101 Days Until I Turn 40

No matter how many people tell me I don’t look a day past 30-ish, the reality cannot be ignored.

It is 101 days until I turn 40. That is reality.

It is reality that that my hair is dyed every five weeks.

I own and use a pair of reading glasses.

For my entire adulthood it has been my choice to not have children and the reality is that nature will soon be making that choice for me.

A few months ago my friends from grammar school and I were talking about a list called 40 Things to Do before turning 40. We each went through the list of life experiences and tracked how many we had accomplished. Christine, who had originally posted the article on her Facebook, asked if we should make up our own list of things to do before we all turn 40 this year.

Christine posted her list in My Different 40 Days, a blog post about how she is owning this birthday – and why she hasn’t owned any of the other milestone birthdays. She encouraged us to make our own list.

Here is a list of things I have done before turning 40 – I have 100 days to complete #19.

1. Laugh often
2. Judge less
3. Love more
4. Have a dance party
5. Meet people where they are, not where I want them to be
6. Learn to speak in public
7. Win a speech contest
8. Start my own business
9. Become a professional writer
10. Recognize that my life isn’t what I wanted
11. Make changes to create the life I want
12. Live in Tempe, AZ
13. Make my corporate salary as a small business owner
14. Get kissed while standing in the rain
15. Volunteer with a community-based organization
16. Get published online
17. Wash that grey right out of my hair
18. Speak my mind without fear of judgment
19. Finish the novel
20. Write a poem
21. Reconnect with old friends
22. Embrace new friends
23. Thank God every day for what He has given me
24. Close a big business deal
25. Be creative
26. Appreciate today, whatever it may bring
27. Plan for the future
28. Be debt free
29. Tell fear to take a hike
30. Get rid of drama
31. Do something just for the fun of it
32. Fall in love
33. Fall out of love
34. Learn to love myself
35. Jump out of an airplane
36. Read 12 books in a year
37. Give away a plane ticket
38. Spend $100 on a pair of jeans
39. Go to Italy
40. Get a book signed by the author

I can’t wait to see the list of what I have accomplished in my 40’s. I am hopeful my 30′s have prepared me for the next decade.

Share your story in the comments below. What do you hope to accomplish before your next milestone birthday? 

Anne McAuley is a Mesa, AZ based freelance writer and owner of McAuley Freelance Writing. She helps businesses get noticed online through content marketing including blogging, copywriting and social media. She likes to say she is a Word Stylist. While celebrity stylists help their clients find their public style with clothes, hair and make-up, she helps her clients find their style with words and messaging. Anne can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @freemcauley.