found so many pictures! So many memories captured, and now to hold on to forever. 

#3. Get a tattoo or two

I have always thought tattoos were cool - every one of them has a story behind it. Every one of them tells someone's story. I have found myself gravitating towards a few designs that I particularly love because of what they stand for, so maybe by this time next year I'll have some new ink! Tastefully done, of course.

#4. Spend a long weekend in Dallas, Texas in February

As I mentioned in probably the first or second post, I am an independent distributor for a health and wellness company. Every year they have a huge gathering in Texas where people from all over come together. It's basically a big ol' family reunion. I am hoping to go to reignite my fire, my passion, and help continue to change lives. 

#5. Continue to remove toxic people from my life

As I get older, my group of friends continues to shrink. This is a part of life - AND IT'S OKAY! I have noticed that without negative energy around me both professionally and personally, I am more apt to enjoy life. This new found freedom has given me a new outlook and increased my positive energy. 

#6. Read More

You all know this girl LOVES to read her books. I am hoping in the spring to pick myself up a refurbished iPad and get back to Nook reading! For now, I have 2 huge (couple gallons) totes full of books that need to be read. Without waiting until January 1 to start this resolution, it's starting now! Currently reading Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

#7. Reconnect with friends/family I have lost touch with

This just speaks for itself. 

#8. Bring inspiration to those who need it

I am not perfect. I am navigating these waters for the first time, myself. But if there's one thing in this world that makes me happy, it's people living their best lives. If this blog is how you're finding your way, then kudos! If it's helping you make choices or look at things differently, then I am glad you stopped by and checked it out! 

#9. Start to plan a trip to Ireland

It's no secret that I want to travel, that I love travelling, and that I seem to have the travel bug. My goal for the next year is to start pricing out the trip I want to take and start saving. It's only a dream if it's never acted on, so it's time this girl made her dream come true. And if a nice Irish boy magically pops up on my trip, sorry Mom and Dad.. I'm staying. 😜

#10. Spend a Saturday every other month wine tasting with my girls

As long as they're all not pregnant at the same time, consider this the invite, ladies. Let's make some memories and enjoy local wineries! Plain and simple. 

#11. Get to more concerts

I used to be a concert going freak. I would stack them in hopes of seeing everyone I wanted to see in as little time as possible. The only concert confirmed right now is O-Town in November. SO STOKED! (Boy band girl FOR LIFE). Concerts are my happy place. Live music is one of my favorite things! 

#12. Take a local trip by myself

It's no secret that I do a lot on my own. One thing I haven't mustered the balls to do is travel by myself. So I am thinking a trip to Bar Harbor to see the sunrise would be solid, with a stop in Kittery on the way back home. 

#13. Try for a girls weekend away somewhere

This may be one of the most challenging items on this list for me. But if I can find dates that work for the group of us, then it's happening. Somewhere relatively local, but still something fun - time to make more memories! 

#14. Address & conquer my fears

This is a pretty hefty idea to throw on myself for the next 365 days, but I have never been one to back down from a challenge. This will definitely require some research and hard conversations, but it will absolutely help me grow. And NO I am not going to hold/spend time with/pet a snake - that's an absolutely not from me. 

#15. Spend time with those that add incredible value to my life on a regular basis

I know we all get busy, but there's nothing saying a quick coffee date, grabbing dinner, watching a movie can't fit into our busy schedules. There are so many people in my life who have added so much value from their support and energy - I need to spend more time celebrating them than dwelling on the past. These are my people - they're the ones I should be spending time with. 

#16. Try a new food

I wouldn't say I'm a picky eater - but my "will not eat list" seems to be pretty extensive in some cases. Maybe I try a new fish (I don't particularly care for seafood, but some I will eat), or a new type of food. We'll see how this goes! 

#17. Find a(nother) new hobby

I love this blog, it's not going anywhere. I love making blankets, also not going anywhere. My Rover business isn’t going anywhere either! I love reading, live music, and driving with no destination in mind. I feel like this is an online dating section haha - but in all seriousness, I would love to try a new activity and see if it's something I can sustain. I've always been interested in calligraphy - but never had the patience for it.. maybe in my old age I'll find patience (LOL). I would love to find something outside of my comfort zone - that will challenge me.     

