I turned 30 back in December. Yep. The Big 3-0. I know many people have a difficult time with turning 30 but I thankfully did not experience that at all.  I have felt encouraged and excited about what lies ahead of me and the many lessons I can learn from years passed.  As a nod to this milestone birthday, this is my “Year of 30”; 30 intentions for my 30th year.  If you read the introduction to this blog here, you will know that being intentional is something I am endeavoring to do more of and is my reason for starting this blog in the first place.  So here goes:

1. Learn one song on the guitar
2. Become more proficient in sewing
3. Do one adrenaline-rush activity/an activity way out of my comfort zone
4. Travel more–out of the country at least once
5. Take more actual pictures (i.e. not with my phone)
6. Learn more German-started this for a trip last year and would love to continue
7. Develop a more consistently healthy relationship with food, exercise, and body image
8. Narrow down niche for counseling practice and gain professional development in those areas
9. Build genuine friendships with those outside my regular group of friends
10. Help others and those less fortunate in practical ways
11. Read Bible more intentionally through deeper study
12. Host a fancy dinner party…maybe more than one!
13. Organize my home and life in effective and practical ways–and help others do the same!
14. Write down and compile favorite go-to recipes
15. Journal to record major life events so I can reflect down the road
16. Read one book per month
17. Make more intentional and humane choices with clothing and other purchases
18. Only keep items that are absolutely necessary or hold a great deal of meaning
19. Start the process of looking for land to build our Shipping Container Home
20. Learn more–watch documentaries, read articles, research questions instead of just “googling”, etc.
21. Bake something wonderful and technical (a la Great British Baking Show) at least a few times throughout the year
22. Watch less TV/Netflix
23. Continue to use technology in a productive and healthy way
24. Stop saying “I’m Sorry” for no reason
25. Develop a better system for meal-planning and cooking–and become a better cook in general!
26. Consistently abide by a budget
27. Practice more yoga for mindfulness and rest
28. Discover new places in Charlotte
29. Be more “in the moment” and don’t overly plan everything
30. Stop comparing my list with others–what I feel like I “should be” doing, cooking, reading, excelling in, studying, etc.

There are many more small goals I would like to focus on but this is the most comprehensive list I could develop. I encourage you to develop a list of intentions for the new year if you haven’t already.  It helps to give some focus and, you guessed it, intention for your year.  Let’s grow together!