Ten Year Goal List

[snowyowl]

When I turned 30, i decided to make a "30 at 30" list - activities I would accomplish in my 30th year. Some things were just for fun, like visiting a new place or reading a certain number of books. Others were more important, like spending more time with my grandmother, whom I ended up cultivating a much deeper relationship with as a result. 
I turned 40 last September, but I wanted to go easy on myself as life is much busier these days with two young kids. I decided to make a 40 before 50 list instead, give myself 10 whole years to accomplish goals. The purpose is not to stress myself out or feel bad about what I'm not doing, but to push myself to remember to have fun and try new things, and take time for myself, or time to give to others.

I'm stuck, and over the course of a year haven't been able to come up with 40 things! Some of the 30 at 30 goals don't work, they were meant to be difficult to accomplish over a year, not a decade. I've googled, and the internet really wants me to set goals like "save a million dollars" and "become CEO", which as a middle school English teacher don't seem overly realistic. 

So I'm curious, what kinds of goals would the members of this board set for themselves over a year, or a few years, or a decade? Maybe I'll borrow some ideas, but I know I'll enjoy seeing what others are hoping to do. 

[hugsfordrugs]

Some ideas:

Ensure you have all of your financials organized. This can include getting a trust or will, getting life insurance, etc.

Is there a place you’ve always wanted to go and just haven’t? Maybe go there. Or if it’s expensive you can always just save money and go on your 50th birthday.

Try something new. A cooking class, a book club, join a yoga studio - something like that.

Go to the theatre once a year at least. Could be community theatre or something like that. Doesn’t have to be big/expensive shows.

Go listen to live music (not necessarily a concert, can be at your local bar or coffee shop.

Throw a Halloween party.

Learn the basics of another language.

Volunteer X number of hours a year.

[DGM]

This is really cool! My first thought was learn how to have a simple convo in a different language which I saw PP had also

My other thought was swimming with dolphins or feeding a giraffe if you like animals.

Is running a 5K/10K or a triathlon a possibility? My now 53 year old brother was so excited when he turned 46 to be in the next age category for a triathlon so his times seemed better LOL.

How about going to a college event you always wanted to but never did? For example, mine would be attending a UCLA-USC football game decked out in UCLA colors even though I never went to school there.

[mathrun]

Love the one about having your finances in order. Getting life insurance, in particular, is something easy to put off but so important to have. Also having just spent a year plus dealing with my Garndmother’s estate, I am so grateful she had things as well ordered as she did.

After sending my oldest off to college a few weeks ago, I’m really grateful for the hobbies and interests we have in common. I think talking about them and attending events will make an easy way for us to stay close over the next several years that will be crazy busy for him. So, cultivate interests in common with kiddos.

Keep doing or start doing a physical activity you enjoy.

Use duolingo or Khan Academy to learn something you’ve always wanted to learn.

Make a list of books you’d like to read by the end of the 10 years.

Save for and take a bucket list trip.

Support a young person in their dreams. (By donating, mentoring, or otherwise supporting them.)

This one might just be a me thing. Finally clean out my closet to get rid of the jeans I wore in college that I keep hoping my butt will someday magically fit into again.

[bobyn]

Sept 8, 2024 9:00:40 GMT -6 mathrun said:

-snip-

This one might just be a me thing. Finally clean out my closet to get rid of the jeans I wore in college that I keep hoping my butt will someday magically fit into again.

The back of my closet is full of clothes I hope to one day fit again... ugh... it's not just a you thing!

[beepers]

mathrun omg yes to the jeans. What’s worse is even if I COULD fit into them again, never would I ever again wear jeans with like a 4 inch rise. They are LOWWW. But also they were $$$ back then and hard for my brain to give up on.

[spicysalmonroll]

We have started even just making a list of local places to check out too in addition to big bucket list trips. I've lived in MA for 36 of my 39 years and never been to Plymouth, Salem, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Block Island, Gloucester, various Boston museums, etc.

Financial goals could also be something like paying off your house or hitting a certain net worth which includes your house so it's not just "save a million dollars".

[CestLaVie]

There are certain bucket list foods I want to attempt to make like souffle, arancini, tajin.
I'd like to get chickens and a cut flower garden
Create a library in my house (get a house lol)
take a painting class
host my friends for dinner more regularly
eat at a michelin star restaurant
do a food tour looking for the best of one specific item. For example my mom and dad went on a motorcycle trip to find the best key lime pie lol. they ordered it everywhere they went and ranked them all. It was dumb but really funny and fun.

[origami]

Sept 9, 2024 12:06:21 GMT -6 spicysalmonroll said:

We have started even just making a list of local places to check out too in addition to big bucket list trips. I've lived in MA for 36 of my 39 years and never been to Plymouth, Salem, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Block Island, Gloucester, various Boston museums, etc.

Financial goals could also be something like paying off your house or hitting a certain net worth which includes your house so it's not just "save a million dollars".

Exploring my home state was a big one for me last year. There’s so much cool stuff here I’d never seen. Now I work for a statewide org and when I travel I look for the best hole in the wall food joints, neat nature spots, and weird attractions. It’s great.

[DGM]

Sept 9, 2024 12:06:21 GMT -6 spicysalmonroll said:

We have started even just making a list of local places to check out too in addition to big bucket list trips. I've lived in MA for 36 of my 39 years and never been to Plymouth, Salem, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Block Island, Gloucester, various Boston museums, etc.

Financial goals could also be something like paying off your house or hitting a certain net worth which includes your house so it's not just "save a million dollars".

Boston and the places you named are my dream USA destinations. I don't know why that's been more important to me than NYC, DC, etc. I've never been east of Lake Geneva, WI.

[Bookshelves]

I needed this kick, and I am going to work on this this week!

[snowyowl]

Some great ideas in here! I'll share what I have so far. Some of these I stole from your suggestions, others are holdovers from my original 30 at 30 list. And before anyone gets too impressed by my million K a year exercise goal, that's for rowing. It works out to about 15 minutes a day 😛
I didn't see anyone else mention a letter to themselves - I recommend it! I did one at 30 and it was fascinating to read it this year.

Try a new craft (take a class?)
See a sight in Rhode Island I’ve never seen before
Visit a new country
Visit a new state
Exercise goal of some kind - million K a year?
Find a consistent volunteer opportunity
Write a "to be read in ten years" letter to myself
Volunteer my time consistently
Go sailing
See a show
Take a train somewhere
Ear piercing
Solo day trip
Take a horseback riding lesson or trail walk
Go to a museum
Staycation
Get a massage
Gratitude list
Get off my phone before bed!
Do a puzzle
Watch a classic movie I haven’t seen
Water journey
Have a cousin night with all the kids
Providence Children’s Museum
Same day plane ticket
Weird RI landmark - like first street lamp in Newport, umbrella factory, grave of mercy brown
Create a tradition - it doesn’t matter when you start as long as you like it!
Make a will
Read a self-help book
Strength training routine
Visit a vineyard
See a musical
Finish the peacock (cross stitch)