On Tuesday, I shared that my one word for this year is “Purpose.” I want to be more intentional in everyday life. I spent much of the past two weeks thinking through what that means for me and outlining priorities and setting goals with the help of my 2016 iBloom Life and Business Planner (not an affiliate, just a fan). Today, I want to share with you the goals I have set for this year.
After struggling to find balance and purpose last year, I felt very motivated to really go after some dreams this year. I will turn 30 in December and was also inspired when I came across the 30 Before 30 goals that many have set. I decided to create my own list of 30 goals for this year. I have an ambitious list, but I don’t want to shy away from pursuing my goals any longer. So here it is:
My 30 Before 30
1. Read the entire Bible.
While I have read all of the Bible before, I have never read the entire Bible in a year. I really want to invest that time this year.
2. Commit 50 Bible verses to memory.
I grew up memorizing Scripture as a child, but haven’t focused on it as an adult. I am using the Fighter Verses app to help me with this.
3. Finish the unread books on my shelf.
I was an English major and I love books, but since graduating from grad school, I’ve become more of a collector of books rather than a reader of books. I never seem to find the time to actually read. This year, I want to focus on reading the books I already have rather than investing in more books. I counted and I have over 125 books I need to read. EEK! I may not read them all, but I hope to put a huge dent in the collection.
4. Complete all the Craftsy/e-courses I have bought.
I have so many skills I want to learn or improve – photography, baking, sewing, etc. I have made use of free classes and coupons, but haven’t made the time to sit down and do the work (are we sensing a theme here?).
5. Complete 25 Pinterest projects.
I have over 4000 pins saved but have completed very few projects. I have some great ideas for our new house.
6. Take an art class.
I have always wanted to learn to paint. As we were moving away from North Carolina, I learned our town offers community art classes for a nominal fee. Now that we are moving back, I hope to sign up for these weekly classes.
7. Finish my quilt.
My mother taught me to sew and to quilt. I started my own quilt when I was in high school. It still isn’t finished. The top of the quilt is pieced together already. All that needs to be done is to attach the backing and quilt the layers together. Whether I do it by hand or machine, I want to get it done!
8. Study photography and learn how to use my camera.
My now husband bought me a nice DSLR camera a few years ago and I have absolutely no idea what to do with it. I can barely point and click let alone use any of the settings. I purchased the Ultimate Photography Bundle last year and now I need to make use of it. I’m hoping it will help improve my blog images as well!
9. Sew 5 pieces of clothing for myself.
My amazing mother made my wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses for my wedding this past summer. When we were shopping, I picked up several patterns that I wanted to try myself. Most were for summery dresses so hopefully I’ll get to this in the next few months and be ready for the season.
10. Try 25 new recipes.
I don’t just collect regular books. I also have quite a few cookbooks that I’ve never made a recipe out of, including three I’ve received/bought in the last month. I love to bake, but I don’t really know how to cook very well. It’s time for that to change!
11. Learn to make French macaroons.
I love everything French. I studied the language for five years and dream of visiting France one day. I know macaroons are difficult to make, but I really want to learn how…and I even have a couple of cookbooks that are just for macaroons!
12. Learn different ways of making coffee.
I am the only coffee drinker in the house and I use a Keurig daily. I know the coffee isn’t great (or sometimes even good) but it’s the only way I know how to make it. I’ve read about several methods lately – French press, pour-over, cold brew – and I want to find a method that isn’t too tedious but that makes coffee more enjoyable.
13. Successfully make a pie from scratch.
While I love to bake, successful pies have eluded me. I’ve only tried a handful of times, and can’t seem to get the crust right. But, guess what?! I have a Craftsy class all queued up to learn how.
14. Grow vegetables.
I’m the kind of person who can’t keep a cactus alive, but I really want to learn to grow my own vegetables. I’ve been trying to introduce more fresh foods into our diet and would love to able to just walk out and pick my own.
15. Learn to coupon/meal plan to save money.
This is two-fold in that I need to become a better cook to broaden our meal options, and then I need to make the time to find coupons to make this cheaper. Since we’ve stretched the budget to make our upcoming move possible, I want to do what I can to help with finances.
