Three years ago, my life literally changed for the better after I made a 30-Before-30 Bucket List (here) and slowly picked away at it.

On it, I put things that were FUN, creative, and challenging. None of them were strictly "goal" related, but they all had an element of something that scared me, from a little to a lot.

This list inspired me to try again and not let the "one day I will" thinking continue to get in the way of me actually trying. Alongside that was the "I don't have the time, money, energy" thinking.

Making 30 new recipes that year truly did make me a better person. And another thing on that list? Start a blog. Which led to my podcast! You never know where doing SOMETHING will take you.

It's time for me to do this again, and it's a big part of our focus this month, "New Year, New YOU!" Here is where you can get a free printable and brainstorm your own list, but below I've included my finalized list, if it's helpful.

A few tips: I have found that I like attaching some numbers to a few items because it makes it more fun to slowing check things off. If you don't know where to start, think about your childhood and things you used to love to do but stopped. Or things as an adult you've always wanted to try, but haven't gotten around to.

Monica's DO SOMETHING Bucket List 

(below this is the same list, updated with what I've done so far)

1. Read/Listen to 50 books
2. Go on 12 out-of-the-house ADVENTUROUS (read: new-to-us) dates with Brad (we'll also do a weekly date night, but they'll mostly do our tried-and-true favorites)
3. Take a "Mom's Day:" My husband stays home with the kids and I do whatever I want for the entire day. My last one was two years ago, and it was wonderful.
4. Swim 40 times
5. Do a "Pastry Crawl" in SF with friends
6. Go to an art museum with other adults
7. Attend a regular dance class
8. Perform in church 3 times
9. Speak 10 times (in church or outside it at workshops and conferences)
10. Paint something!
11. Complete courses I signed up for
12. Go on a real trip with Brad
13. Go on an overnighter with Brad
14. Attend the temple 5 times
15. Try 10 new restaurants
16. Do 5 new hikes
17. Complete a trail run race (because it's mostly hiking)
18. Sign up for flute lessons / Practice flute
19. Go on 30 "field trips" with kids
20. Bake 15 challenging things I've never tried (croissants, I'm coming for you!)
21. Organize 20 areas/20 household tasks I've put off
22. Hike Mount Tam
23. Go to Yosemite
24. Go camping as a family
25. Wear a fancy dress for something
26. Take a masterclass on acting
27. Try out for a local play
28. Get a road bike
29. Carry around a sketchbook--do 30 sketches
30. Go on an overnighter with girlfriends

Get your free printable HERE and share what you're up to ON THE PODCAST!!!!

What I've Accomplished So FAR (updated 2/11/19)

