Honestly, we fall for it all the time: overnight success is possible.

I refuse to believe this anymore. Anyone who looks like they have an overnight success either worked their bums off for it for a long time, OR that "success" didn't stick around (which in my mind, isn't a real success).

Why am I talking about this? Because the SMALL things that we do really, really matter.

Making my own list of 30 Before 30 (a bucket list of 30 things I wanted to do before I turned 30) TOTALLY changed my life. But I can only recognize that now four years later.

I had no idea if any of it "mattered." I wasn't sure where I wanted life to take me; I wasn't even sure who I was any more.

So I made a list of things full of things I was missing in my life, things I was drawn to, what I wanted to learn about, experience, and explore. It was not a list of goals--it was a list of ways I wanted to grow my soul.

All of it was simple stuff: make 30 new recipes, go on 10 dates with my husband, start a blog, etc. (You can see the original list here.)

Not on my list: start a podcast, grow a community that is focused on self-development, become a growth coach, teach online, etc.

You NEVER know where the little things will take you. You won't be able to guess what the end is from the beginning. And all of the small ways we allow ourselves to develop, to stretch ourselves, to lean into our interests are what make us full, whole women who have so much more to give.

That's what I've learned from creating my own Do Something Plans.

I am going to challenge you to make your own in 2020. There is no "perfect" formula for this; nor do you have to cross off every single one on your list.

The transformation lies in the process, not the outcome.

That being said, I have a framework for you that you can learn about by listening to THIS EPISODE.

I'd also recommend leaning away from goals (habit formation, achievements you want to have, systems you will improve, etc.) and more into the "impractical" but still very important ways of stretching yourself. Do something that scares you.

Below is my plan for 2020; and below that, I'll document how it goes for me. My list from 2019 shows you that perfection doesn't exist, but it also shows you just how much you can do when you open the doors to develop who you are, outside of goal-making (which is also great!).

Monica's Do Something Plan for 2020

I've decided to make this year's plan themed, as well. It'll be my year of CREATIVITY, which is something I have been lacking a lot. That means much of this plan will center around stretching my creativity (numbers 14-onward). Make your plan fill what you are missing!

(note, this list is the original, but COVID-19 shifted priorities. The edited listed is below.)

1. Read 50 Books
2. Visit Yosemite as a family
3. Go on 2 family trips
4. Go on 2 over-nighters with Brad
5. Take 1 trip with Brad
6. Start a monthly Hiking Club
7. Run a race
8. Go on 10 trail-runs
9. Get a road bike
10. Participate in a triathlon
11. Go camping as a family
12. Wear a fancy dress
13. Try 10 new ice cream flavors
14. Try out for a play
15. Complete 10 masterclasses
16. Perform on stage
17. Attend a regular dance class
18. Perform in church 3 times
19. Have a paint-night (or paint, myself)
20. Draw in a sketch-book
21. Write poems in a notebook I carry around
22. Write for MYSELF (was going to write a book in 2020, but thinking I need a year of writing, period)
23. Buy and learn how to play the ukulele
24. Learn how to play and sing classics (like the Beatles) and cover current pop songs
25. Bake 20 new challenging recipes
26. Learn 5 new songs on the flute
27. Learn how to be a better story-teller
28. Attend a ceramics class/night

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1. Read 50 Books
2. Visit a National Park as a family
3. Go on 2 family trips
4. Go on 2 over-nighters with Brad
5. Take 1 trip with Brad
6. Start a monthly Hiking Club
7. Go on 10 trail-runs
8. Get a road bike
9. Go camping as a family
10. Wear a fancy dress
11. Try 10 new ice cream flavors
12. Complete 10 masterclasses
13. Have a paint-night (or paint, myself)
14. WATERCOLOR!
15. Write for MYSELF (was going to write a book in 2020, but thinking I need a year of writing, period)
16. Buy and learn how to play the ukulele
17. Learn how to play and sing classics (like the Beatles) and cover current pop songs
18. Bake 20 new challenging recipes
19. Learn 5 new songs on the flute
20. Learn how to be a better story-teller