16. Take a Zumba class.
I love watching dance movies (Center Stage, Save the Last Dance, Step Up, and this list goes on), and I always wished I could dance. Zumba looks so fun to me, but I am totally intimidated at the thought of dancing in front of other people with my two left feet. A former neighbor in North Carolina is an instructor so I’m hoping to hop into one of her classes after next week’s move.
17. Run in a 5K.
I just want to say I’ve done it. I’m thinking the Color Run, just to make it more fun. Couch to 5K is on my phone. Now to JUST DO IT!
18. Get in the best shape of my life!
I especially want to be intentional about being healthy. I hate to think that my best health is in the past. While being overweight bothers me, it isn’t just about the weight. I truly want to be healthy, to feel better, to have more energy. This won’t just happen though. I must work at it.
19. Develop a habit of rising early.
I’m not an early bird or a night owl. I’m really more of a middle of the day kind of person, but I think my day’s would be off to a more meaningful start if I could just get up early on intentionally use that quiet time to prepare for my day, meet with God, and take a few moments to breathe before the day happens.
20. Own a pair of fancy heels I can actually walk in.
I have shied away from heels because I’m tall and because I usually buy cheap shoes that hurt my feet. I think heels are fun, and I love to try them on in stores. I would love a pair of heels that I could wear on occasion that don’t hurt my feet.
21. Decorate an entire room the way I want.
I am an HGTV junkie. After living in campus housing for college and grad school, I want to finally put my stamp on my own home.
22. Finish cleaning out my room at my parents’ house.
By age 30, this should be done, right? And my parents will be so glad!
23. Frame my degrees.
I worked hard for those pieces of paper, and now they are sitting and collecting dust. Time for pretty frames.
24. Complete my wedding photo album.
Since I’ve been married less than six months, I don’t feel too bad that this isn’t done. My parents gave me the full Project Life kit for Christmas specifically for our wedding photos. If I don’t make this a priority, I know it is likely to sit on a shelf. I have already printed most of the pictures. I love the ease of Project Life and can’t wait to have the finished project.
25. Make my blog into a business.
I’m not really sure what this means yet, but I have 11 months to figure it out! My purpose for this blog has been to encourage and inspire women. So much of what I have done in life has lead me to this purpose, and now I want to figure out how to really make that impact.
26. Volunteer.
I was in a volunteer-based scholarship program during undergrad when I completed over 2000 hours of volunteer work. Working full-time and attending school full-time as a grad student left no extra time in my schedule. I want to invest time in a cause that is very dear to my heart and am excited to explore local options after we move as well as looking into larger organizations.
27. Ride in a hot air balloon or helicopter.
While I really want the hot air balloon, I think a helicopter might be more feasible for the coming year, but who knows. Regardless, I want to see the world from the skies and not at the speed or height of an airplane (I’ve already done that).
28. Finish my book.
This was the one goal I hesitated to put on the list because I thought it would be impossible, but I’m in a “Go big or go home” mood so here it is. I’ve mulled over this book, plotted, and planned for a couple of years now. I even have the first couple of chapters written. It’s go time!
29. Go to New York City.
I would love to travel and New York City is a place I would love to see that seems feasible in the next year, as travel is a monetary investment and we’ll be on a tight budget for awhile. Maybe I can go near my birthday and see the tree in Rockefeller Center, catch a Broadway play, eat some authentic New York pizza, and who knows what else.
30. Make a list of 40 Goals Before Age 40.
As I worked on compiling my list of goals, many goals I knew were simply not achievable within a year’s timeframe. I wonder if I had created a list of goals at age 20 if I would have accomplished amazing things. There is no reason my 30s can’t be awesome! I don’t have any fears about turning 30. I’m actually excited about the possibilities of the coming decade of my life, but I’m also very excited about all that my 20s can still hold, even with only one year left.
I look forward to updating you on my progress as we head through this year!
How about you? Have you created a list of life goals for yourself? What goals are you most excited about achieving?