30 in 30

Guys, today I turn the big 3-0.

Yay! I’m actually pretty pumped to turn 30. My life today is not at all what I had envisioned, but it is better than I could have dreamed. I have the most amazing husband, live in a wonderful home in a wonderful city, have a stable job, and have the best friends a girl could ask for. I’m so excited to embark on my next chapter, and to kick it off I’m sharing 30 things I want to do as a 30-year-old.

1. TALK LESS, LISTEN MORE – This one stems from a bad habit I have: interrupting people to finish their thought. I think it’s actually rooted in an out-of-balance ego that wants to say “OOH I KNOW I KNOW.” I want to focus solely on the person I’m conversing with so they have my undivided attention.
2. DANCE LIKE NO ONE IS WATCHING – Some days, I miss dancing so, SO much. I haven’t taken a class in god knows how long, and I’d like to change that. Once my marathon is over (see #5) I’d like to start taking class again, just once a week. I think my body, and more important, my soul, would really benefit.
3. QUIET MY MIND – If you read this post, then you know I struggle with meditation. But it’s something I really want to add to my daily life! I’m starting to think a good time to set aside might be the first five minutes when I get to work, before I drink my coffee and start answering emails.
4. BREAK A BAD HABIT – Anyone who knows me knows I suck at time management. I’m always late. I try so, so hard, but I always end up late! This year, I want to focus on adding five minutes for myself to get from point A to point B. Leave five minutes earlier, and I probably won’t be late.
5. RUN A MARATHON – It’s happening! October 9th is right around the corner people! So nervous, but also really excited to check it off my bucket list.
6. WRITE MY STORIES – I need to make this one a priority. I have two solid outlines for novels in my head and I want to start writing them. Even if they never come to anything, I want to give the stories the chance to exist outside my brain. I plan to set aside one hour per week (small, but doable) to dedicate to writing.
7. BLOG BETTER – This one is obvious. I want to create more and better content and keep the creative juices flowing. I love blogging, I love connecting to other bloggers, and I want to keep the fire alive. This also means adding things like a Twitter account and growing an Instagram following, so it’s no piece of cake. But I like it and it’s fun for me, so I’ll keep doing it until it no longer is!
8. HONE MY PHOTOGRAPHY SKILLS – Most of you know my dad takes all my photos for me (thanks Dad!), but I’ve been wanting to get behind the lens and play too! I love learning anything new, especially when it has a subjective component like photography. Stay tuned for more to come!
9. PRACTICE DAILY – I can’t keep wishing myself into handstand, I have to practice daily. One pose, five minutes of practice per day.
10. FINISH THE PINK SWEATER.
11. BE OF SERVICE – Being of service to others is the number one way to get me out of my head and into the world. I try to be of service to those in my life, but I’d like to think bigger picture and try volunteering somewhere, or maybe even following in Tom’s footsteps and signing up for Tutoring Chicago.
12. GO OFF GRID – My favorite days ever are those spent entirely off grid. No phone, no computer, no TV. Tom and I love spending quality time together, and it’s much easier to do that when I’m totally free of technology. Setting aside one day per month to be completely off grid is my goal.
13. PUT MYSELF OUT THERE – This one is tough, since I’m not the best networker. But I really would like to make an effort to meet more interior designers and bloggers here in Chicago. It will take some courage to reach out, or to attend networking events solo, but I have faith I can overcome the fear and DO IT.
14. SEW WHAT – Two years ago Tom bought me the best sewing machine and I’ve of course sewed maybe seven things with it. More time, I need more time people! Anyway, come winter when we’re stuck indoors I’d like to dedicate some time to sewing.
15. SEE MORE ART – Chicago has such amazing museums, shows, architecture, music, etc. I need to get my ass into gear and start taking advantage of all the art there is!
16. PARE IT DOWN – I love a good life-purge and what better year than 30 to do a major one. Everything from clothes to kitchen utensils gets evaluated and either kept or tossed. More to come on this one!
