For the past three years, I’ve created a birthday bucket list of all the things I want to accomplish during that year. However, none of those compare to my 30th Birthday Bucket List!
It’s true that your twenties are for figuring out who you want to be and include lots of growth! In fact, I didn’t have a lot of things sorted out until this past year.
I finally stepped into the role of the person I want to become, and this year, I got the chance to develop into that person even more.
I consider the past birthday bucket lists practice for my thirties because I have figured out what motivates me to cross things off of my list.
Things that I “should” do aren’t included because I’m no longer “should”ing my life’s expectations. I spent my twenties doing that, and I refuse to continue doing so in my thirties.
No. This first year in my thirties is about doing things I’ve been afraid to do in the past, pushing limits for exponential growth, and daring to become the person I know I can be.
I hope this inspires you to create a daring birthday bucket list because you deserve it!
Without further ado, let’s dive into my 30th Birthday Bucket List!
My 30th Birthday Bucket List
I promised in my previous bucket list review that I would present this one differently because I don’t think providing a simple list of the things I plan to accomplish is helpful.
I know you’re curious as to why I put these on my list, so with each one, I’ll provide a short reason for what it means to me.
1 // Reset my home daily
If you’re like me, the tidiness of your home is a direct reflection of your mind. Since I want my mind to be clear and free of distractions, I plan to make my bed each morning, tidy my home throughout the day as needed, and go to bed with a clean kitchen.
These are all very simple things that can make a big difference in your home and state of mind.
Related Post: Minimalist Cleaning Routine to Maintain a Clean and Tidy Home
2 // Put together my new workspace
We live in a studio-style shop apartment, so I don’t have a dedicated space for myself. After working from home for nearly two months, I’ve realized how necessary it is. Everything is already ordered, so this will be crossed off the list quickly!
3 // Learn how to bake bread
While this is not something I want to do all of the time, I would love to treat my husband and me to freshly made bread occasionally.
4 // Learn how to make soap
This is something I’ve always wanted to try, and it is about time I made time for it! After trying several different natural soaps, I know this is something I will want to do to not only be more sustainable but also because I think I’ll enjoy it!
5 // Go paperless
I’ve wanted to go paperless in my home for a few years. While I’ve cut down considerably on the incoming paperwork and mail we receive, I’ve yet to pursue removing the paper from our home entirely.
Just a quick disclaimer: We won’t be able to get rid of EVERY piece of paper in our home because of my husband’s business. However, we can eliminate at least 90% of what we currently have.
Related Post: How to Organize Paperwork in Your Home the Easy Way
6 // Replace beauty products with clean and low-waste options
There is so much I could explain with this one, but I won’t go into all of that here. My main focus is to use up the products I have and replace them with clean, low-waste options that may include a few DIY recipes!
7 // Do something I enjoyed as a child
Why is it that we adults stop doing things we enjoyed as a child? For example, I loved playing in the creek as a child and searching for crawdads. I haven’t done that in YEARS, and I wonder why that is.
While I don’t want to pin myself down to just one idea for this, I do want to make sure I cross this off my list this year!
8 // Drive through a Christmas light show
Speaking of doing something I enjoyed as a child, driving through a Christmas light show is something I’ve wanted to do for the past few years but haven’t. There are a few within a short driving distance that are supposed to be really good!
9 // Walk through a corn maze
I’m honestly mad at myself for not having ever done this! I’m officially 30 and doing this!
10 // Travel somewhere new
I do have this planned already and will accomplish it within the next few weeks! Traveling is something I’ve always enjoyed but never took enough time to do.

11 // Do something that scares me
There are certain things in life I haven’t done due to being scared, like skydiving or traveling alone. I don’t think I’ll plan anything that extravagant because I honestly have ZERO desire to ever skydive. But I do want to stretch myself by crossing off one scary thing this year.
If you have any ideas, I’d love to hear them below in the comments!
12 // Do one thing each day that is outside of my comfort zone
Along the same lines as the previous item, I want to really stretch myself this year. I don’t live in a bubble, so I don’t need a mindset that keeps me in one.
13 // Go one year without coloring my hair
A few months ago, an unnamed shampoo and conditioner set I was using fried my hair. To say my hair is in rough shape right now is an understatement.
It needs time to heal, and I need to learn to love the hair God gave me.
This isn’t to say that my 31st birthday won’t include a trip to my hairstylist to color it, but it will give me a chance to learn self-love in a new way.
14 // Get ready each day
Working from home, it is easy to want to stay in my pajamas all day, but it honestly isn’t productive.
Taking the time each day to care for myself makes it easy to run to town if needed, makes me feel better about myself, and increases my confidence and self-worth.
When you roll all of that together, it makes it easier to want to do each day! I mean, who doesn’t want all of those benefits?
15 // Don’t find or go searching for a new Netflix series to watch
I’m putting a freeze on my Netflix watch list! First of all, watching TV is a huge time suck. Second of all, there are better options than TV to fill time when needed.
This isn’t to say that I won’t watch my already favorite shows, because let’s be honest…. Grey’s Anatomy is life! haha!
But I will be more intentional about the new things I introduce into my life, and I don’t want that to be another show that will distract me from learning how to bake bread or taking a walk.
16 // Read one book per month
Speaking of better things to do with my time, I want to read more! I have read as many as 52 books in a year, but for the last few years, I’ve hardly read any.
This year I want to focus on self-help and business-minded books because there are so many great books I want to read in those genres.
This isn’t to say I’ll only read from these two categories, but they are my focus.
17 // Journal daily
When it comes to tracking growth or new habits, I feel that having a journal is the simplest way to document that. I have certain things I want to keep track of this year, such as:
- What I’m grateful for
- Happy moments
- If I complimented my husband
- How I got outside of my comfort zone that day
I’m excited to see how much changes over this year with doing this!
18 // Establish a sleep schedule and stick with it
One thing that has hurt me the most working from home is not having a sleep schedule.
I like structured days, and that requires structured nights. I definitely need to get back on track with this!
Related Post: My Nightly Routine That Sets My Morning Up For Success
19 // Reduce soda intake to one or less per week
While I realize how bad sodas are for your body, I’m not going to totally quit them.
I do like how much I have reduced my intake this past year, but every now and then, it is nice to have one.
I have tried soda alternatives, and let’s just say it hasn’t worked out for me.
20 // Participate in a photography challenge
This is something I have wanted to do to explore how creative I can get with my photography, so I put it on this list!
I haven’t decided on a specific challenge just yet, so if you have any recommendations, leave them below in the comments for me!

