Before I Turn 30

Today I am 29 which means I only have one more year in my twenties. Tick, tock, tick, tock...I know some people have really tough milestone years like 25 and 30, etc. Thus far, that number called 'age' has never been a big deal for me. Of course, being a year away, I'm not sure if I'll struggle with turning 30 or not but I do realize it's a big milestone.  So I've thought about where I am and where I want to be and because of that, there are some personal goals that I would like to achieve in the next year. One thing I'm really trying to focus on is putting a stop to putting things off. Especially those things that I really want do. For me, this means going against how I feel in the moment and just making myself do it. In the end, I always feel so much better and end up happier. For those reasons alone, 29 is my year to JUST. DO. IT!

So here's my list of things I WANT TO and WILL make time for in the next year. Six things I hope to accomplish before I turn 30...

1. Lose Weight/Get Fit- No surprise that this is on here as I think most women are constantly in a battle to lose weight. I really struggled this winter and gained back some of the weight that I lost after having Landon. My goal is to lose 25 pounds. I've lost 7 in the last month so I'm slowly starting to kick it into gear. I'm trying to eat better, cook healthier, and exercise. I'm not sure which is the hardest of the three, but I know I need to make changes that I can live with long term and not just try a fad diet that will only help me to lose weight temporarily. Since the weather has gotten warmer I've picked back up doing the couch to 5k and I'm currently at the end of week 5. It isn't easy for me and I struggle to stay motivated, but I really want to finish it and run a 5k sometime this year. I don't think I'll ever really be a runner, but I know I can push my body and teach myself to be more comfortable with it. I'm hoping by the Fall to have lost all the weight so I can concentrate more on getting fit. That might mean joining a gym or getting more serious about working out at home, but either way I'm dedicated to entering 30 in the best shape of my life.
2. Read the Bible- I can't count the number of times I've set out to read the bible only to lose motivation in the family trees of the Old Testament. I've always felt like I needed someone to guide me through it, but after reading A Case for Christ, I knew it was time that I stop making excuses and read it once and for all. Adam suggested that I start with the New Testament so, a few weeks ago, I did. I'm hooked. I'm almost finished with the New Testament and once I finish, I will start over from the beginning. By 30, I'm hoping to have read the whole thing front to back.
3. Attend church WEEKLY- I love going to church. I always get so much out of it and I know going weekly makes me a better person. I truly believe that church keeps me grounded and focused on the important things. That being said, I've haven't been a weekly church attender since our beloved priest retired. That was almost three years ago...Adam and I have struggled to find a church we like and moved twice to different areas.On top of that, it can be a lot of work to take a child to church and expect him to sit quietly for an hour. But, everything I just mentioned is just an excuse. Now that we are settled in Nashville, we've been attending church more frequently, but I've still allowed little things to be a reason for missing a Sunday here and there. This year, I'm going to stop that and make it part of my weekly routine once again. Not only do I feel better when I do, but I AM BETTER and that is too important to put aside.
4. Pass the brokerage exam-Oh the dreaded Customs Brokerage Exam. I had planned to sit for the test in October of 2013, but in August Adam took the job in Nashville and it was put on hold. When I got my new job, I found out they paid for the test and I wanted sit for it in April, but they have a year commitment period so I decided to wait until October 2014. It's getting close to the time when I will sign up for the study materials and begin an intense 3 month preparation. With an average pass rate of less than 20% (sometimes as low as 3% nationwide) and the fact that it is only given twice a year, just the thought of the test overwhelms me. I just know that passing and becoming a licensed Broker would be a big step for me career-wise and I want to enter 30 feeling like I'm on a REAL career path.
5. Learn a second language- Working at a company where English is seemingly a second language has really increased my desire to learn another language. For me, English has never been my strong point so I doubt I will master a new language in one year, but I can at least try. We have dreams of living in Europe so I'm going to start working on German. Ideally, I can pass the Brokerage Exam in October and then focus just a bit of that time and energy into learning a language. Prager says, "just think how much better off you'd be if you spent one hour a night learning a language instead of watching tv." Even a half an hour a day for a year and I would learn so much. I think in this goal I'm going to try and include Landon as well. He'll probably learn at a faster rate than me and he will have a huge advantage if he can learn a second language.
6. Learn every country and capital- I remember the day when I decided I want to learn every country and capital. I was at my first job at UPS and I received a shipment going to the Federated States of Micronesia...I was 19 and had never heard of such a place and I truly thought I was worldly. Although it's been 10 years since I made that goal, I've made no strides to actually learning the countries and their capitals. Right now, I have no idea how many countries comprise the continent of Africa or where most are located. I can fill out a map of Europe about 95% correctly, but I don't know all the capitals and then there is the rest of the world. I've played a few online games that really help learn the location of countries, but I'd like to either get some flash cards or make some for the capitals. I figure even just an hour a week for 52 weeks and I bet I'd know them all or be darn close. Once again, I'm hoping Landon can learn them along with me at least somewhat. I'm going to start with the states and their capitals. I use to know all the state capitals, but it's something I'm a little rusty on now. And while this might be the least important of my goals for the year, it is the goal I've had the longest and it's time to stop putting it off.

Looks like 29 is going to be a busy year and it starts today! I know how quickly the last ten years have passed. I know how short life is. I know how easily we put aside things we really want to do. How we let our goals and dreams fade away with time. But, I don't want to do that. In a year, when I turn 30, I want to feel like I've achieved the things I've most wanted for MYSELF! If I can stay focused this year, then I will be happy to start my 30's with a whole new set of goals and dreams. Knowing that I've accomplished in my 20's everything I wanted, will make saying goodbye all that much easier. But, more importantly, it will be a milestone worth celebrating.