I turned 39 a couple months ago, and I’ll admit—my birthday hit differently this year. Not in an “I’m so afraid of turning 40” kind of way. Thankfully, I have enough beautiful, sexy, amazing friends in their 40s to get me excited about this next decade. It was more of a realization that I only have one year left to make the most of my 30s.
The last nine years have been so full. We grew our family, my business has grown exponentially, and so many of the things I dreamed about in my 20s have become real. But it’s flown by, and this birthday made me sit up and consider if there’s anything that I want to do before I say goodbye to this decade.
One of the great things about blogging is that your blog becomes a sort of personal scrapbook, capturing different moments of your life. As I thought about all this, I remembered that back when I turned 30, I wrote a blog post called “10 Things I Want to Do In My 30s.” It made me curious about which ones I’d accomplished and which ones were still on my list. And did I actually still want to do all of them? So, today I’m revisiting that post with you guys. Watch the video below as I walk you through what I really want to do during this final year of my 30s. Spoiler: it’s going to be a very full 11 months.
Here’s a recap of the goals on my original 30s Bucket List, as well as some new ones I’m prioritizing this year:
Go Surfing
I have surfed several times in my 30s! I’m definitely not good at it, but I’ve gone out in Costa Rica and in Malibu, and it’s something I want to do more of in the future. A huge part of why I wanted to surf was my love for the ocean and surf culture. (This is really what inspired us to buy our property in Malibu in 2020.) It’s been so incredible to have a place to go where we can spend more time by the water and be immersed in the laid-back surf community there, so this is definitely a goal that is in motion in my life.
Master Bread Baking
You guys know how much I love to bake, but I still haven’t really devoted myself to baking my own bread. And I think I’m okay with that. I’ve realized that for me, baking bread really symbolizes an act of slowing down and embracing life’s simple pleasures. But I’ll be honest—I get just as much joy out of going to the farmer’s market and buying a really good loaf of sourdough.
Travel to Japan
This is really funny because I completely forgot this was on my list—but I’ve actually started planning a trip to Japan for this fall! For me, this is a reminder that when you write down your goals, you’re setting them in motion even without realizing it. I cannot wait to experience the culture and the food in Japan, and I’m going to be doing some sourcing for Japanese artisans and makers for Casa Zuma.
Learn to Sit Up Straight
It feels really random that I wrote this one, but I do think that my posture has improved a LOT, and I actually get comments on my great posture pretty frequently. Here’s a visualization that has really helped me: Picture a string running through your center, all the way through the top of your head and then pulling you UP toward the sky. It works, right?
Embrace the Weekend
This one is really about not working around the clock—which can be hard when you own your own business. I’ve been working on being fully present with my family and friends when I’m not working. But I’ve also learned that this is a balance that’s always changing. There are seasons where I’m more focused on work, and I find so much joy in creating and growing my business. And then there are seasons where I can let up a little and unplug more often. I don’t think this is a goal that I’ll ever check off my list, but I’m always working to find that balance and being intentional about creating space to unplug, slow down, and just be present.
Live in Europe for at Least 6 Months
I’d still like to do this—but it’s not going to happen before I turn 40. And that’s okay. What I would like to do is spend a few weeks in Europe next summer exploring a new place with our family. Maybe that’s how I’ll celebrate my 40th?
Rediscover Poetry
This is one that I’d forgotten about, but it definitely still resonates. Something I’ve been thinking about lately is incorporating more of a bedtime ritual that helps me reflect on the day instead of just watching a show until I fall asleep. I’ve started keeping a book of poetry by my bed, reading one poem a night, and then taking five minutes to jot down any thoughts from the day that I want to remember.
Own Only Gorgeous Lingerie
TMI alert: ever since Covid, I don’t actually wear lingerie at all. Maybe a bralette if it’s absolutely necessary, but that’s it. So this one’s a moot point.
Learn to Do a Headstand
This feels like a lot of effort right now, and I think I’m totally okay with letting it go.
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Okay, so that was my old list… on to my new goals! When I sat down and thought about what I want this year to look like, I realized it was less about DOING and more about BEING. Which reflects the ways that I’ve personally evolved since I wrote that first post nine years ago. I want to be so intentional with my time and who I’m becoming as I enter this next decade of my life, and these milestone birthdays can be a good time to zoom out and see if the way we’re spending our time is aligned with our values.
So, here’s what got added to my list:
Create Space in My Schedule for the Projects I’m Passionate About
Launching Casa Zuma at the end of last year opened up such an exciting new aspect of my career, and I discovered that I’m really passionate about this part of the business. But, like so many of you guys, a huge challenge for me is finding enough hours in the day to do everything that I want to do. So, I want to get very disciplined about blocking my time throughout the week to be more focused and efficient with my time, so that I can open up space for all the different things I want to work on.
Have More Fun With My Kids
For three years in a row, one of my New Year’s intentions has been to “have more fun.” (Yes, I know that says something about me, lol.) I tend to get very focused on the task at hand, which can lead me to be a little too serious at times.
A major value for me is creating more fun experiences and memories with our family. My kids are eight and ten, and these are the most fun ages—I don’t want to miss a single minute of it. Over the next several months, I want to be so intentional about being more spontaneous and doing fun things together. Hiking, road trips, making art together, going to new restaurants—all those simple things that help us break out of the rut of our day-to-day schedule.
Carve Out a Career That’s All My Own
One thing I’m learning: the older you get, the less you care about what others think of you. (Thank goodness!) As I close out my 30s, I want to wholeheartedly embrace the parts of my career that feel authentic to me, and that bring me the most joy.
One of the challenging things about being a content creator is that, thanks to social media, it can be tempting to do things just because everyone else is, or because an algorithm prioritizes certain types of content. And although those strategies can be rewarded in the short-term, my priority is to fully show up with my whole heart, creating content that serves you guys and that I’m authentically excited to share because I believe it’s truly meaningful.
Understand and Align With My Cycle
If you’re not yet familiar with the concept of cycle syncing, this might seem random, but let me explain. The general idea is: instead of doing the same things throughout the month, you tailor your behaviors to the current phase of your menstrual cycle. Cycle syncing could apply to how you work out, the food you eat at different times of the month, or how you plan your workday.
This topic is top of mind for me right now, because I’m having a period for the first time in years. Between having babies, breastfeeding, and being on birth control, I haven’t had a regular cycle in over a decade. So now that it’s back, I’m excited to dig more into this topic and pay attention to how my hormones are affecting my energy, my productivity, mental clarity.
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Okay, let’s get this party started! Don’t miss my Youtube episode where we chat about all of them, and I’ll do my best to share updates throughout the year on how each of these is going.