1. Read/Listen to 50 books
   1. Every Note Played
   2. Paris and Other Short Stories by JoJo Mayes
   3. Silver Bay by JoJo Mayes
   4. Mother's Milk by Rachel Hunt Steenblik
   5. One on the Seesaw by Carl Lyn Pearson
   6. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
   7. The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines
   8. Make Your Bed by Willian H. Mcraven
   9. The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes
   10. Calypso by David Sedaris
   11. The Happiness Paradox/Paradigm by Richard Eyre
   12. Silent Souls Weeping by Jane Clayson Johnson
   13. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
   14. Solve for Happy by Mo Gawdit
   15. Girl Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis
   16. Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
   17. Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff
   18. Hamilton Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeremy McCarter
   19. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
   20. A Higher Loyalty by James Comey
   21. David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell
   22. The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
   23. Hunger by Roxanne Gay
   24. I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott
   25. Rosemary by Kate Clifford Larson
   26. China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan
   27. Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan
   28. Essentialism by Greg McKeown
   29. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
   30. For the Love by Jen Hatmaker
   31. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
   32. Surprise Me with Sophie Kinsella
   33. Boundaries by Henry Cloud
   34. What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton
   35. The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker
   36. My No So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella
   37. Book on special need my kid is facing (prefer to keep it private)
   38. Winter Garden by
   39.  
2. Go on 12 out-of-the-house ADVENTUROUS (read: new-to-us) dates with Brad:
   1. Attended a concert with choir from Yale
   2. Got massages at a reflexology place
   3. Hosted a game night with a few other couples
   4. Went To Hamilton!
   5. Got Indian food at a new place on my birthday
   6. Went to Zachary's with my sister (ha!)
   7. Temple and dinner
3. Take a "Mom's Day:"
   1. I did it! On my birthday I spent the whole day by myself and did whatever I want. It entailed getting a delicious pastry, walking around a local reservoir while listening to the Cold podcast, going to Whole Foods for lunch, then working at the library for a bit.
4. Swim 40 times (Done: 1/5/19 and 1/12/19--then I got ear infections that kept me out of the pool; 2/2/19, 2/9/19, 2/16/19, 2/23/19, 3/2/19, 3/9/29, (skip two months because of bathroom remodel and not having equipment and then traveling), Swam FOUR times in May, Three times in June, and Four times in July (19 time total up to this point), Three times in August (22), Sept 1st/5th (24, total), 6 times between October-November (30 total), Swam 3 times in December (33 total)
5. Do a "Pastry Crawl" in SF with friends
6. Go to an art museum with other adults
7. Attend a regular dance class
   1. I've started!
   2. I'm going to count the dance group I was part of. We practiced weekly for four months.
8. Perform in church 3 times
   1. Lamb of God (four performances, so..... I might count that)
   2. Accompanied a song with my flute
   3. Accompanied another song with my flute
9. Speak 10 times (in church or outside it at workshops and conferences)
   1. Berkeley Singles Ward
   2. Stake Women's Conference
   3. ALT round table
   4. ALT round table, round two
   5. Rediscover You Workshop
   6. Relief Society activity on sleep
   7. Girls Camp
   8. Faith Conference in Oakland
   9. Happier than Skinny Wellness Retreat
   10. Rediscover You Workshop!
10. Paint!
    1. Painted at a friend's home! It was so fun!
11. Complete some online courses
    1. Amy Porterfield's on course launch
    2. Mayes Team on Instagram
    3. Cathy Heller Webinar
12. Go on a real trip with Brad
    1. We had a lovely 4 days in Austin, TX. I want to go back!
13. Go on an overnighter with Brad
    • Went to Hamilton in SF and stayed at the Palace!
14. Attend the temple 5 times
    1. Went in January
    2. Went in March
    3. Open house in May
    4. Brad and I attended in August
15. Try 10 new restaurants
    1. Taco Place in SF
    2. New Pastry place in Lafayette
    3. Vitality Bowl (does this count?)
    4. Dinner from hotel restaurant at Riviera (again, can this count?)
    5. Tried Pei Wei for the first time at an airport (ha!)
    6. Smash Burger in Vegas
    7. New Indian restaurant in a local town
    8. Broderick's (local American food)
    9. BBQ Place in Austin
    10. Protein Factory in Utah
16. Do 5 new hikes
    1. Above Palm Springs
    2. Hike around Lake in McCall
    3. Long hike around Briones
    4. Mussel Trail in Pacifica
    5. Hike above Austin
17. Complete a trail run race (because it's mostly hiking)
18. Sign up for flute lessons / practice flute
    • I've been taking lessons for a few months!
    • I got to perform in a production for Lamb of God! Practiced a ton for it.
19. Go on 30 "field trips" with kids.
    1. Lawrence Hall of Science 1/1/19
    2. Oakland Zoo 1/2/19
    3. Oakland Zoo 1/7/19
    4. Monterey Bay Aquarium 1/12/19
    5. Monterey Bay Aquarium 2/2/19
    6. SF Farmer's market with the kids 2/24/19
    7. Oakland Zoo (March)
    8. Farmer's Market again (April)
    9. Lands End Hike (April)
    10. Lawrence Hall of Science (April)
    11. Crissy Field as a family (May)
    12. Field trip to city with daughter (May)
    13. Lawrence Hall of Science (June)
    14. Oakland Zoo (June)
    15. Hap Magee Splash Pad (June)
    16. Central Park Splash Pad (June)
    17. Oakland Zoo (July)
    18. Breakfast hike as a family (July)
    19. Oakland Zoo (July)
    20. Central Park Splash Pad (July)
    21. Mccall, Idaho as a family! Canoe as a family (July)
    22. River Rafting with half of kids (July)
    23. Splash Pad (many more times than this)
    24. Hiking with Mimi and Papa
    25. Zoo (a few more times in August and September)
    26. (failed trip--we went home) to an indoor play area
    27. Donuts and Playing at an Elementary
    28. Walking around the reservoir
    29. Went to the Zoo
    30. Went to the Lawrence Hall of Science
    31. Visited Dad in the City
20. Bake 20 challenging things I've never tried (croissants, I'm coming for you!)
    1. Tartine's Brownies 1/5/19
    2. Tartine's Croissants 1/20/19!!
    3. Tartine's Eclairs (1/26/19)
    4. Tartine's Lemon Cream Tart (2/10/19)
    5. Cake by Courtney's Carrot Apricot cake (April)
    6. Cake by Courtney's Grasshopper cake (May)
    7. Rainbow Cake (July)
    8. Chocolate Chip Pie (November)
21. Organize 20 areas/20 household tasks I've put off.
    1. Boxes next to Brad's bed
    2. Organized boxes above in garage
    3. Washed indoor and outdoor decorative pillow cases
    4. Switched out and organized baby's clothes
    5. Printed off photos for hallway and installed them
    6. Mailed cards that needed to
    7. Brad's childhood things organized
    8. Put baby stuff in garage
    9. Donated Girl clothes
    10. Reorganized the bathroom
    11. Organized the hall closet
    12. Went through my closet
    13. Organized boy's toys and clothes
    14. Went through daughter's clothes and closet
    15. Patched all the nail holes throughout the house
    16. Weeded the backyard
    17. Replaced dead plants outside + added soil
    18. Organized Pantry
    19. Organized boys' closet
    20. Purged boys' toys
    21. Organized my dresser and closet
    22. Donated items
    23. Cleaned out boy's dresser
    24. Bear's closet cleaned out + drawers in room
    25. Painted trim around interior of house
    26. Spot painted interior walls
    27. Painted bathroom and hall
    28. Spot painted boy's room
    29. Repainted kitchen cabinets
    30. Painted exterior of home
22. Hike Mount Tam
    1. Altering this--I hiked Dipsea Trail with friends
23. Go to Yosemite
24. Go camping as a family
25. Wear a fancy dress for something
26. Take a masterclass on acting
    1. We signed up! I started one class. Time to finish it!
27. Try out for a local play
28. Get a road bike
    1. This is in motion! I picked it out. Just waiting to save enough money.
29. Carry around a sketchbook--do 30 sketches
30. Go on an overnighter with girlfriends