March 8, 2013
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523 Days
I have 523 days until I am 40. Most of my friends tell me 40 is a piece of cake. Some of my friends are already shaking their heads sadly and suggesting good long term care facilities.
I am trying not to panic.
I have a list (don’t we all?) of things that were supposed to be done by 40, and I am falling short.
1. Run an ultra marathon.
2. Run the R2R2R.
3. Have at least one book completed and published.
4. Volunteer in Africa (or South America) on a community project.
5. Solve the homeless problems in America.
6. Hike the entirety of the Appalachian Trail.
CRAP! I have 523 days to complete these things! My knee became a problem last spring, and now I doubt my ability to even complete half of these goals, my adventure lust and open mind became more rusty and slow, and I don’t know how well I would fare overseas, and I am no closer to solving homelessness than anybody before me. The book may be the only goal remaining that I haven’t completed that I can still check off my list.
My sister is really the only one I whine to about getting old, and she posted this on my Facebook page last night:
If you knew her, you would understand what a sweet gesture this really is.
I know age is a number, but goals without deadlines are just daydreams. Do you have any milestone goals?
Comments (29)
If you have knee problem, then I have my left ankle problem. I sprained it the last summer and the bone crackes which until today never completely (or not correctly) healing. I still feel the pain down there which kind of an irritating discomfort whenever I jog. Funny was, if I do cycling, the pain on the left ankle is not there – only when I do jog.
I too, has many wishes of my own before I ever reach 40. There are many things I did accomplished as well too. Let see … I shall write my list then. Your list of things up there inspires me.
One thing I would really love to do with my husband these days are scuba-diving! Who knows … all things can be possible!
Hey! You still have your 523 days to complete all of these, my friend! Go, go, go, Christina! Yeah!
Hmmm. That’s quite a list you’ve got there. I wouldn’t say that I have age milestones, but there are a few things I want to do at some point in my life, like skydiving. I’ve also always wanted to run a marathon like my brother and mother have, but I’m getting more and more convinced that that kind of distance is incompatible with weight lifting. So for now I’m just working on physical fitness.
I also want to get a master’s and become some type of recognized authority in some subject matter, but now thats getting into more of the fantasy world. Maybe I’ll see you there?
By the way, you can out off marathon for a while longer, the world’s oldest racer just retired from racing at age 102, and he didn’t get started until he was 90.
I believe in you. You can complete all of these things in 523. You just have to make many, many, many flowcharts and schedules. I used to fear turning 40 but now I think what’s to fear? The wisdom that I have gained over the years is an honor that I would never trade for youth.
@Sherrie_de_Valeria - It’s too bad we couldn’t jog together, we would be the same speed! Thanks so much for your encouragement
@SlickRick297 - I will meet you in the fantasy world, you can be a scholar and I will be an athlete! (Not that we aren’t now, of course!) Strength training is essential to marathoning, but body building can be tougher. You are gaining so much mass that moving it 26.2 miles can be a bit tricky. However, we can do it together in fantasy land
@Erika_Steele - You have a great point about the wisdom, and I am going to need to do some serious training to complete that flow chart
I was reading about a school that put up a “billboard” in Lima Peru. Their billboard was unique in that it took water out of the humid air. Since Lima depends upon water in the Andes, getting water out of the clear blue sky is a great idea and might encourage students to go to the school to make ideas help people in ways they never considered.
Some of the homeless I worked with collected collectibles and recyclables. The tiny income is enough to make a living and to use drugs unfortunately. I would say it is sort of a win win situation where the economy and ecology benefits.
One time I found “Lion King animation cells” in the trash and basically others made money off of them rather than myself. You can meet other people unexpectantly when trying to exploit resources.
40′s like the new 25…
i guess there’s some way that allows us folks to enjoy every day…
otherwise they wouldn’t keep putting them in front of us…
one right after the other…
keep pushing on bc –
there’s lots of/to life on either side…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h5j_mAEEdw
40? wow – one would never know if you hadn’t said so. : )
I’d love to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. what a wonderful experience it would be. writing and taking photos along the way.
I know something else to do before you’re 40. hehe
I have set the goal of focusing on the present moment except when I absolutely must look ahead of it. Because I’m really big on irony.
