My 40

I have a Facebook friend, (Ms. Rhan over at elrahnsideabox,) who has been an amazing inspiration to a bunch of us for setting and working towards goals.  I've always been one to give a lot of lip service to goal setting and what not, but not much for following through.  The last little while though I've been working more on actually acheiving goals instead of just setting them.  I read the entire Bible last year and I'm working on the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants for this year, which means I'll have read the LDS Standard works in 2 years. I'm working on 50 books this year, but moving has put me behind on that one...as well as trying to complete a 10k and a half marathon by the end of the year.

Anyway, what I'm trying to get at is that I'd like to set some more long term goals. Since human being find repetition attractive, 40 before 40 sounds pithy and do-able. So, 40 goals/things to do before I turn 40:


Academic

1. Become certified in Orff and/or Kodaly teaching methods (update 3/23, not sure I care about this any more.)
2. Get and stay CPR and First Aid Certified (has to be redone every 3 years)
3. Take a class in Macro Economics
4. Take a class in Micro Economics
5. Take a class in Statistics
6. Take a class in Chemistry (These are so I can talk to my siblings and kinda, sorta understand a little about what they do at work.) (Kind of completed Spring 2021, Does high school chemistry count?  Wait, this is mine.  I say it counts.)
7. Read 400 books, or about 40 per year.  Re-reads definitely count, as well as any chapter books I read with the kids, as long as I read them in their entirety.  Picture books do not count. ( update 3/23 - 100% sure I have done this, I started reading MUCH more because of this goal, and I average about 60-70 books a year now)
1. As a sub goal I may put together 40 books to read before 40.
8. Get a job that utilizes my degree (Completed 7/22)
9. Read Don Quixote in Spanish
10. Read at least one other Spanish classic in Spanish (any recommendations?)
11. (Added 12/13/16) Get a teaching Certificate, to allow me to teach in public schools (Completed 2/23)

Spiritual

1. Spend one year of scripture study focused on Preach My Gospel
2. Complete the requirements for a Faith in God Award (They did away with this and focus on personal goals now, which is better)
3. Complete the requirements for a Young Women's Medallion (Ditto the above)
4. Make a habit of having personal prayer and scripture study every day 
5. Memorize the Proclamation on the Family and the Living Christ

Family

1. Visit Hawaii with Jared for our 10 year anniversary (Fun story, we set aside the money, but weren't able to go because I needed a tooth extraction and dental implant. Turns out those cost about as much as a conservatively priced trip to Hawaii)
2. Go Camping with the kids
3. Be done having kids (is this a terrible goal? I want more, but I'd like to be done with the whole pregnant thing by the time I'm 40) (No way to be sure, but as of 3/23 we have 3  and I'm done being pregnant.)
4. Set family Goals every year
5. Get a dog that can be a running buddy (Completed 2016)
6. Spend a weekend away with each of my kids
7. Buy a house (Completed 3/17 and again 9/21)

Personal/ Misc.

1. Do some sort of triathalon
2. Plant a garden and get a somewhat respectable harvest from it (Slightly completed 2016, will continue in 2017 with more space.)
3. Visit a moor. I know this sounds odd, but as I kid a read about moors all the time (why do all 19th century British books take place on or near a moor?) and I'd really like to actually see what one is.
4. Take a 1 month break from junk food to cleanse my palate and refocus on whole, not sweet, salty, fatty foods (Completed Lent 2016)
5. See the Statue of Liberty
6. See a play on Broadway (apparently I'll ha)ve to make it to New York at some point)
7. Make a real cheese cake (as of 3/23 Do it yearly now, never regret it)
8. Visit the Grand Canyon
9. Skydive - See that Jared?! There's a deadline now!
10. Read every book I have chosen to own (added 3-Jan-16)

Now, if ya'll have done some math (and I know you have) you'll see that this is only 31 goals  I decided to leave the rest blank because I hope to be smarter each year and come up with at least one big thing I want to do in the year to come.

This kind of seems like a big list, but I do have 10 years (minus 3 months) to get it done.  This week I'll break things down a little and decide what I want to work on first. I'll also break some of the larger goals down to see what I can do in the near future to work on it.

Wish me luck! and dedication...