Every year around my birthday, I like to make myself a fun list – things I’d like to do or try before my next birthday. These are usually experiences I think I would be nice, or skills I’d like to learn, but not necessarily goals that need to be measured. I’ve never finished everything on my lists, but just having the list keeps me inspired and focused and gives me things to think about when I’m not sure what to tackle next. When I was 24, I checked off about 17/25 things, which is a ratio I’m pretty happy with.
This year, I took many of these list items off of a larger list I have, my list of 100 dreams that I came up with in February. The list of 100 dreams is an exercise I borrowed from Laura Vanderkam and I think it’s such a fun thing to do.
- Learn how to do handlettering ✓
- Sew a quilt ✓
- Knit another big beautiful blanket. Working on it! I’m knitting this one, and it’s still in progress.
- Throw a dinner or brunch party
- Take 26 courses or workshops – 5/26
- Go to Shakespeare in the Park ✓
- Print photos ✓
- Take photobooth photos ✓
- Go rockclimbing
- Go to a book signing ✓ I did this just a couple weeks after turning 26, so I’m still counting it.
- Start another podcast
- Save an emergency fund ✓
- Celebrate small holidays
- Make seasonal videos. ✓ Instead, I’m doing 1 Second Everyday for all of 2017.
- Take an aerial yoga class
- Live somewhere with a balcony ✓
- Travel to see friends in NYC + Vancouver
- Go on a yoga or meditation retreat
- Create a weekly coffee date ✓
- Go to a musical or a play ✓
- Invest in good pieces of clothing/shoes ✓
- Grow a little garden
- Make 12 DIY projects – 8/12
- Dress pattern
- Printed posters
- Triangle Quilt
- ‘Marble-topped’ side table
- Oh My Deer I Love You print
- Watercolour triangles art
- Driftwood and yarn wall hanging
- Quote script art
- Collect quotes ✓
- Take dance classes
- Start a new business ✓
See also: 25 before 25, 24 before 24, 22 before 22.
