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    Home » Life

    40 Before 40 Bucket list, challenges, and milestones!

    Published: Aug 18, 2016 · Updated: Dec 31, 2020 by Tammilee · This post may contain affiliate links

    Today I am 40! Oh my goodness! WOW!

    Here it is...my 40 before 40 lists, challenges I pushed myself to do and milestones accomplished!

    This list was not easy to accomplish, but I am so happy that I did it. Many of these experiences pushed me not to let fear stop me, pushed me outside my comfort zone (Hello getting a Brazilian wax and taking a Stripper 101 pole dancing class in Las Vegas) but more on those later!

    If you are thinking about making a life list, a 40 before 40 lists, a 50 before 50 lists or really any age or goal list I URGE YOU TO DO IT! Seriously! When I started this project, it was on a complete whim with no real plan. I didn't have 40 things in my head I wanted to do. I wasn't even sure what I was going to count as being on the list I just dove in and went with it.

    Doing this list pushed me to agree to do things I would never have done in the past, It pushed me to realize that some of my fears were a bit extreme, and I wasn't going to die just from doing the experience, it also pushed me to really look at myself and what I wanted to accomplish.

    Friends, family, and my amazing Husband pushed me, motivated me, and joined me on many of these experiences. If you do a list, I highly suggest including your spouse, friends, and family in the making of it if you can.

    40 Before 40 List

    Some of the things on this list never would have happened if I didn't set the goal of doing 40 new things. I have always wanted to do a lot of these things but let fear, money, or common sense stop me from doing them. Other things happened simply because I put it out there that I wanted to do 40 new things and friends/family pushed me in the right direction.

    Your list can be whatever you want it to be! Big, small, crazy, or things you have always wanted to try. I am already thinking about doing a 50 before 50 list. Heck I might try and do a 41 before 41 list. I needed the push from making this list to step outside my comfort zone and make things happen. Who knows what is next but I have a few ideas!

    So here it is! My 40 before 40 list, challenges and milestones!

      1. Visit Sint Maarten - New country
      2. Had a chest x-ray done at sea
      3. Drove a Lexus on a race track 100+ mph in Palm Springs
      4. I went to a paint and wine event..did this twice! Grapevine, Texas and on the Fathom Adonia
      5. Took a trip down an ice slide in Grapevine, Texas!
      6. Tried glass blowing in Grapevine, Texas
      7. Rode in a limo in Las Vegas
      8. Renewed our wedding vows with Elvis in Las Vegas
      9. Painted on a silk scarf in Lake Charles, Louisiana
      10. Painted on a dead fish in Lake Charles, Louisiana
      11. Taught English in the Dominican Republic with Fathom
      12. Worked in a chocolate factory in the Dominican Republic with Fathom
      13. Tried acupuncture on the Fathom Adonia
      14. Took guided meditation classes on the Fathom Adonia
      15. Got a fish pedicure in Rhodes, Greece
      16. Tried a Thai Poultice massage on the Carnival Vista
      17. Rode a cable car in San Fransisco
      18. Attended a pirate festival in Lake Charles, Louisiana
      19. I had a couple of Thai massages in Bangkok, Thailand, and didn't cry!
      20. Swam naked in a private bungalow in Thailand
      21. Attended my 1st retreat with other woman business owners
      22. Tried fried bourbon in Lake Charles, Louisiana
      23. Spoke to a College Business Class at Washington State University about social media and running your own business
      24. Had a spray tan
      25. Got a Brazilian Wax
      26. Tried a 3-day juice cleanse
      27. Went stand up paddleboarding in Cozumel, Mexico
      28. Went Cave Tubing in Belize
      29. Had a numerology report run
      30. Ordered DNA Testing through Ancestry.com
      31. Took a seaplane ride over Seattle
      32. Went parasailing in Tacoma, Washington with my Mom
      33. Tried a float tank
      34. Attended football 101 in Stillwater, Oklahoma
      35. Took a Stripper 101 class in Las Vegas
      36. Visited Dry Bar in Vegas and had my hair done
      37. Visited the Ice Bar for a cocktail in Vegas
      38. Attended a Hollywood Movie premiere party for The BFG
      39.  Paid off 100% of my debt
      40. Did 40 random acts of kindness

    Bonus things done that didn't make the list

    -Wrote my name on a bathroom wall in Destin, Florida
    -Had dinner in the National Archives in Washington DC
    -Had a custom cocktail created at the Alchemy Bar on the Carnival Magic
    -Tried a Shio Salt Room at the Aria in Las Vegas
    -Got a cupcake from the Cupcake ATM in Las Vegas
    -Drove on Route 66
    -Tried a Ganbanyoku Stone bed at the Aria in Las Vegas
    - Tried Chop Chae Korean noodle dish in Grapevine Texas

    As I sit here with an hour left before I turn 40 and look over this list I can't help but smile. So many of these moments happened with no pre-planning. They just happened and each of them made an impact in my life.

    I am so thankful to my Husband who supported my ideas and just nodded when I throughout all the crazy things I was going to do. I am pretty sure there were moments when John wasn't sure what I was going to suggest next.

    I am so thankful to my parents who joined me on a few of these and let me surprise them. I am so thankful to the amazing friends that helped me along the way. And to the destinations that supported me in my quest to try new things while visiting them.

    Today I am 40 and today I start a new journey! I am not sure what it will be but I know it will be amazing. This 40 before 40 adventure/challenge/goal/dream truly made me realize that when you put your mind towards something, when you set goals, and when you dream anything is possible!

     

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    About Tammilee

    Lifestyle blogger who travels the world and drinks too much Chai tea. Travel blogger, award winning photographer, sunset hunter, Birkenstock girl, bird nerd
    You can find Tammilee on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Danielle Smith

      August 20, 2016 at 12:20 pm

      I love your list. I love all of the new experiences you embraced and how much LIFE you enjoyed. And I'm thrilled I was there for a few of them. Happy 40th, my friend. Welcome to the best decade. xoxo

      Reply
      • Tammilee

        August 20, 2016 at 1:58 pm

        You are amazing! I am so thankful and blessed to have you in my life! I am also so glad you joined me on a few of these adventures. I don't know how Belize Cave Tubing would have gone without you!

        Reply
    2. Kim Tracy Prince

      August 20, 2016 at 10:46 am

      This is fantastic, Tammilee! When I turned forty I did the opposite and made a list of all the things I had done to that point. More of a celebration of what had gone before than a goal for the future. Kind of the lazy way out! But it was a great exercise to look back and pick out things in my life that were especially remarkable to me. They could be as insignificant to others as "made a strawberry cake" but to me they were meaningful. I can see that your life has been very adventurous!

      Reply
      • Tammilee

        August 20, 2016 at 2:01 pm

        I love that you looked back on what all you have accomplished. I feel like some days we go so fast that we forget to really celebrate the amazing things we do. I think making a strawberry cake is huge. I really want to learn to make macarons and croissants.

        Reply
    3. Kim

      August 19, 2016 at 9:34 am

      40 happens to the best of us! You sure did enjoy your year! I have enjoyed your adventures! Happy Birthday my friend!

      Reply
      • Tammilee

        August 20, 2016 at 1:58 pm

        Thank you so much! It is hard to believe that the year is done. Now I need to decide on what my next goal list is. This one was so fun to work on.

        Reply
    4. Freda

      August 18, 2016 at 11:49 am

      Happy birthday!

      Reply
      • Tammilee

        August 20, 2016 at 1:58 pm

        Thank you so much!!!!!

        Reply

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