Just Heather
40 By 40 List

When I was 30ish, I had a minor identity crisis. In an effort to be something more than a mother to my children, I put together a list of things I’d always wanted to do but never thought I could. I’m more than halfway to 40, but I’m not quite halfway through my 40×40 list. It’s okay, though, because along the way I’ve finally started figuring out how to be a grownup.

And that was pretty much the point.

Every day of my life tends to be just another to-do list that never gets finished because as soon as it does, I put it on tomorrow’s list. Laundry, dishes, carpool, grocery shopping, cooking dinner—this is my life and it’s time to change that. This list isn’t intended to be much more than a to-do list of things I can actually cross off upon completion. Maybe I’ll get to some of them, maybe I won’t, but everybody’s gotta have a dream. 

I have also created a 40×40 category where I intend to journal my progress, if any.

  1. Take a dance class.
  2. Dance on the bar at Coyote Ugly.
  3. Get a tattoo.
  4. Ride a zipline.
  5. Write a book.
  6. Start roller blading again.
  7. Get a college degree.
  8. Go on a vacation with just my husband.
  9. Take a cruise.
  10. Find a way for the hubby to stay at home with us.
  11. Go up in a lighthouse.
  12. Learn to sew.
  13. Run an entire 5K.
  14. Launch my business on a national level.
  15. Learn to ride a motorcycle.
  16. Take my kids skiing.
  17. Watch a meteor shower.
  18. Eat a romantic dinner with the hubby at the Melting Pot.
  19. Get a passport — and use it.
  20. Get a manicure.
  21. Participate in a flash mob.
  22. Visit Las Vegas.
  23. Let my kids eat cotton candy at the fair.
  24. Build a snowman with my girls.
  25. Kick a field goal and/or shoot a free throw in a professional stadium.
  26. Use my homemade compost in the garden.
  27. Attend every major sporting event in the Indianapolis area at least once.
  28. Ride in a limo.
  29. Confidently wear red lipstick in public.
  30. Dance under a waterfall.
  31. Meet a celebrity.
  32. Attend a rocket launch.
  33. Be a bridesmaid.
  34. Picnic at the ocean.
  35. Renew my wedding vows.
  36. Watch a meteor shower.
  37. Foster a child.
  38. Take a non-conference girls’ trip.
  39. Find the perfect Little Black Dress.
  40. Learn to walk in heels.