21 // Try a yoga challenge
So I dabble in yoga, and I think it would be fun to try a challenge or two this year!
A dream would be to commit to a 30-day challenge, but I think I’ll start with a 7-day challenge.
22 // Date my husband at least once a week
We enjoy spending quality time together, so this won’t be difficult. This is more of a check-in item for this list.
Life gets busy, so it is good to have a reminder of priorities.
23 // Participate in NaNoWriMo
This is something that has always looked fun but intimidates the heck out of me! We shall see how much of this I accomplish, and hopefully, it will be 100%!
I’ve got some ideas for what I can write, so that will help me get through it.
24 // Have a lunch or coffee date with a friend once a month
I’m such a homebody and love connecting with friends online, but face-to-face connection is necessary. Plus, it is so nice to get out for some girl time!
25 // Celebrate and befriend people who intimidate me versus compare my journey to their journey
I’ve done a lot better with not comparing myself to other people, but I feel some growth can still happen here.
Business Bucket List Items
I’m interrupting my 30th Birthday Bucket List to make note that the remaining 5 items are based on my business goals. I believe it is important to have things that grow you personally and professionally.
For me, it is important that I share these things because you can actually participate and help me accomplish some of them!
26 // Attend one networking event each month
There is a local Rising Tide Society chapter that meets once a month, so as long as I attend, this will be accomplished!
I have yet to attend more than two times in a row due to previous job work hours, so this will be a real treat!
27 // Host a No Spend Challenge
I did this two years ago, and it was crazy successful for everyone involved!
Even though this is technically a personal challenge, I want to pursue it in the same fashion as I did before by introducing you to financially savvy people who can help us all during this challenge.
I love how connected our entire community was during that challenge, and I want to get back to that!
28 // Grow our community to 25,000+ people
Speaking of connecting as a community, I want this community to grow exponentially this year! We are currently around 13,500 people strong, which has taken roughly 3 years.
I know with your help and some fun ideas I have planned, WE CAN DO IT!
The benefit of growth is that more people have the opportunity to learn how to simplify, declutter, and live more intentionally, which is my purpose here on the internet.
Decreasing the statistics for people who struggle with mental health, our impact on the Earth, and our dependency on conventional things is my priority.
If you’re wondering how you can help, it is pretty simple!
- Share the posts you enjoy with your friends and family.
- Connect with me on social media. [Find me on Pinterest]
29 // Finish Elite Blog Academy
This is a course I purchased in 2018 to help me establish my blog in a more serving way.
I had struggled with how to do that, and this course provides all the help I need.
I’ve gotten through the majority of it, but there are still a few things I need to do to complete it. I know I can finish it this year.
30 // Complete my current Top 5 Priorities by the end of 2019, set new goals for my Top 5 Priorities, and accomplish them before my next birthday
This is something I started thanks to my friend, Sarah, at Fruitful Home Co. She introduced me to High-Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard, which I’ve now listened to twice and highly recommend!
In this book, he talks about how to cut out the fluff and identify five big moves you need to make to accomplish any goal.
This was super helpful for when I transitioned to full-time because it helped me not waste a lot of time trying to figure out how to move forward in my business.
Anyway, my goal is to have my current Top 5 Priorities accomplished by the end of 2019. Then I’ll need to set a new goal and establish the Top 5 Priorities for that goal.
It’s a very simple and effective way to work through a goal, and I’m loving it so far!
Final thoughts about my 30th Birthday Bucket List
That wraps up my 30th Birthday Bucket List! I hope you gained inspiration for your own birthday bucket list from this!
If you’re interested in how I go about choosing the things I want to accomplish, let me know below in the comments! I’d be happy to share my step-by-step process with you!
Do you have a 30th Birthday Bucket List or whatever age you may be turning this year already? If so, I’d love to know what you included on your list!

H Erin! Just discovered you today-what a wonderful early Christmas AND birthday present for me! I LOVE your blog picture, you look so relaxed, comfortable and full of light & joy. BEAUTIFUL!
I’m inspired by your birthday bucket list. I’m turning 60 at the end of January and need to think carefully about my intentions and plan SUPER tiny baby steps for getting there. Have to keep reminding myself that “only” 10 minutes is WAY better than nothing, right?
Thanks so much for brightening my Sunday & helping me feel more excited about the New Year 💕💕💕
Thank you for the kind words, Robyn! Happy birthday to you! You’re right about the baby steps. Doing a little is better than nothing at all. I cannot wait to hear what you choose to put on your Birthday Bucket List. Please update me and let me know how things are going! Happy New Year!
Love your list this year! If you need tips on baking bread let me know. I’ll be happy to help.
I will definitely be taking you up on that, Megan! I’ve never tried it before and I’m sure there will be some learning experiences that occur.