This was the inspiration for my blog – my birthday list from 2009-2010.
1. Sky dive
Cliche, sure, but it’s on here! In fact, it’s been on my list since age 25. No kidding. I most definitely want to be part of the club that’s jumped out of a small airplane, 3,000 feet in the air, with nothing more than a thin layer of synthetic material ushering me safely to the ground. Ya, sign me up.
2. Get my motorcycle license (the “M1″)
I love riding around on scooters on vacation. It’s time to bring a little of that back home. I really want to boot around the city in a shiny Vespa.
*4. Visit a Canadian city that’s not Montreal
With so many beautiful cities just a car ride away there is no reason not to see a city in my own backyard. And no, Montreal does not count. (I lived there very briefly one summer).
5. Shape up…more
I work out on the regular, but I want to stand naked in front of a mirror on my thirtieth birthday and say, “damn girl, nice ass!” and really, really mean it. I was a competitive figure skater as a teenager and know what being “in shape” feels like. But I want to top that.
7. Finish “chapter one”
I’ve written a version of “chapter one” a dozen times, but have never finished. I’m addicted to multi-tasking. What I really need to do is just sit, turn off my BlackBerry, put the kybosh on Facebook, and write. (Wow, I almost didn’t finish this paragraph.)
8. This blog.
I want to inspire others, finish this project, and get inspired myself in the process.
9. Reinvent dinner
Take greasy, nasty, fatty, sloppy meals and “Cinderella” them. Once a week make over my favorite recipes into cleaner, healthier versions. I love doing this but have stopped since the move to the new apartment. Need to rekindle this love.
10. Love my skin
Once a week do something fabulous for my dermis. I hear my 30’s are the make or break decade for your skin. Buff it, exfoliate it, moisturize it, love it – it’s the only one I get.
11. Eat green everyday
Green foods are amazing. My research at my day job (I work as an editor for a fitness magazine. Seriously) reminds of this every day. I skip out on veggies way more than I know I should. For the next year eating ‘green’ will be a habit, even on the weekends.
12. Say what I mean
I’ll say what’s really on my mind, even if it means having to get a little uncomfortable from time to time. I’m overdue for a few growing pains. I think this will be the hardest for me (yep, even harder then jumping out of plane – at least you get instructions on how to do that) but I think it will be way up there with “most rewarding.”
**13. Jazzercise
After this post I decided that Jazzercising is something I should dip my sequins shoes into this year. Even after 10 years of instructing more fitness classes than the Caribbean workout, I never ventured into Jazzercise territory. Turns out this dance-aerobics pioneer is turning 40 this year and going through a reinvention of itself. What a match. Jazz hands.
15. Everyday, I will give some awesomeness away. I will remind my friends why I chose to love them; I will buy coffee for the person behind me at Starbucks; I will give my time and expect nothing in return; I will call my mom for no reason other than just because I know it makes her day; I will personally compliment the chef and not just tell the waiter; I will tell the girl at the checkout that her hair is totally bitchin; I will trade a criticism for a compliment; I will ask about your day, instead of telling you about mine. I will give, not to get.
18. Be a closer on one big idea. You’ve felt this before, right? Click here to get the back story on why I’ve added this to my List.
#20. Ink it. Not the usual existential, panicked act of preserving a moment in my personal history, but rather a simple love note… to me. Just easier to read about it here.
#21. Return to the passion of entrepreneurship once again. I don’t know how or when or what, but it’s happening ya’ll, once again.
#22 When it comes to art, be the subject, just one more time. Read the experience that inspired this insatiable, vain and totally incessant need here!
#23. Get a Bangin’ Birthday Cake. My wedding was mediocre at best. So I want a birthday cake to top all wedding cakes. In vanilla. No sugar-paste flowers.
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*I love to travel, and do it as often as I can, really. But somehow, I’ve still managed to not travel somewhere new within my own huge, beautiful country. I’m a very bad Canadian. This item has been moved to a future Birthday List. Those are the rules.
**Jazzercise? What was I thinking? I believe what I was trying to accomplish was a new physical activity. I failed. Lesson learned: don’t put things you really don’t care about on your Birthday List.
Sandy – thank you for sharing this, and writing so authentically. You have inspired me to start my 30 before 30 (only a few months to go!), and from reading other comments here, I think you can count #8 accomplished! Congrats on what you have achieved so far for yourself (that BIG one this week is incredible!) and looking forward to reading more about your adventures.
Hi Janice, thanks for reading my thoughts and List. Best of luck with yours and a small word of advice: think of it not so much as a “to do before 30″ but maybe as a yearly ritual to help your grow. I think 30 is a wonderful age to explore your boundaries and, finally, feel a bit more leveled out. Don’t know about you, but my 20s housed a lot of panic of my future – at 31, I’m optimistic.
sandy.
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I’ve been reading your blog for a while now, and finally decided to try your list deal-io. I just wanted to say a thanks for inspiring me to do some self-work and such. I don’t really have a list composed yet, but I’ve made a page where it’s going to go on my blog and have plenty of ideas. :) Again, thanks! I’ll be reading.
Kris, wow, thanks for reading. I’m always humbled when people write “been reading your blog for a while now..” I’m always like, “really, my blog?”. That makes me happy to know you’re inspired to make a List, too. I hope it inspires you, year after year, at every age.
sandy.
yeahhh. number twelve. good one. i need to get on that too.
This is such a great idea! It’s enticing and makes me want to come back to see how you’re coming along!! Best wishes to you in all your endeavors! Good luck! I look forward to your posts!
Well, thank you Ronnie! Please do come back, anytime.
Hey there. I stumbled across this list while I was blog surfing this morning. I found it highly enlightening; you’ve compiled an interesting collection of things to achieve this year. I really hope you succeed, so much so that I have bookmarked this list; I intend to check back from time to time to hear about said success.
By far, my favorite on the list is #15. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. And while I don’t have a list, I am inspired to also give away my awesomeness each day. Having said that, before I go here’s a tip for #4: Try one of the islands. I imagine that you live in one of our large Canadian metropolises. If you’re looking for something different, something unlike what you’re used to, I guarantee you’ll find island life leisurely yet rousing.
This is really cool, saw your link from NTKOG. Way to go for achieving so many of these already, and good luck with the rest of the list. I look forward to watching your progress (and hopefully accomplishing some of mine too!) :)
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wow this is amazing. I hope it’s all coming out nicely.
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I absolutely love of all of these and look forward to seeing you accomplish them. The one I’m DEFINITELY stealing for myself? #16 of course. Fabulously expensive shoes here I come!
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I love this list! These all sound like pursuits that will serve you well for the rest of your life. It’s great that you’re finding the motivation to take care of your body (and what you’re putting in it), be vocal about your opinions and — um, totally not least importantly — friggin’ nude beach it up!
Thanks grrrrrrl.
I just keep thinking, one year from today, where will I be…
I take it you’ve also been working on the longer-term ones — like, the ones that aren’t a one-shot that you can cross off right away? It would be cool at some point to read a status update of how you’re changing for the better, or if anything hasn’t been as worthwhile as you hoped.
All I have to say is, thanks for asking. YOU inspired today’s post, on Sept 29.
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Bookmarking your site now…and possible starting my own list as I will be 29 in November. Thanks for sharing your idea.
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