Last night, as I was bawling watching Derek Shepherd die a tragic death on Greys Anatomy, I decided to scroll through my Facebook feed in the hopes of being cheered up! I found an article I had to read. It was titled “20 Things To Do When You’re 30 That Will Make Life Better At 50″ by Beth Buczynski. Being 34, and hoping to live a nice long life with those I love, I thought I would take a quick read and see what’s going on. The article was interesting, not surprising really, but I thought I would digest it here anyway!
1. Don’t smoke. If you’ve started, stop immediately I have stopped smoking. I stopped in September 2014 and I don’t see me realistically starting again. It is expensive, it does make me smell and I am already having breathing troubles from other issues so what’s the point. I may have the odd cigarette now and then, when I am stressed or annoyed or when I damn well feel like it, but I can’t see me ever being a smoker ever again.
2. Stop eating crap This is my biggest downfall. I eat crap all the time, everyday. It is my Achilles heel. I know this. I have tried to get past it, but I have failed time and again. I will never give up trying to do better, but so far I am an EPIC failure.
3. Maintain (or repair) relationships with parents and siblings My mom and I have a great relationship now, we didn’t always, but since 2012 we have been closer than ever. My father, before he passed, was my best friend. I am grateful for my parents. My brother and I are what we are. That relationship isn’t repairable with a few simple words, but I love him and I love his wife and I will spend as much time as humanly possible with them.
4. Stop going out in the sun without sunblock I wear sunblock all the time. I am pale – white, with a tinge of pink. I do tan in tanning beds and that is worse than natural sun so that I need to work on. I try to only use them before a Caribbean vacation so I don’t burn while there, but they are addicting – even more so than cigarettes! I love having a bronzed, feel-good body, but it’s awful for me and I am WELL aware of this.
5. Exercise regularly Like, number 2, this is my downfall. I do not exercise – ever. I barely walk except the dog once or twice over the weekend and I quit zumba, yoga and everything else I have tried. I haven’t found my thing. I want to. I want to join a gym and have a trainer who will kick my ass Snookie Style, but so far that hasn’t happened.
6. Start saving money. Even if it’s just a tiny bit. I have done this. I have a savings account, I have some small investments. I need to work on stopping the spending, but I do have savings!
7. Learn to be content with what you have. I have this problem, I always want more…more clothes, more furniture, more stuff…I have a ton of stuff. I live alone and yet I have fully decorated my house to the point where if someone else moved in with me – you know like a freaking man – I don’t know where I would put his stuff. I kinda wanna purge, but that takes a strength I don’t currently have.
8. Don’t delay pursuing your life goals. I bought a house, I bought a car, I paid off my debt, I have a great job and 2 degrees. I want to have a husband, and in lieu of that, a child. I have been trying with no success to have a baby of my own and I will keep trying. I have been on every dating website known to man and I have not yet met that someone special, but I have not given up. I will always pursue new goals. In fact, one of my “musts” for a man is that he has goals he wants to pursue.
9. Get some sleep. I sleep – all the time. Enough said.
10. Take care of your teeth I am starting to floss more and I am getting Invisilign to straighten out my bite so I am taking care of them more than I have in the past. It’s costing me an arm and a leg, but I strongly dislike my teeth and I am excited to have them straight and then get them whitened. Having quit smoking I can at least hope the yellow stains won’t reappear!
11. Collect memories instead of things I’m working on it. I am doing more with friends and I am taking pictures and scrapbooking everything. I still collect things, but I am trying.
12. Give something back I have volunteered in the past – quite a bit, but I haven’t lately. I will look into it again when I have a child (or children) because I want them to have the desire to help others. I want to teach them the joy of giving back.
13. Be curious and do one thing that scares you every day I am curious by nature and I do new things – not every day, but a few times throughout the year for sure. I have zip lined through the Dominican, walked around the edge of the CN Tower and swam with sharks! I like to do things that scare me and I look forward to many more – memories right!!
14. Read at least 10 books a year I have already read ten books this year. I am in a book club, guaranteeing I will read 12 per year, but I have taken on the #50bookspledge for 2015 and I am hoping to reach my goal – or at least come close!
15. Travel. As much as possible, whenever you can. I do. I love travelling!
16. Learn to meditate this is on my summer – to do list. I feel meditation would help me a lot with my anxiety!
17. Do you Again, I do! I only have me. I will have to remind myself of this when I have a child and/or a husband!
18. Keep a journal I blog here and I scrapbook, which is like a mini journal because I use journalling cards for my Project Life scrapbook.
19. Become a homeowner. I am and it’s terrifying! I love my house, but I don’t know how to do a lot of things and need to rely on others a lot.
20. Take care of your friends I do. I see my friends regularly and I make a point of texting or reaching out to them as often as I can or remember to. In fact I think I am gonna go text two of them now whom I haven’t seen or talked to lately!
😉
Seems I’m on a good track to turning 50 with a healthy outlook!
Love Nicole
doingthingsourway 