PS: If you’re lucky you’ll be treated to that really intensely spiritual, reflective, transforming liberation that some get with a couple years either side of the 40th anniversary of breathing air. I was that lucky, and if I could put myself into that state intentionally I’d do it again and again and again. All those folks who say that life begins at 40? It sounds just like a BS affirmation, but it’s one of the truest things ever said about the human condition.
“goals without deadlines are just daydreams.” So true. Sounds like that a person like you will have all your goals fulfilled.
I made a goal to not be living at my parents’ house when I was 30. So I moved out when I was 28.
Other than that I don’t have any milestone goals. I’m afraid of disappointing myself.
A high school classmate of mine who I am not really friends with but don’t dislike hiked the entirety of the Appalachian trail a few years ago. I don’t know the details since I got the info third hand but I’m 99% sure she survived. Then again, she wasn’t 40. But there was that marathon runner who was over 100, so compared to him you’re a spring chicken!
You are young enough to be my daughter. Forty is glorious. You are not old at 40.
Get busy on your Bucket List or revise what you want to accomplish.
Happy early 40th birthday…over 500 days early.
Yes. I think you already know one of mine.
I didn’t think 30 what that big of a deal and I just felt the same way about 40. It just sort of passed without incident.
Given the changes these past few years, anymore, I’m just happy if I wake up in the morning. Sorry.
Cool goals!!! Important, too.
I do #4 on a community level all the time…I have done continual volunteer work since I was a teenager.
I’d love to see #5 completed.
You can work towards all of these! And I believe you will accomplish them as you continue to live your life.
I’m rooting for you!!!
HUGS!!!
quick! change the goal to accomplish as FEW of those things as possible!
at the start of the decade (2010) I made three decade resolutions that I would do before the decade ended. I’ve accomplished one of them but still have plenty of time for the other two
Forty? 40? My daughter will be 41 on Wednesday! Enjoy each day without worrying about what you have to do and accomplish. Take only one goal at a time. You have already done so much of running and hiking and done such exemplary work with the different groups of people. Sit back and tell yourself, that you are an amazing lady!
I love that picture your sister posted. My kind of face and feelings in their laughter.
What you don’t get done by 40, Christina, will FILL your 40′s. At 62, I have several goals to achieve, by the time I hit 70. Most of those are things about which I have already posted.
You are 38 and worried about getting old? Honey, you are yet a young babe! It is good to have goals though its not necessary to attain them all and it is okay to modify them to become more realistic. I have been working on a bood for 12 years and I have already blown past several deadlines I had set for finishing it. Of course, it would be easier if I didn’t have other distractions like work and the need to keep working to pay for a couple of college educations. But I remember hearing Norman Vincent Peale talked about perseverance as being the key to success. I have indeed persevered. And guess what? I did finish a 600 page draft and am closing in on a second draft of perhaps 325 pages and I keep receiving a lot of positive feedback. If I ever finish the darn thing maybe I could join you on the Appalachian Trail!
If you want to do all of those things then you will do them, but most important, be happy. Forty was a wonderful age, as was 50, as was 60 and I bet 70 is going to rock too.
Whatever you do make memories.
Oh I really hope you achieve everything.
first step is to throw away the piece of paper where you’ve written down how many days until your 40th birthday. you have several books in the pot, as i recall. i can’t remember how old i am again.oh thank goodness. spouse just reminded me. (so i have more than 523 days to 50. thank god.)
i think you are the most likely person on the planet to solve the homeless problem in america. i don’t know anything about the running things, but surely the appalachian trail is way doable for a tough chick like you.
live each day purposefully as you do and don’t let a number trick you. i think the 40′s are better than the 30′s. (i wouldn’t have believed it either.)
I used to want to hike the Appalachian Trail. It wasn’t really a goal though. When I was a kid I wanted to hike the John Muir Trail. That never happened either. Now I would just like to be able to walk 2 miles again. That’s kind of a goal. I”m up to 1 mile, after my stroke. 40 is really, really young.
I haven’t really thought about a bucket list. I probably should one of these days…and that’s #1…write a bucket list
40? I would have never guessed. Wait, you’re only 38 now, right?
@promisesunshine - 50? Can’t tell by your feet. hehehe
I have about 3000 days till I’m 40. Not to rub it in as I know many on Xanga are MUCH younger than I.
@olwd - not for a while yet. thank you very much. baby girl.
@promisesunshine - OH THANK THE LORD. HEHEHE