30 Before 30 – HIKES & HAMSTRINGS

It’s a true story. I’m almost 30. I’m by no means dreading turning this age- aren’t the 30’s the new 20’s like Pink is the new Black or something like that? I’m actually quite excited about what my 30’s will bring. I hope for as much adventure, self-discovery, and ups and downs as the last decade, and I’ll embrace and cherish whatever comes my way.

The reason for the mini-freak out is that I have a list of 30 things to do before 30, and I realize I need to get moving on it! I can use every excuse there is- it is eternally winter in Calgary… I got super busy with work… or I just got lazy with it. Either way, I have a renewed sense of focus. I do, however, fully acknowledge that I may not complete everything on the list in the next 3 months. The whole purpose of my list was to motivate me to keep living, learning and experiencing. Goal-setting and me work well together. I’ve had some great experiences lately, like hiking in the Grand Canyon in early April, and hiking up Prairie Mountain last weekend. I think these are pretty list-worthy.

And since I made the list, I think I’m allowed to change it. For example, I have now made the following update:

Go ~~Skiing~~ Snowshoeing in the Rockies

I wanted to go skiing just to do some kind of activity during the winter months. My feelings for winter are comparable to my feelings on high-fives or all things Charlie Sheen- I just don’t like. But since winter is a long season in Calgary, I figured I should do something. Though I do enjoy skiing, I’ve had a few skiing experiences where I felt I almost broke my legs. So I do have some fear and apprehension when it comes to skiing. Excuse? Maybe… because I think it’s sheer laziness that kept me from going to the mountains, and I know I’ll get back on the horse at some point. But then during an awesome Easter weekend away in Revelstoke BC with some great nerds, I was able to go snowshoeing. That’s definitely a winter activity. So I’ve now swapped skiing with snowshoeing. Just ’cause I can.

What else can I write about regarding my list? I will say it right now: I will fail to read The Kite Runner (#15). I just won’t do it. However, I am still working away on The Comfort Trap (remember, I’m all over the self-help books as revealed in a previous posting), and The Thief of Always, by Clive Barker. I remember reading this latter book in elementary school and decided to re-read it now as an adult. It’s scary stuff for a kid! According to the Miami Herald- “Menacing demons, wondrous miracles, sinister magic, and vivid characters… A compulsive, lightning-paced tale that almost begs to be read aloud.” Agreed Miami Herald. Agreed.

For #6, Buy Myself some Expensive Jeans, I just don’t think I’ll do this one right now. Maybe sometime down the road I’ll walk into Harry Rosen, throw down a wad of cash, and say “Dress Me!”, but at the moment, financially, I cannot justify this action. There are also many other things on which I could spend a wad of cash… you know, groceries and consumables. And lastly, it will not be possible to complete 5 rounds of P90X by the time I’m 30 (#22). The number of days left are just not there. I’m on the verge of completing Week 7 of Round 4 though. Just gotta keep bringing it! Damn you Tony Horton and your addictive exercise DVDs!

Overall, I’m content with the progress I’ve made on completing the List, but clearly it’s time to step it up!! Thirty is just around the corner….

In August 2010, after completing a wonderful three weeks at Epidemiology summer camp in Ann Arbor, Michigan (I know, right? I’m THAT cool…), I found myself back in the Toronto area having dinner with my good friend Marie. It was a beautiful day outside; we were sitting on a patio at some restaurant located at the Harbourfront Centre downtown. It was around the Caribana weekend, and men and women were all dressed in white awaiting the start of their boat cruise where they’d party the night away. There was a light breeze in the air, and a bird flew by. I was oddly subdued and mellow. It was a few days before my 29th birthday.

Marie: “What’s going on with you?”
Me: “Things are going good. I’m good.”
Marie: “You’re so mellow, it’s weird!”

Me: “OMG, woe is me!” [Eye roll; dramatic sigh]. “I just don’t know what to do. I lack direction and need something to help me focus. But what can a humble analyst do?” [Sip my drink… let’s say wine]It’s true. I was looking a bit spacey. I can’t quite recall what I was thinking about, but I want to say that the realization that my month long break from work was coming to an end weighed on my mind, and I would soon return to Calgary, at 29, with a lack of a life plan. I had no S.M.A.R.T. goals (i.e. goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely). I was like a lost puppy, both in terms of cuteness and being lost. The following conversation took place VERBATIM:

Marie: [SLAP] “Snap out of it, man, and pull yourself together!”
Me: “I can’t believe I’m turning 29. It’s that much closer to that age next year.”
Marie: “Eureka! I know EXACTLY what you need to do. You need to create a list. A list of 30 things you want to accomplish before you’re 30. In other words, a “30 before 30″ LIST! My friend Claire has one, and I’ve started one, and it’s the Best. Thing. EVER!”

Okay, so maybe the conversation didn’t go exactly like that. Marie is awesome and not violent, so she wouldn’t have slapped me. Nor would she have used the word “Eureka!”. And I do think we referred to 30 as that year, but it’s really NBD, no big deal, as it’s just a number. But the main point of it all is that I sat there, moved, and lost in thought. Marie was absolutely right!

There are so many things many of us talk about wanting to do… I want to do this, that, and the other…. and sometimes those ‘things’ get lost in our thoughts, we forget about them, or put them off for another rainy or sunny day. Or maybe we just can’t work up the courage to even attempt them in the first place. I definitely have a good collection of these ‘things’.

Taking a helicopter tour over the volcano on the Big Island, Hawaii

So Marie and I began working on my list right then and there, entering items into the Notes application on my iPhone. It was inspiring. One may even call the process epic and awesome. My list would consist of OMG-you-haven’t-done-that items, like trying a gin and tonic, as well as bigger goals, like run a half marathon. Some are not S.M.A.R.T goals, but items to help guide me. And not all of the items are new. Some are things I wanted to make sure I do (again) at some point between list creation in August 2010 and my 30th birthday in August 2011. And if I don’t accomplish them all, I won’t sentence myself to the depths of despair. Like I said, my list is a guide. But it’s true what they say: by writing down these goals, there’s now a greater chance that I’ll complete them. And now I’ve started creating other lists, including my 3 Things Before 32, and my work in progress Things-I-Hope-To-Do-In-My-Lifetime-(Not a Bucket List)-List. What I’m really trying to say is that I’m a nerd, and I like To-Do Lists. So thank you, Marie, for making me start my 30 before 30 List. I dedicate this blog posting to you! And now others like Dan and Beth, with their 101 things to do in 1001 days, continue to inspire me and keep me motivated to accomplish as much as I can in my lifetime. Pure awesomeness indeed :).

Tag: 30 Before 30

OMG! I’m Almost 30 and There’s a List!

My “30 before 30” List!