30 BEFORE 30

August 3, 2012



Today, friends, is my 29th birthday.

It's crazy how I used to dream about what I would be doing at 29 and I figured I would be married and have at least one kid by this age. I thought I would be "old" and I thought I would have everything figured out. Turns out, I was wrong.

But life worked out even better than I imagined it would, as I'm living in the city I love, with an amazing guy I love, have a job I love, and am generally in good health and very happy. I've achieved a lot, but there is so much more that I want to accomplish. I realize it's very popular to create a list of those wishes, but there is something about putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and planning out your next year that satisfies the Type A in me.

I subscribe to the "Write It Down, Make It Happen" theory. Have you read this book? You must. The idea is that putting your thoughts and wishes on paper, no matter how crazy they are, will turn them in to reality. This is not to say that it's magic and that you don't have to work hard, but rather that you're telling yourself that these are goals. By doing so, they stay in the back of your mind at all times, and you're actively working towards them just by acknowledging them.

My hope is that in my 29th year I can accomplish the items on the list below, and maybe inspire you a little along the way. Some of my goals might seem boring or easy, but I've tried to be realistic about what I want to accomplish (rule the world, obviously) versus what I actually can accomplish in a year.

When the last glass of champagne is dry and the smoke from the candles are clear, I'm going to be a busy girl. Thank you for following my journey.

[ 01 ] Take Cantonese lessons
[ 02 ] Master Adobe Illustrator essentials
[ 03 ] Learn how to cold brew coffee
[ 04 ] Run an official 5K
[ 05 ] Get Google Analytics certified
[ 06 ] Interview women in business I admire [1] [2]
[ 07 ] Lose a few pounds
[ 08 ] Ride a bike along the bay
[ 09 ] Make a piece of jewelry to wear [ DONE ]
[ 10 ] Visit Lake Tahoe
[ 11 ] Read 20 books [ DONE ]
[ 12 ] Clean out my closet [ DONE ]
[ 13 ] Get a photo book printed of our first year in San Francisco
[ 14 ] Properly frame my treasured photo of my grandmother & dad [ DONE ]
[ 15 ] Bake a (gluten free) layer cake [ DONE ]
[ 16 ] Find a cause to volunteer for in San Francisco [ DONE ]
[ 17 ] Have a picnic
[ 18 ] Meet a blogging friend in person [ DONE - Met Ali + many many more ]
[ 19 ] Organize Dropbox files [ DONE ]
[ 20 ] Learn to fishtail braid [ DONE ]
[ 21 ] Try one new recipe each month
[ 22 ] Pass Silverpop Engage certification
[ 23 ] Get a headshot
[ 24 ] Rent a paddle boat on Stow Lake [ DONE ]
[ 25 ] Take a dance class
[ 26 ] Get business cards for the blog
[ 27 ] Write 30 handwritten notes [ DONE ]
[ 29 ] Get Google AdWords certified
[ 30 ] Take a 30th birthday trip

BACKGROUND IMAGE | VIA 

9 Comments:

  1. Thanks for this, Britt! Now I just wish I had done it before I chopped off my hair!

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  2. Thanks Meredith! Glad you found your way here. I'll make sure to keep this in my sidebar, and I generally note posts that are updates to the list. Welcome!

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  3. if you need help with the gluten free baking i can help! been gluten free for a few years now and have mastered a gluten free cake, let me know if you want a recipe or lesson!

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  4. I would love your recipe! I was diagnosed with celiac 4 years ago. I've baked lots of gluten free goodies, but never a cake!

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  5. What a great list! A great way to tackle #27 is to include a personalized note with each poshmark sale. Also, if I lived in SF, I'd totally train for #4 with you! Running (which I am terrible at) has helped me cut that last 10lbs of hard-to-lose potbelly. :)

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  6. I've been doing that, so i'm about halfway done with that item! I'm terrible at running, too.


    It was so nice to meet you Thursday night!

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  7. Yesterday was my birthday, and I'm so glad I stumbled upon this post! I've come up with plenty of "to do" lists, but I really like the certain number by a certain age format you've used. I've decided I'll do something similar for 26. This tutorial from The Beauty Department http://thebeautydepartment.com/2011/09/the-fishtail-braid/ helped me to conquer my massive fear of fishtail braids-- now it's my go-to hairstyle when my hair is "dirty".

    I suppose I never realized you are in the Bay Area, too! If you'd ever care to venture up to the Napa Valley for volunteering, I happen to work for a non-profit for my big kid job. I bake, travel, and blog for funsies :) Anyway, good luck accomplishing everything on your list-- and kudos to what you've completed so far! P.S. your two weeks in a carry-on posts are amazing! I plan on using your winter post for Paris this Christmas, in my brand new Samsonite spinner!

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  8. I really enjoyed this list - so much so that you have inspired me to create a blog documenting my own '30 before 30' journey! I particularly liked the 'clean out of closet' task, and the series that went along with it. The articles are written beautifully, are packed with great information and have wonderful photos to accompany the content- thank you!

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  9. Aww, thank you Joelle! You made my day! Happy Birthday!

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