Documentation of Plan for 2020

1. Read 50 Books
   1. Ask Again, Yes
   2. Present Over Perfect
   3. Educated
   4. Everything I Never Told You
   5. How Successful People Think
   6. Make Today Count
   7. The Good Neighbor
   8. Code Girls
   9. The Bookshop on the Corner
   10. Boundaries
   11. A Man Called Ove
   12. Commonwealth
   13. Grit
   14. Catch and Kill
   15. Where'd You Go, Bernadette
   16. The Moment of Lift
   17. Where the Crawdads Sing
   18. The Last Days of Night
   19. The Librarian of Auschwitz
   20. The Giver of Stars
   21. Becoming
   22. The Tattooist of Auschwitz
   23. The Alice Network
   24. The Year of Less
   25. Nine Perfect Strangers
   26. City of Girls
   27. The Hate U Give
   28. White Fragility
   29. Come As You Are
   30. Untamed
   31. The Dutch House
   32. You Are a Badass
   33. The Body
   34. Year of Wonders
   35. So You Want to Talk About Race
   36. Daisy Jones and the Six
   37. The Gifts of Imperfection
   38. What Every Autistic Girl Wants Her Parents to Know
   39. Before We Were Yours
   40. The Book of Mormon
   41. American Dirt
   42. Indistractable
   43. Dare to Lead
   44. The Winter Garden Mystery
   45. A Place For Us
   46. The Silent Patient
   47. The Alchemist
   48. Death at Wentwater Court
   49. The Royal We
   50. Finding Freedom
   51. Rodham
   52. One to Watch
   53. The Huntress
   54. Atomic Habits
   55. The Book of Longings
   56. Beach Read
   57. Requim for a Mezzo
   58. Womenly Anatomy of Arousal
   59. Olive, Again
   60. American Royals
   61. Born a Crime
   62. Finding Mother God
   63. Murder on the Flying Scotsman
   64. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F---
   65. Battle of Brothers
   66. I'm Still Here
   67. The Heir Affair
   68. Hillbilly Elegy
   69. The Light We Lost
   70. HRH, so many thoughts
   71. I Declare
   72. Majesty
   73. Saints, Vol. 2
   74. Tiny Habits
   75. Stillness is the Key
   76. The Guest List
   77. (It felt sooo good to do this! I adore reading again, and it's wonderful. I have big plans for reading and sharing more formally about it in 2021...)
2. Visit a national park with a family
   Going to count allllll the many regional parks we went to this year.
3. Go on 2 family trips
   1. Not super interesting, but we went to McCall with my family and to visit my in-laws back in CA in December . . . counting it, 2020!
4. Go on 2 over-nighters with Brad
   1. Stayed in SF and went to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
   2. Nope, COVID.
5. Take 1 trip with Brad
   1. Nope, COVID
6. Start a monthly Hiking Club
   1. Nope, COVID.
   2. BUUUUUT, MY KIDS AND I HIKED LIKE A MILLION MILES
7. Go on 10 trail-runs
   1. Blew this one out of the park!
8. Get a road bike
   1. Nope, COVID and moving . . . Next year!
9. Go camping as a family
   1. Nope, COVID
10. Wear a fancy dress
    1. Nope, COVID
11. Try 10 new ice cream flavors
    1. Tillamook mint chocolate chip ice cream (10/10!)
    2. I don't think I tried nearly enough, but let's call it at 5 new flavors
12. Complete 10 masterclasses
    1. I have done 5, and several other online classes I signed up for!
13. Have a paint-night (or paint, myself)
    1. Painted with my kids instead of friends. (COVID)
14. WATERCOLOR
    1. I DID ITTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!! I took a free watercoloring class online, alongside some ladies in the Strive Hive. It was a blast!
15. Write for MYSELF (was going to write a book in 2020, but thinking I need a year of writing, period)
    1. Been writing a few pieces for my writing class online
    2. Thennnnn COVID and I could barely keep my head above water.
16. Buy and learn how to play the ukulele
    1. Purchased!
    2. DID IT!!! Again, took a free class on youtube and did it alongside gals from the Strive Hive
17. Learn how to play and sing classics (like the Beatles) and cover current pop songs
    1. found a great app and have been doing this!!!
    2. So fun!
18. Bake 20 new challenging recipes
    1. Made sourdough from my own starter!
    2. Croissants
    3. 7-layer cake
    4. All things sourdough
    5. Moving and not having access to my usual oven/materials shifted this, but I've transplanted this to 2021.
19. Learn 5 new songs on the flute
    1. Nope.
20. Learn how to be a better story-teller
    1. I think this is more of a goal than a Do Something . . . Lesson Learned.