I cannot believe it is already time for my 31st Birthday Bucket List! Where does the time go?
Ever since my 27th birthday, I’ve created a Birthday Bucket List that allows me to live with as much intention as possible.
I normally coordinate how many items are on my list with the age I’m turning. For example, my 27th Birthday Bucket List included 27 things, my 28th included 28 things, and so on.
This year, I’ve decided to change things up a bit, because trying to come up with 31 things to put on this list seemed a bit daunting and my ideas didn’t seem as meaningful to me.
When I looked over my 30th Birthday Bucket List, I crossed off 12 and had a few that were sort of crossed off [meaning if I adjusted them slightly, I could cross them off].
I am not disappointed by my progress, but looking back, I think I could have created a better list.
For this Birthday Bucket List, I’ve decided to lead more by my values and create a list that helps me live those out daily.
I also decided that coordinating age and items on the list wasn’t important for this list and that I needed to only include items on this list that truly meant something to me.
So without further ado, let’s dive into my 31st Birthday Bucket List!
My 31st Birthday Bucket List
Again, this list is led by my values and living more of what I teach here at The Tannehill Homestead.
1 // Focus on the good in life
One terrible habit that I am working to change is downplaying the good in my life. I often spend time wondering how I can improve, that I forget how amazing things really are.
My goal a year from now is to tell you that I’ve completely transformed and chosen to focus on the good.
2 // Slow down and take time to rest and reset
Slowing down is difficult for me. I am a high achiever who enjoys crossing things off my list. However, when I am not living in alignment with my values, I lead myself to burnout, which is honestly where I’ve been a lot this year.
I am proud to say that before writing this post, I did take off from work for a full 4 days!
I hadn’t done that in a couple of years, and it was needed far more than I realized! A couple of weeks is probably needed, but 4 days feels like a huge win for someone who loves working.
A realization I had during the break is that I can take time away without anything bad happening. Moving forward, my plan is to take weekends and holidays off.
As far as vacations, I still have some brainstorming to do there.
3 // Read the entire Bible
Originally, I wanted to read so many books this year, as I did last year, but it just didn’t feel right.
The thought of reading the entire Bible in one year has been on my heart for the past few months, and I feel it is time to attempt it.
I plan to read through chronologically since this is my first attempt at reading the entire Bible in a year. I’ve tried just starting on page one and going through, but things got a little confusing.
As someone who has read stories and chapters of the Bible for lessons, sermons, Bible study, etc., I feel I am missing the bigger picture and that it can be gained by reading the entire Bible.
I do have a great study Bible, which is very helpful. According to people who have read the entire Bible, a study Bible is a necessity when wanting to truly understand what you’re reading.
This is the study Bible I have and highly recommend!
4 // Keep an open mind
Change is the only constant in life – outside of time. It is something I’ve struggled to accept in the past but have overcome.
I feel the next step in evolving into someone who is considerate is to always keep an open mind.
Sometimes I can be a bit dismissive and not consider something new, but I want to change that.
5 // Give grace and remove pressure
I am the Queen of Pressure! I wear it like a jeweled prize.
Ever since I can remember, I’ve always pressured myself to do and be better. I’ve set unrealistic expectations that didn’t align with my life in the slightest and refused to give up on achieving them.
However, with many things happening this year, including COVID-19, that are out of my control, and the biggest lesson I learned is how precious the gift of grace is.
It is a lesson I want to continually practice because it removes unnecessary pressures. When I am kind to myself and give myself grace when needed, I have no desire to pressure myself and can breathe, which feels great!
6 // Stay off social media
My relationship with social media is officially complete. This was a struggle for me over the past year, and I’ve realized that my priorities no longer align with social media.
I could dive into my decision behind this, but the simple truth is that living in the present and in alignment with my priorities is most important to me.
For a long time, I’ve taught about the importance of living a more fulfilling life in the present and reducing social media and smartphone usage, and I’m finally allowing myself to live out that teaching 100% without feeling guilty about it.
Related Post: Why I’m Quitting Instagram for 2020
7 // Splurge on myself more often
I don’t like spending money on things outside of necessity. However, treating myself to something of good quality that I truly want and will use should be more of a priority than what it is currently.
For example, I have wanted a good quality hoodie/lightweight jacket for a couple of years now. Currently, all of my hoodies/lightweight jackets are from junior high and high school [I haven’t grown much since the 7th grade] and are still surprisingly in great shape.
I would love a good quality Patagonia lightweight jacket, not because I necessarily need it, but because I want to splurge on something nice for myself.
It is still very practical, but not something I would normally buy for myself [because the husband would likely get it for me for Christmas or my birthday].
I’ve also wanted to invest in a wide-angle lens for my camera but have yet to take the plunge. I blame it on all the options [there really are a lot], but the truth is that I have a hard time investing in myself, especially if I get my dream wide-angle lens.
8 // Remember my priorities
I’m pretty sure that most women can relate to feeling like everything is a priority. We juggle many responsibilities and feel we cannot let go of anything.
It often leads to massive failure all across the board because when you focus on everything, you accomplish nothing.
Having priorities helps cultivate a life that truly matters. It constantly evolves and therefore requires reevaluation of those priorities.
In the past two months, I’ve taken on many responsibilities out of necessity, but I wasn’t willing to let anything go to help me stay balanced.
The struggle to hold onto everything was impossible, so I decided to evaluate my priorities and let go of anything that wasn’t included within them.
The joy and fulfillment from getting clear about my priorities are like nothing I’ve ever experienced, and I don’t want to lose that.
9 // Make time to have fun!
I’ve allowed my achievement-oriented self to forget about having fun, especially since COVID-19 reduced our options for so long.
However, I’m letting go of any excuses because, moving forward, I’m putting Fun-Time on the calendar and doing something that isn’t achievement-oriented and just for fun!
I’m going to let my child-self come out and remind me of what life was like before I had so many responsibilities.
As I look through this list, I realize that I basically want to take what I teach here and amplify it in my life. I want to stop being afraid to live my life in accordance with my values because other people expect different things from me.
I’m leaving the feeling of guilt behind and accepting that what I want from life is worth going after without any apologies. My year of being 31 is going to be life-changing, and I’m excited about it!
As always, I hope that my 31st Birthday Bucket List inspired you to go after the life you truly want and to create a Birthday Bucket List yourself!
Check out my previous Birthday Bucket Lists:
- 27th Birthday Bucket List
- 28th Birthday Bucket List
- 29th Birthday Bucket List
- 30th Birthday Bucket List
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