17. EAT LESS SUGAR – Lord knows I love me my sugar. Tom and I always joke that we are the epitome of sweet and savory – I wake up wanting chocolate and he wakes up wanting pizza. I don’t want to cut it out completely but I would like to scale back a bit. It’ just so damn hard because #donuts!
18. COMMUNICATE BETTER (or, FIGHT THE FEAR) – I struggle with effective communication, both personally and professionally. It’s a pattern I’d rather change. I have fear of confrontation, or of standing up for myself, and I really do myself a major disservice when I let it get the best of me. This year I want to take charge and say what I want to say (respectfully, of course). Most people who have had similar experiences say it’s totally worth it.
19. FINISH OUR HOME – Goodness, I can’t believe we moved into our condo over a year ago! In some ways we’ve really made our home into our own, and in others it feels totally unfinished and thus unusable (which is the worst when you’re already working with minimal square footage!) Things we still need to do: paint our bedroom, refinish our chairs, fill our blank walls with art, and of course, tackle our bathroom. I’ll keep you posted with progress!
20. PRACTICE COMPASSION – More often than not I find myself judging others – or worse, myself – harshly. What would happen if I let myself have a little compassion? Is that person upset because they’re having a bad day? Have I actually made more progress than I’m giving myself credit for? How would my world change for the better if I practiced having compassion?
21. APOLOGIZE LESS – Does anyone else say “sorry” all. the. time.? I catch myself saying it in response to everything: someone bumping me on the train, the person reaching for the same apple that I am, Tom asking me what time I want to eat dinner. It’s the strangest thing, because it comes out without me actually meaning to apologize. I’d like to stop saying “sorry” when I don’t actually mean it, and save it for the times I genuinely do.
22. QUIT PLAYING THE COMPARISON GAME – This needs no explanation.
23. LET GO A LITTLE – I’m a self-confessed control freak. I like things exactly a certain way and often slip into all-or-nothing thinking, especially when it comes to cleaning my house. I have a feeling if I let go of the control just a little, I would probably waste less time worrying about how it’s not “perfect” and spend more time actually accomplishing what it is I want to get done.
24. GEEK OUT – I love learning to code and want to keep expanding my knowledge of the subject! There’s a great book I’m saving up for, though in the meantime I love messing around on Code Academy.
25. KEEP AN OPEN MIND – I’m the number one offender in this regard. I have the hardest time opening my mind to something new or different than what I had previously envisioned. For someone who listens to podcasts nonstop, this feels a little abnormal. Think about what my world could look like if I just opened my mind a little more! Think about all the creative stuff I could let in if I opened my mind to receive it!
26. TRAVEL MORE – My best friend from college, Hannah, moved out to California years ago and I still haven’t made the trip to see her! I want to save my pennies so Tom and I can finally take the long overdue trip. Although I have a suspicion I’ll never want to leave!
27. COMPLAIN LESS – I admit, I love to vent. Venting can be healthy, to a certain extent. After a while though, I just sound like a whiny little you-know-what. Time to shut that down and practice some gratitude instead.
28. SHARE MY UGLY – I love my Filter Free Fridays and want to keep giving you guys the full picture – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Trust me, there’s plenty of ugly to go around too! Half the time, my life feels like a mess on the inside. And I have this feeling that if I share my ugly with you and you share yours with me, we might just laugh at the whole thing and eat a cupcake instead of stressing over nothing.
29. LESSEN MY LOAD – I confess, I overbook myself all. the. time. It’s bad, and it makes me feel pretty crappy. I end up doing a piss-poor job at ten things, instead of doing a kick-ass job at one. For years Tom has been encouraging me to take a load off. I’m trying, but it’s hard!
30. STRIVE FOR PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION. In all areas of my life. Perfection, for me, is unattainable. The sooner I accept that, the sooner I can be happier with any progress I make. I am, after all, The Imperfectionist.

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