Today I turn 37 years old. While every year is a gift, 37 isn’t much of a milestone. It’s not 35 and it’s not 40.
When I look to the year ahead, I want to be sure I continue to live my best life and make choices that will better my world and the world of the people around me.
Setting Intentions
Every week my family sets intentions. Usually, during Sunday brunch or dinner, we’ll go around the table and we’ll say what our intentions, or goals, are for the week. I’m a big believer in writing down your goals or saying them out loud to someone else. Doing this will hold you accountable. I’ve found I’m more likely to stick to my goals and achieve them when I’ve brought them to life on paper and/or have an accountability partner to help me stay committed.
37 Things to Do When You Turn 37
Taking this same weekly goal-setting philosophy, I really started to think about my intentions for the year. Thus, I present to you my list (in no particular order) of 37 things to do when you turn 37:
1.Volunteer: At your kid’s school, a non-profit, a political organization. Donate your time and skills.
2. Start, or join a book club: If you’re looking for ways to read more being a part of a book club is a great motivator. Feel free to join my virtual book club!
3. Go on vacation solo: Traveling for work doesn’t count. Take a vacation alone. Leave your significant other home with the fam. Miraval Spa in Tuscon is a great place to travel sans others. It could also be as easy as taking an overnight trip to a nearby B&B or a staycation at a local hotel.
4. Go on a silent retreat: Silence is golden. Get in touch with your inner-self by shutting up for a little while.
5. Meditate: Meditation reduces stress, increases calmness and clarity and promotes happiness. All good things, right? There are so many apps now to help teach you the basics and guide. My husband uses Headspace. I’m a big fan of Insight Timer.
6. Get a physical: If you’ve been putting off a trip to the doctor because you feel fine the time is now to get ahead. Early screenings and regular check-ins with the doc can help avoid bigger issues down the road.
7. Buy season tickets to the theater, opera or symphony: Get some culture in your life and support the arts.
8. Buy new bras: It’s embarrassing how long I waited to get new bras. Here’s the deal, bra technology changes and your boobs do too! Your clothes will look better and you’ll feel more supported.
9. Buy new underwear: Toss the ratty cotton undies. Wearing a beautiful pair of panties can do wonders for the self-esteem.
10. Get a cookbook that excites you and try every recipe: You’ll save money and eat healthier if you cook at home. Invite your spouse and other family members to cook with you and make it a fun activity to do together.
11. One day a week turn your email, social media and other alerts off and stay away from your phone: Stepping away from your phone will help you re-engage with the beautiful world around you. Stop looking down and start looking ahead.
12. Travel somewhere you’ve never been: A new environment can do wonders for your creativity, state of mind and mood. Stepping outside your world every once in a while will make you appreciate the things you have, or recognize the things you need to change.
13. Keep a journal: Write it down. The funny things your kids say, that crazy dream you had last night, what you are grateful for today. The Five Minute Journal: A Happier You in 5 Minutes a Day is a great way to kickstart your writing habit.
14. Print your photos: It’s super awesome we get to carry every single photo we take around with us wherever we go, but be sure to print out the ones that are extra special. Try an app like Chatbooks, which allows you to make photo albums without the time and effort from your social accounts. You can set up your parameters and it will instantly make beautiful books for you.
15. Try a new fitness class: Breakout of your workout rut. From SoulCycle to Barry’s Bootcamp, there are so many fitness class options. Get yourself a Classpass and try something new every once in a while. You’ll push yourself and shaking up your routine is good for your muscles.
16. Throw a party for no reason: You can party like it’s your birthday, but it doesn’t really have to be. People love a good party and this will give you a good excuse to put your new cooking skills to the test (or you can just cater, whatever).
17. Go vegan for a week: Have you watched What the Health on Netflix yet? Okay, watch that and then you’ll definitely want to skip meat for a week. Seriously though, feeding your body fruits, veggies and plant-based proteins will have you feeling great. Clean eating does a body (mind, skin, heart, etc.) good.
18. Make reservations at a popular new restaurant way in advance: Do you always feel like you’re out of the loop on the new dining hot spots? Don’t get left in the dust. Pick a few restaurants that are always packed and snag a res for a few weeks out. It will be booked on your calendar and you’ll have something to look forward to.
19. See a psychic, astrologer or medium: You may just learn a thing or two about your past, present or future. I can guarantee you’ll have a lot of fun.
20. Write a real letter and mail it to a friend you haven’t talked with in a while: When was the last time you received good old fashioned correspondence in the post? What a delight it would be to receive such a surprise in the mail.
21. Grow your hair long (or cut your hair short): If you don’t have the patience for elongating your locks, throw in some temporary extensions. Have some fun with your look. You may discover a new style.
22. Moisturize: Keep your skin hydrated and glowing.
23. Wear sunscreen: Every day!
24. Say “no” more: In the age of over-scheduling, stop saying yes to every dinner, play date, birthday party, etc. It’s good to lay low, relax and give yourself and family some down time.
25. Hydrate: Drink half your body weight in water every day.
26. Go to bed earlier: We are actually killing ourselves with lack of sleep. Get 7-8 hours of zzz’s every night.
27. Stretch: If yoga is not your thing simply stretch.
28. Put all of your family’s electronics on airplane mode every night: See number 26.
29. Clean out your closet: If you always feel like you have a ton of clothes and nothing to wear then it is time to purge. If you haven’t worn it in a year donate it.
30. Start a pay it forward chain at Starbucks: Next time you’re going through the drive-thru line pay for the drink order of the car behind you. Hopefully, they will pay it forward and so on.
31. Practice self-care: Pick one night of the week and run a bath, give yourself a facial and have a glass of wine. Take a little bit of time for yourself.
32. Floss: If you don’t floss regularly then start right now. Your gums are the gateway to your health.
33. Vote: Not just in the big national elections. Anytime you can exercise your right to vote you should. Local elections actually impact your day to day life more than you think.
34. Get Your eyebrows on point: Schedule a session with an esthetician who specializes in eyebrows. You’d be surprised how much of a difference shaping your eyebrows correctly can change the entire composition of your face.
35. Fix something that has been broken for a while: Is there something in your house, or even on your body, that hasn’t been working properly for a long time? Now is the time to get it repaired.
36. Do one thing that scares you every day: Personal growth does not happen from doing the same things over and over again.
37. Stop giving a fuck what other people think: Life’s too short to worry about if other people are judging you. Be you. Be happy. Be amazing.
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