#40 Write a letter to my 40 year old self
Item 40 on the list was to write a letter to my 40 year old self, then respond to it when I'm 40 - I've done the 30 year old part of this task, so I'm going to mark it complete for now.
The main point of the letter was to record how I feel about entering my 30s so that I could read it on my 40th birthday and see how far I've come in 10 years.
This evening I was particularly inspired and rapid fire typed out a four page letter to my 40 year old self. I thought about this past summer how I agonized over both (1) turning 30 as a milestone and (2) more generally wondering what else I had to accomplish with my life. (Note that this list/blog is this is a perfect example of how I’m so accomplishment driven that I had to make a meta "to do" list to give myself a purpose!)
In the letter, I have documented some of my 30 year old angst as well as the many things in my life for which I am grateful. I particularly want to mention my husband, parents, brother, cousin Gretchen, Grandma, Emily, Maggie, Lauren G., and Marguerite, who were all so supportive this summer as I worked through mentally preparing for my 30s and who reminded me that no person has it all figured out yet.
As one of these people noted to me: "You know, people survived the Holocaust." I took that to mean that I need to count more of my blessings and worry less about the little things!
Another great thought shared with me was: "This is life." Simply put, they mean that the present moment is your life. You can wish for the past or yearn for the future, but your life is happening right now and you should be present, deal with it, and enjoy it as much as you can.
I've also given myself some personal challenges for the next ten years, which will remain secret in the letter and not on the public list for now. Who knows, maybe some will pop up as BONUS items in the coming years :P
At the end of this list and the decade, I am still planning to write another letter to reflect on what I've learned and accomplished in my 30s and figure out where I want to go in my 40s - perhaps creating fodder for a 50 before 50 list. I’m now also considering if I should make this letter writing an annual ritual in my 30s where I check in each year around my birthday to jot out what is on my mind... so check back for future updates on item #40!
Item 40 Completed 10/15/18
4/41 items complete = 9.7%
The main point of the letter was to record how I feel about entering my 30s so that I could read it on my 40th birthday and see how far I've come in 10 years.
This evening I was particularly inspired and rapid fire typed out a four page letter to my 40 year old self. I thought about this past summer how I agonized over both (1) turning 30 as a milestone and (2) more generally wondering what else I had to accomplish with my life. (Note that this list/blog is this is a perfect example of how I’m so accomplishment driven that I had to make a meta "to do" list to give myself a purpose!)
In the letter, I have documented some of my 30 year old angst as well as the many things in my life for which I am grateful. I particularly want to mention my husband, parents, brother, cousin Gretchen, Grandma, Emily, Maggie, Lauren G., and Marguerite, who were all so supportive this summer as I worked through mentally preparing for my 30s and who reminded me that no person has it all figured out yet.
As one of these people noted to me: "You know, people survived the Holocaust." I took that to mean that I need to count more of my blessings and worry less about the little things!
Another great thought shared with me was: "This is life." Simply put, they mean that the present moment is your life. You can wish for the past or yearn for the future, but your life is happening right now and you should be present, deal with it, and enjoy it as much as you can.
 |
| Happy Hour at Grandma's - it was wonderful to spend time with wiser women than I! |
I've also given myself some personal challenges for the next ten years, which will remain secret in the letter and not on the public list for now. Who knows, maybe some will pop up as BONUS items in the coming years :P
At the end of this list and the decade, I am still planning to write another letter to reflect on what I've learned and accomplished in my 30s and figure out where I want to go in my 40s - perhaps creating fodder for a 50 before 50 list. I’m now also considering if I should make this letter writing an annual ritual in my 30s where I check in each year around my birthday to jot out what is on my mind... so check back for future updates on item #40!
Item 40 Completed 10/15/18
4/41 items complete = 9.7%
Comments
Post a Comment