35 By 35: My plan to be awesome in 5 years or less
A couple months back I turned 30. Like it or not, resist it or embrace it, at least from a numerological standpoint it is a serious milestone. About three weeks prior to my birthday, I was talking to my younger sister and she mentioned that she had finished putting together her 30 by 30 list, a list of 30 things she wanted to accomplish by the time she reached my venerable age.
Naturally, I wanted to put together a similar list, but I realized that I would have to accomplish something awesome every day (and two some days) for the rest of the time before my birthday. Rather than pigeonhole myself into 30 pieces of low-hanging fruit, I decided to give myself another 5 years and create a 35 by 35 list. Strangely, it has taken from then until now to complete the list (maybe the list itself should have been on the list? meta.).
Without further ado, by 35 I hope to...
- Surf in the Pacific
- Live abroad
- See the Aurora (either one)
- Automate all of my income
- Speak basic conversational Spanish
- Boulder V8 outdoors
- Redpoint 5.13a outdoors
- Learn to ride a motorcycle
- Cook a whole pig
- Read all of Terry Pratchett
- Build a beautiful piece of furniture
- Finish the LA Times PoMo list
- Finish the Time book list
- Finish the AFI Top 100
- Kill, dress, clean, and eat an animal
- Play music for money
- Write some songs I really like
- Run a sub-20:00 5k
- Brew an excellent beer
- Complete a beer mile
- Learn to serve a tennis ball
- Play Chopin op. 48 on the piano (this will be nigh-impossible)
- Go to Cuba
- Ride in a helicopter
- Eat at a 3 Michelin star restaurant
- Learn to sail; sail on a long trip
- Get a fully tailored suit
- Play a full game of Diplomacy in person
- Finish the Sight and Sound top 250
- Climb a big wall and sleep on a portaledge
- Finish a whole NYT Sunday crossword in a single sitting
- Start another startup
- Close the Heavy Grips 250lb gripper
- Be part of a successful startup exit
- Go one full calendar month without buying anything
Maybe this post will keep me hungry, who knows. Wish me luck!