40 Things to do Before I’m 40
Today is my 39th birthday. That means, obviously, that exactly a year from now (God willing), I will turn 40.
40 is one of those numbers that I guess is supposed to (or is likely to) make you stop and take stock and wonder what’s next or what got you here or something along those lines. And, honestly, I’m that kind of overthinking, second-guessing person, so yes I’ve already thought about it and I’m sure I’ll think about it more between now and February 21, 2022.
To start the whole process, I made a list of 40 things that I would like to do before I turn 40. Some of them are easy. Some of them I can cross off today. Some are more ongoing or deeper and will take some more thought and work. But, if I can do all this, I think I’ll be pleased or proud.
I’ve sorted the list alphabetically because trying to rank or sort them any other way felt very overwhelming, and I didn’t need to add stress to this exercise.
So, here’s the list. Maybe there are some things on it that you can apply or would like to try in your life too. Maybe not. Both is okay.
Be good to yourself and each other. We all need that. <3
40 Things to do Before I’m 40
01. Bake more often
02. Be a good partner to Jess
03. Be busy enough as a freelancer to pay the bills
04. Be good to myself
05. Be kind
06. Be patient
07. Become a better content creator
08. Become a better storyteller
09. Collaborate with other creators
10. Continue to wear masks and wash hands and distance to try not to get COVID-19
11. Cook dinner more often
12. Create more consistently across all of my projects
13. Do more A Dozen Questions with Dad Q&As
14. Drink in moderation, avoiding the “I need a drink” thing a bunch of days in a row
15. Drink more water
16. Enjoy the Blue Jays baseball season, whatever it may bring + share it with Ollie
17. Find new and great content ideas for thereviewsarein.com
18. Get in better shape (not in a new commitment to extreme fitness way, but in a day-to-day way
19. Get my G2 drivers license after a long lapse in having it.
20. Help Ollie learn lots of new things
21. Include Ollie in my NFL picks posts for the 2021 season
22. Invite you all to follow @neon.sign.of.the.day on Instagram
23. Learn about a thing (or more) that Ollie starts to love so I can fully participate in loving it with him
24. Make some sort of plan for the medium-term future
25. Make something that I can hold in my hands and be proud of
26. Move to a new place?
27. Play a little basketball in the park this summer
28. Read more content from people that I admire and about subjects and people that interest me
29. Read/Listen to more books
30. Remember to make notes in my little book about the new whiskeys we drink
31. See live music
32. Start talking about planning a wedding, maybe?
33. Take photos again with my Canon camera
34. Tell the people I love, that I love them
35. Trust in my ability to do good work, and keep getting better
36. Try new things
37. Try to keep my desk in the office somewhat tidy and organized
38. Try to learn to embrace quiet moments and not always look for something to fill them
39. Work on techniques to be less nervous/physically anxious before artist interviews
40. Write a kid’s story