I have always been a sentimental person, and I find myself looking forward and reflecting back at the change of the seasons, around holidays, and on birthdays. With an August birthday, mine falls alongside the start of a new school year, too.
Now, turning 29 has brought a new lens of reflection. Ten years ago, I was 19, moving in for my second year of college. At 29, I am settled in the home my husband and I bought three years ago, with our two children.
Without getting too lengthy, a lot has happened in these last ten years.
The Pivot Points of the Last Decade
The semester I served as a peer mentor to new students was the same one when I was academically dismissed from college. Then I was reinstated and made the dean’s list. I achieved a lifetime dream of working at Disney World through the College Program—and then got fired, too. I changed my major so many times, eventually graduating in 2019. I was hired into my first full-time job before I graduated. Then, six months later, my boss advised I take another role on the team. I stayed there for almost three years, having supported every function of the team, before moving on.
The COVID-19 pandemic happened. I experienced fear, unrest, and loss. I fell in love. I had my heart broken more than once. Friends, boys, family members—they might have hurt me, but they didn’t break me.
I got married, bought a house, experienced a miscarriage, and had babies. I traveled, laughed until I cried, and cried until I fell asleep. I drank too much—then I stopped altogether.
My twenties were turbulent, to say the least.
Although my happy birthday messages have included a few “happy first 29th birthday” jokes, I am truly thrilled to enter my 30s. Despite the excitement, I don’t want to wish away my last lap. Enter the 29 by 30 list.
Why a 29 by 30 list?
For years, I have drawn up a list of “things to do when I’m X years old.” It has included places to visit, books to read, and physical or financial goals to work toward. Some years more gets accomplished than others. Priorities shift and new opportunities present themselves.
However, the intention is more than a bucket list of fun things to do. There are intentions for growth and opportunities for personal improvement—a strategy to make life better while enjoying the everyday magic along the way.
My list – 29 by 30
Publish 60 blog posts
I have so much I want to share with you all!
Create four steady streams of income
Get promoted to a Sr. Talent Acquisition Specialist
Plan a big family vacation
My sights are set on my family’s first Disney vacation.
Family cabin trip
My husband has a family cabin in northern Wisconsin. He grew up with family trips during the summer, and he even proposed to me here. It’ll be the first time we visit as a family of four.
Cook six new recipes
Family journals
Promptly Journals are one of my favorite ways to document my family’s memories. They are gorgeous hardcover journals with fun prompts. I have one for each of my children, and one for my husband’s and my marriage, too.
I need to do a digital declutter and get my family’s moments off of my phone and into a physical album.
Pay off credit card debt
Drop 50 pounds
My body has spent the last four years alternating between pregnant and breastfeeding. Although weight loss is a goal, there is a great deal of depth to this one.
Complete a triathlon
This isn’t totally off the wall. In 2021 I completed a sprint triathlon. I finished second in my age group (of two people), and ever since, I’ve had the thought to do another.
Complete a 10K
Read 24 books
My Kindle, breast pump, and I are basically the three amigos these days. I intend to make some of these 24 books nonfiction, but I am a sucker for a small-town romance series.
Sew three dresses
Plant a flower garden
Make espresso at home
Iced sugar cookies
I have loved baking since I was a little girl, and I want to nail down my sugar cookie recipe.
Not be pregnant
Circling back to #10, I have been pregnant in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. I’m ready for a little break here!
Alcohol-free year
This was an accomplishment from my 28th year, and I truly feel amazing. Read more about my alcohol-free journey here. (Backlink to other article)
Get a new piercing
This one isn’t wild. I’d love to get a third set on my earlobes.
I have been BLESSED with an oversupply, and both of my babies received donor milk when they were born. I am so excited to help other moms and babies who are in a similar place of needing that help.
This is a HUGE dream, but it’s totally attainable, too. Playa Del Carmen is calling my name, and you could earn it too.
20K PV (personal sales volume) and walk the stage at Girls Weekend
Grow to 5K followers on Instagram
5K is a huge goal; however, I have a platform, and I’m here to make an impact.
Fifteen dates with Jake
Host a neighborhood party
Our neighborhood is a dream come true. There are so many kids, and they all play so well with one another. I have a few themes up my sleeve to plant a seed for core memories.
Start to finish, this is another work in progress.
Twenty-nine different manicures
This is another fun one, and with my favorite press-on brand on hand, it won’t cost $2,000 like 29 salon trips would.
How I plan to tackle the list
This might seem like a lot—heck, my husband asked if this was a list for the decade of my 30s, not just the year before. But let’s talk about how I plan to accomplish this list.
A Notion Planner
I have become obsessed with the Notion platform. It hasn’t replaced my love of the paper planner, but it’s a great way to keep things organized. I have a database dedicated to my 29 by 30 list. Each goal has a page to keep track and map out SMART goals when appropriate.
SMART goals
A SMART goal is a framework for setting objectives using the acronym Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This method ensures that goals are clearly defined, progress can be tracked, they are realistic and attainable, aligned with broader objectives, and have a set deadline, making them actionable and increasing the likelihood of success.
SMART goals are for more than corporate projects, and some of the bigger items on my list require one. For example, I’m not just going to jump into a 10K, but I am going to focus on a training plan to work my way to it.
Think of your list as a huge project. To accomplish it, break items up into smaller actions and schedule them in a way that makes sense.
Have you kept a list of sorts? Do you start it in January or around your birthday? I’d love to chat about your experiences, too. Has this inspired you to start a list of your own?
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