#18. Keep my budget in check

Money has been a big boulder in my life for as long as I can remember. Sometimes I have a good relationship with it, sometimes it's a big ol' fight. Now that I am making a sustainable income with my full time job (god bless changes), I need to be smarter about how I am spending. Yes there's a bit more breathing room, but I also want to feel comfortable with my finances. 

#19. Get off social media for an entire month

Two weeks off this year was great, but I would LOVE to see how an entire month goes. Detaching from material things and really truly experiencing life through my own eyes and not the lens of social media is what I want most from my life. 

#20. Host a dinner party

I am no Top Chef, but I do enjoy spending time in the kitchen. I love gathering people together to make memories, so what better way to do that than with food! I will need to work on perfecting some recipes, and maybe finding some more furniture for the apartment, but the year is young!     

#21. Start (and finish) a manuscript for a book

I have always wanted to write a book. I have started and stopped so many times - but I was never in the right mindset. I may need to invest in a new laptop (sorry 8 year old MacBook, you're killing me), but I can at least start it. I'm not sure what exactly I want to write, but I can start and see what ideas come! Maybe get it published as an e-book?!

#22. Add more piercings in my ears

I have 5 piercings total, between my ears. I would LOVE to get the inside of my left ear pierced again. I had it done a few years ago, but had a bit of a mishap with the earring that it was pierced with - so I had to let it close up. It made me feel so unique (and yes it hurt but only temporarily!) - it's gotta happen again. 

#23. Start journaling daily

The 5 Minute Journal is an amazing tool that starts and ends my day with an attitude of gratitude. However, in order to realistically heal the brokenness inside me, I need to actually feel the negative emotions, get them down on paper, and allow myself to grieve what I am letting go of. To counteract that, there will be a lot of positivity in the journal too, but you can't have healing without hurt. 

#24. Participate in more "30 Day" challenges

I did a 30 day blog challenge in May - and really enjoyed it! It was exhausting trying to keep up, but it was SO fun! I am considering tying together my blog and my instagram - and somehow making it seamless. I think it would be a fun little challenge to try - but I also want to find a few 30 day challenges to do on different platforms. 

#25. Stop holding grudges

This is an ugly personality trait that I have held onto for a very long time, and it really needs to go. We all make mistakes in life, we cross people and they handle our actions how they see fit. What I need to do going forward, is let that shit go. Want me out of your life? Best wishes, good luck with life, I wish nothing but the best. But that needs to be the end of it. There's literally no need to hold a grudge. 

#26. Go to more movies alone

I have friends that I see movies with all the time. What I need to continue doing is spending time with myself. I've gone to the movies alone before, and I've loved it! I need to do it more often. 

#27. Venture to more museums

This is another thing I could do alone, but sometimes museums are more fun with people. We'll see how that plays out, but my inner nerd wants so badly to learn more and experience more outside my apartment walls.

#28. Put highlights/low lights back in my hair

For a few years, I had some killer color in my hair. I had never done anything to my hair before, other than cut it, so I took a chance. My stylist is AMAZING and does wonderful work, so I trust her opinion and input. I love my natural color, but absolutely miss the definition and body it would give my hair. 

#29. Expand my liquor pallet

I am a cider/hard liquor/wine girl. Beer is so far down the list it's laughable. However, I do want to try different types of liquor to expand my pallet a bit and see what else is out there. Thankfully I have friends who enjoy all different types of things, so they can assist me with this venture! 

#30. Truly practice an attitude of gratitude

This needs to become a serious staple in my life. Often I find myself drifting backwards to "the dark place" and looking for negative things to hold on to. Practicing a true, honest, attitude of gratitude will help me look at life as a whole, and truly appreciate what I have - and stop focusing on so much garbage. 

I look forward to what the next year will bring - as this is a new month, new leaf, new decade of life I am entering into. I love a clean slate and am so excited to see where this next adventure takes me. I hope you'll come along for the ride, as this list WILL be revisited a bit over the next year. 

What are some life things YOU want to do?