30 Before 30 - Goals Revisited

When I first wrote these goals, 30 seemed a long, long way away. And now, with just 14 months to go before I hit the big 30, it seems like it's right around the corner. So, I thought it was about time I checked back in with the 30 goals I tasked myself to achieve before I turn 30. 

Have I said 30 enough yet? I'm not sure. Anyway, looking back over these goals has made me feel quite...sad. There's so many I know I cannot achieve before I turn 30 because of my mental health. And I'm tempted to modify those I know I can't achieve slightly. Because otherwise I know I'm going to feel miserable on my birthday next year when I haven't achieved them all.

But that's real life isn't it? We can have the best laid plans of mice and men, and all these wonderful dreams for the future, and sometimes it just doesn't work out. You gotta roll with the punches in life, haven't you? So, with that in mind, I may modify a few as I go back through them. But I won't modify all. And I'll cut myself some slack come my 30th birthday.

1. Visit New York, at Christmas! (New: Go on a staycation!)

2. Go to the dentist. I've not had a full checkup, but when I was experiencing awful jaw pain (a result of anxiety, it later transpired) I did go to the dentist. I was told there's nothing wrong with my teeth, and they're in pretty good condition considering I only brush once a day, don't floss and hadn't been to the dentist in years.

3. Cook, or bake, something from scratch. I've cooked a few dishes from scratch since I first set myself this goal. Banana bread is one of my faves for using up overripe bananas. I can cook up a mean chicken tikka masala with a jar of sauce, some chicken and rice. And my roast potatoes are hugely popular with my husband. All-in-all, not too shabby.

4. Have a baby (or two). (New: Start fertility treatment.)

5. Get married. Nearly 2 years ago now, I said "I do!" I'm now a married woman.

6. Buy myself a designer handbag. I've amassed quite the collection now. Karl Lagerfield, Ted Baker, Radley. I do love my designer handbags <3

7. Celebrate Christmas at home. (New: Buy a Christmas Tree.)

8. Read, at least, one book a month. Even with reading OCD putting me in a massive reading slump for something like 6-9 months, I'm still managing, at least, one book a month every month.

9. Go to a gig or a show.

10. Keep a diary. (New: Keep my Ban.do agenda for the year.)

11. Redecorate the kitchen. (New: Start shopping for a new kitchen.)

12. Grow my Bloglovin' to 1000 followers. (New: Grow my Bloglovin' to 500 followers.)

13. Grow my Twitter and Instagram following to 5000. (New: Grow my Twitter and Instagram following to 3000 on Twitter and 2000 on Instagram.)

14. Lose 7st. (New: Lose 1-2st.)

15. Repaint the house. 

16. Go full-time with blogging. (New: Celebrate my blog's 5th birthday in style!)

17. Attend, at least, one blogging event. (New: Meet, at least, one blogger friend.)

18. Buy myself a MacBook. (New: Upgrade my laptop.)

19. Replace the old/worn-out furniture. 

20. Cook a Sunday roast, at least, once a month. It's taken us a while, but we're finally eating at home more often than not. And I do cook a roast dinner, at least, once a month. 

21. Learn how to do my make-up, properly. I finally have a pretty good grasp on how to do my make-up in a flattering way. In a way that doesn't make me look like Coco the Clown!

22. Swim with dolphins. (New: Have a home aquarium.)

23. Have some decent savings. 

24. Get my name put on the mortgage. (New: Start looking around at new houses for a potential move.)

25. Replace the fire in our living room. 

26. Watch the sunrise. 

27. Go to a field, lie down and watch the stars. (New: Go outside in our garden, lie down and watch the stars.)

28. Go on a road trip. (New: Travel somewhere new.)

29. Buy a new car.  Unexpectedly ticked this one off the list when our car started having all kinds of electrical faults just after Christmas 2017. An expense we didn't need, but we've got a wonderful new car now, so it was worth it.

30. Get a dog. (New: Get some fish.)

Phew. I changed quite a lot more goals than I had initially intended to. It's kinda sad looking back at my original goals. I had such hopes for the future of my mental health. But things haven't improved as much as I was hoping on that side of things. But I'm excited to spend the next 14 months tackling my new/improved goals. I'll share another update before my 30th. And after that? 40 before 40, maybe?! Anyway, wish me luck with the remainder of my goals!

What are you big life goals?