27 goals for turning 27-years old
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Today is my 27th birthday. I’m going to tell you something pretty embarrassing — up until a few months ago, I thought I was turning 26. I would genuinely tell anyone who would ask me how old I was that I was 25 going on 26…woops. I think it’s the fact that no major life milestones have happened to make 25, 26 or now, 27 feel significantly different. Truly it probably won’t feel that way until I’m in my thirties (which I’m actually super excited for!) But, that doesn’t mean a birthday isn’t worth celebrating! In fact, every year (since I turned 21) I make a pact to list out a number of goals and things I want to accomplish or try to be better at that is equivalent to the age I am turning. The list is getting longer every year, but it’s something I love to reflect back on every birthday to see what all I accomplished or need to continue to work on!
So here is my list (because I’m OCD like that) and here’s to another year — turning 25, 26 or 27 or whatever. No matter the age, every year around the sun is worth celebrating. And I’m ready to make this year count.
Make creative memory books - for every creative project I’ve worked on, concepted or been apart of, I want to have a tangible way to document this work. I’m going to try and get better at creating visual memory books for each project.
Volunteer - I’ve been saying for years I’d like to get back into volunteering for a cause I’m passionate about. This year I plan to hone in on what that cause is and sign up on a monthly basis for volunteer work.
Take a cooking class - cooking has never been my strong suit or passion, but this year I’d like to take a few cooking classes to learn some fundamental skills and just have fun! So far, I have a pasta making class in March to look forward to!
Work out more - of course, this sounds like a New Year’s resolution but truly, this should be on my list every year because it’s a great reminder for me to get my body moving and to remember that even though it can be a struggle getting to a fitness class, the way I feel after is what makes it worth it!
Work on writing my book - I’ve been dabbling with a book concept for years now and just need to buckle down and overcome my fear and writer’s block. This year, I hope to write more and potentially take a writing class.
Look into a Master’s Program - I want to eventually go back to school to get my masters in education. One day, I’d like to teach Art Direction to students within a design program at college. I always craved a class like that and I think a lot of people would benefit from a course like this! I want to research Master’s Programs (either online or night school) to take, likely when I’m 29 or 30.
Work on more creative projects - of course, this is already in the books! But I truly hope even more come to fruition this year. I have a hard time saying no to things I love, so I have a feeling I’ll be delightfully overwhelmed with creative work this year!
Plan a trip abroad - Tristan and I are trying to get on a cadence of traveling abroad every other year. This year, I want to determine where we want to go next year and get it in the books! I have the travel bug BAD and can’t wait to add more destinations to my list.
Get published - This year, I want to do more creative writing whether that be a creative op-ed piece, writing for a publication, or getting a creative project published. I love seeing my work (written or visual) online or in print.
Host a wine club - I’ve been getting into wine the last few years and am hoping to buckle down and host some like-minded wine lovers for a seasonal wine club to educate ourselves on wine, pairings and more!
Spend more time with friends + family - I feel like I never get enough time with my friends and family even though I do get to see them more often than not. This year, I hope to maintain and strengthen my relationships and put in as much effort as possible to see, talk to and love on the people I love most!
Read more books - That growing pile of books on my nightstand…yeah, I need to get back into reading. It is such a relaxing and fun hobby I used to enjoy and have slowly put it on the back burner. Time to break bad habits.
Donate clothing at the start of every season - Ever since I properly Marie Kondo’ed my dresser and closet, I feel amazing! I want to get back into donating clothing/accessories/shoes at the start of every season to make room for new items and feel like I’m donating and fully cleansing at minimum four times a year.
Get a financial advisor (stick to a budget!) - I say this every year, but as 30 is creeping up, I need to commit to getting a financial advisor to learn more about investing, stocks, saving and budgeting tips and tricks to make every year a financially-responsible year going forward.
Plan more date nights - I have always loved a spontaneous date night that doesn’t require a lot of $$$ but requires planning and effort. I hope to do more of these this year with Tristan to make our time together that much more special.
More weekend trips! - I hope to take advantage of “weekends off” and spending those weekends out and about: seeing new places, trying new things and just getting out of the house. I have a list of weekend trips that I keep adding to, so it’s time to slowly start tackling these!
Grow at work - Continuing to push myself within my career is very important to me. This year, I hope to grow, work through new challenges, thicken my skin and continue to work with a dream team of creatives every day!
Consider the future - I’m a huge planner and although I’m trying to get better at living more in the moment, I want to embrace thinking ahead to my future. Whether that be thinking about marriage, buying a home, getting a dog, moving to a different state, these are all major life changes I want to start thinking about and planning for.
Focus on the blog > social media - As much as I love Instagram, the frustrations I’ve experienced with the algorithm and other discouraging aspects to the app have made me refocus on the blog. This blog I own, this domain I own, this content I own. I don’t own Instagram, so my focus should be on this blog and making it the best I can!
Write blog posts on a regular basis - Of course, this will ebb and flow depending on what content I have to share and what feels genuinely authentic. But, I hope by focusing on planning my content more this year, I can continue to share relevant content on the blog with you!21.
Update my online portfolio - I’m really posting this here to hold myself accountable. But, I need to keep my online creative portfolio up to date with my latest projects and skill set. This will help me as I grow within my career and need a creative/visual log of what I’ve worked on.
Explore the city I live in more - Although I’ve lived in Seattle for over 4+ years now, there are still so many gems within the city I still need to explore (or re-explore). This year, I’m hoping to take advantage of local hot spots and share these places with you all!
Invest in quality, capsule pieces - Over the years, I’m trying to invest less in trends and more in quality. Whether that be for the home or for my wardrobe. I hope to do more research in the items I invest in (the way in which they are made, what they are made of and who makes them) as well as treat myself to items that will go the distance versus just a season.
Skincare, anti-aging, all that jazz - I always start out with a solid skincare routine and by the end of a month, season or year it dwindles. This year, I want to take the time to research what type of skin I have, what products I need and what services I need to invest in to maintain healthy, happy and glowing skin for the rest of my twenties, and beyond.
More hobbies! - I’m always on the hunt for hobbies and activities that keep me fulfilled, happy and feeling inspired! This year, I hope to pursue more activities I enjoy (golf, tennis, swimming, creating, blogging, skiing, photographing) and go on the hunt for more hobbies I could fall in love with.
Say “I think,” “I’m sorry,” and “Is that okay?” less - I’ve noticed a bad habit the last few years (I think this has really developed since being in a professional workplace) of starting a sentence or finishing a sentence with doubt — apologizing when I don’t need to, sounding less confident than I feel or questioning myself when I know I shouldn’t. This is my year of saying “I know,” “I want to…” and “I believe” more, more, more!
Embrace it - Sure, I may have forgotten what age I was this entire last year (still LOL’ing over this) but this year I’m 27 and I’m going to EMBRACE IT. Every year is a new year to embrace, fall in love with, eye roll at, learn from and happy dance to. It’s time to make it count!