Seize The Day!
I feel like turning 40 (my birthday is Saturday) should be a be a big event or a turning point or a moment when I have complete clarity. I might be expecting too much from it. The last 10 years have been good to me. Three weeks before I turned 30 I completely changed my life. Left my husband and started a new life.
And here I am again...starting over it seems. I still have the same husband but our lives just took a new turn and it feels like a fresh start and a new beginning.
The question is...what am I going to do with this fresh start?
It would appear that I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. So many of my dreams that I never thought would come true have...married to a great guy, kids....being a stay at home mom. It feels like I don't have the right to ask for more than that.
Do I?
If this is the half way point of my life...what am I going to do with the rest of it?
The truth is that I'm very happy with my life. There is very little that I'd like to change (besides not living in this apartment), although I'd like to be healthier and more active...and I'm working on that. Last year, I made a list of 39 things to do before I turned 40 and I got 19 of those things done.
This year I decided that there are things I want to learn.....and each month I will tackle a new skill.
September ~ Learn about football and the players on the Denver Broncos.
October~ Learn to paint
November ~ Learn to knit
December ~ Learn to make Sushi
January ~ Learn to bake with yeast....bread, cinnamon rolls, pretzels.
February ~ Learn to make French Macaroons.
March ~ Learn to make pasta. eye roll
April ~ Learn to play poker. iKeith thinks I should learn to play BlackJack because Poker is a game of skill. PAY ATTENTION! PA-LESE! I said I wanted to learn SKILLS!
May ~ Learn to climb a rock wall. iKeith said I'd need to lose 40 pounds to climb a wall.
June ~ Learn to run...complete Couch to 5K and run a 5K race. eye roll
July ~ Learn to Can...veggies and jam. why?
August ~ Learn to dance with iKeith. iKeith will not take lessons with me so I'll be asking Robert to take them with me.
EDITED: I shared this list with iKeith tonight and he rolled his eyes at many of my skills that I want to acquire....so I'm adding his comments.
I love this idea!!! There are several things on your list I'd like to tackle too, and when you break it down to one a month it seems totally manageable to me - plus you will learn so much!!
ReplyDeleteYou go girl! I LOVE making sushi! Too bad we don't live closer, we could do a whole girly night with it. I can't wait to watch you tackle this stuff. YAY! Sarah on our blog is doing the couch to 5k program too. You guys should chat :)
ReplyDeleteI love this idea much better than the HUGE list of things to accomplish over the course of a year. LOVE IT!!
ReplyDeleteYou could combine September and November by knitting an Orange and Blue hat!
ReplyDeleteFootball season is good for knitting, but that's about it in my opinion.
Things to do before 40 - that's a good goal. I have 7 months left of 39. Maybe I'll try seven new things?
HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY (EARLY)!!
ReplyDeleteIt's always a good idea to have goals in life!! I'm sure you'll tackle them all AND I for one can't wait to read about your adventures and progress!
I've made homemade raviolis (family tradition) before and the process is easy in your kitchenaide, BUT be sure and put the ingredients in the bowl in the correct order and your dough will be smooth and flawless.. I learned this the hard way last year! Unless you plan on tackling it by hand... that's fun too! ; )
happy Birthday Connie!!!! I love your list of things to do. What a great idea!!!
ReplyDeletexox
Jen
These are great ideas! I just bought a canning set on clearance at Target and want to learn to use it.
ReplyDeleteI'm 43 and still have no idea what I want to be when I grow up.
I thought I saw somewhere before where you or Bobbi said you moved, and I was going to ask where you moved to, but I'm going to guess it's Denver based on item #1. Also? Happy Birthday and congratulations and welcome to the 40 club.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about this too. Like what do I want to accomplish before next year? My problem is that I can't come up with a list.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, friend!
ReplyDeleteI am always reinventing myself, as well. I definitely have not figured out what I want to be when I grow up.
I love the idea of learning something new each month. I might just borrow this idea!
I know that it is going to be a great year for you.
:-)
Traci
I think its a fabulous idea!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to hear about all you learn too...I am assuming we get to hear all about it???
ReplyDelete~Becca
Okay, that seems so much more manageable than the previous list, that I too failed to complete. I feel you on the apartment front, I'm starting to get a little stir crazy in mine.
ReplyDeleteI love this idea, too!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteUmm...don't you already know how to run?
ReplyDeleteNow you've got me wanting to make my own list! Nah, I'll just live vicariously through you :)
ReplyDeleteI think you have some amazing goals... good for you! Tell iKeith to stuff it! You can do anything you put your mind to. HUGS,
ReplyDeleteConnie I love your list! I hope you get to fulfill it all! What a great goal...and trust me canning and dancing are so much fun! You will love them both!
ReplyDeleteHappy early birthday! I will be coming to visit in January :)
ReplyDeleteI'm with Lorie - tell him to stuff it :) I love your list, and you can do any and all of it. Running 3 miles is completely doable - you just do it one step at a time :) And wall climbing requires strength - of course weighing less will make it easier, but that doesn't mean you CAN'T do it. He's just jealous, I bet he doesn't have a list :)
ReplyDeleteReading through that list my first thoughts were "Claudia Schiffer is turning 40??" and "Kelly Ripa isn't 40 yet??"
ReplyDeleteYou can totally learn to make pasta. I did - and once you get the hang of it, it's pretty simple. But it's hard labor...
And I laughed out loud at iKeith's response to your desire to learn how to can (why?)