Four years to go…

It is now only four years until my 40th birthday and hopefully in this time I will have completed all the items on my #40Before40 list.

One year into the challenge I have completed 4 out of the 40 challenges. This sounds disappointing but several of the challenges are well underway and should be completed sooner rather than later.

The challenges I have already completed are:

• Enter a photography competition
• Go to the Opera
• