Remaining Goals!

I have eliminated some that are not mathematically possible or I didn't want to do anymore, so I have narrowed it down to these remaining five, maybe four.

1. Skydive

I still want to do this, and I am planning to do it some time in the spring. I would like to do this pretty close to my birthday.

2. Get a tattoo

I do still want to do this, and I am planning on doing it. I am planning on getting a wild strawberry on my right wrist on Friday, September 29th on an Aries full moon.

3. Visit a Hindu temple

I emailed them, and you can just stop by whenever they're open, so I will go sometime soon.

4. Attend a Jewish service

The local synagogue didn't email me back, so I might table this one for a while.

5. Attend a Muslim service

The local center emailed me back and suggested that I come to a Friday afternoon service; I have been busy the Fridays since I received that email, but I am adding it to my calendar the next free Friday afternoon that I have.

39 years old!

In January, I updated my 40 by 40 to only include the following tasks:

1. Skydive

2. Take a ballroom dancing class with new husband

3. Get a tattoo

4. Visit a Hindu temple

5. Go on an international vacation with new husband

6. Attend a Jewish service

7. Attend a Muslim service

8. Keep a journal with daily entries for a full year 

9. Be able to do 10 full body chin-ups continuously with good form

10. Meditate daily for 20 minutes minimum for a full year

Well, I did one! Mike and I took a ballroom dancing class in 2023, so that is over!

Now comes the sticky part - the two daily habits. It would be impossible to turn in a fully complete journal and have a fully complete daily meditation practice by the time I turn 40 because I have missed a few days since May 13. So I am going to adjust those goals.

Goal by Goal notes:

1. Skydive

 I found a place where I can skydive for about $350 for a tandem jump on a weekday with a video near Cleveland. I just need to budget it and book it. I am really focused on my business and saving money right now, so I am going to purposefully schedule this one for the last minute; I want to do it to celebrate my 40th. So in 2024, I could do it on Thursday May 9 or Friday May 10! I am putting it on my calendar now and adding the savings plan to my budget. (Yeah, it's not that much money, but I am all about a zero-based budget and being super intentional with my money.)

2. Take a ballroom dancing class with new husband

Mike and I did this one! We had a lot of fun and would like to take another class in the fall.

3. Get a tattoo

I just need to schedule and book this one. I have the design already. I put it on my budget and calendar for near Valentine's Day 2024.

4. Visit a Hindu temple

I just sent an email to a local temple and will visit at an appropriate time if possible. I put a reminder in my calendar to follow up in a week.

5. Go on an international vacation with my new husband

Due to my financial goals, I think that Canada is the best option. Mike and I briefly discussed it, and I put it on my calendar to follow up with him.

6. Attend a Jewish service

Sadly, this is harder to do because of rampant antisemitism. Security increased at Jewish places of worship after the Tree of Life shooting, and I don't want to make anyone feel unsafe or uncomfortable in my presence. I emailed the local Reform temple (synagogue?) and asked for guidance.

7. Attend a Muslim service

I sent a similar email to a local Muslim center for guidance about how to go about attending a service or learning more without being disruptive or disrespectful. I am waiting to hear back.

8. Keep a journal daily for one year

Impossible! But I am keeping a daily magical diary for the Charm School project, so I am going to adjust to that goal.

9. Be able to do 10 full body chin-ups continuously with good form

I am canceling this, I hurt my right shoulder, and although it feels good most days, even a pushup or downward dog can reinjure it, so I am going to let go of this one.

10. Meditate daily for 20 minutes minimum for a full year

Impossible! But I would like to work toward this one in a smaller way. I am going to try for a shorter period of time. I am currently reading Badass Habits and I just finished rereading Atomic Habits, and I am working on establishing a meditation habit.

2023 Update - clock is ticking

Some of my original 40 by 40 I did (see the check marks below!) Some of my list I kind of did; I did do a 200 hour yoga teacher training program, but I moved at the end and didn't finish all the steps to officially graduate. Some I am just not interested in doing anymore (vegan ravioli and a sprint triathlon) and some I would like to do someday, but I am not making a priority by the time I turn 40 (stay in Oaxaca for three weeks.) I am planning to update this whole  blog to focus on my Saturn return. After I turn 40 and finish this list, I want to do some goal setting and planning for my next Saturn return. Notably, my first Saturn return was 2013, around the time when I started this blog. Wow.

Current list

1. Skydive

2. Take a ballroom dancing class with new husband

3. Get a tattoo

4. Visit a Hindu temple

5. Go on an international vacation with new husband

6. Attend a Jewish service

7. Attend a Muslim service

8. Keep a journal with daily entries for a full year 

9. Be able to do 10 full body chin-ups continuously with good form

10. Meditate daily for 20 minutes minimum for a full year

Original list now annotated

I would like to accomplish the following 40 things before my 40th birthday on May 13, 2024.

1. Become a "certified" tarot reader (after researching the "best" tarot certification organization.
2. Read tarot cards professionally (i.e. earn $ at least once for a reading) ✅
3. Skydive
4. Be initiated into a Wiccan or NeoWiccan coven or group (probably the semi-local ATC group)✅
5. Buy a house✅
6. Complete a sprint triathlon in less than 2 hours
7. Become a certified yoga instructor
8. Start a local rabbit or rodent rescue group
9. Earn my doctorate
10. Become an official Unitarian Universalist✅
11. Perform a wedding or handfasting
12. Earn my Masters of Divinity, probably through Cherry Hill Seminary
13. Direct a play ✅
14. Lead an ecstatic dance meeting✅
15. Publish a chapbook or book of my poetry (self-pub counts)
16. Go to the Reclaiming Spiral Dance in San Francisco
17. Learn conversational Italian or French (be able to communicate at an intermediate level)
18. Visit Walt Whitman's grave. Read him some poetry and leave him some lilacs.
19. Be in Mexico (ideally at la Casa Azul) for Dia de los muertos
20. Get my second dream job
21. Eat food I harvested from my home garden✅
22. Take a ballroom (or similar) style course with a partner (for at least one month)
23. Get a tattoo
24. Stay in Oaxaca for at least 3 weeks
25. Go to Pagan Spirit Gathering
26. Make homemade vegan ravioli
27. Visit a Hindu temple
28. Write 100 blog posts (over all my sites and including guest blogs I write, not including Tumblr)
29. Go on an international vacation with my husband
30. Make a will and include my church in it
31. Make a delicious vegan creme brulee
32. Throw a giant, insanely fun Halloween party at my own house✅
33. Create a labyrinth (either for my use or public use)✅
34. Publish a Cross Quarterly anthology
35. Attend a Jewish service (respectfully)
36. Attend a Muslim service (respectfully)
37. Complete The Artist's Way✅
38. Keep a journal with daily entries for a full year
39. Be able to do 10 full-body chin-ups continuously with good form
40. Meditate daily for 20 minutes minimum for a full year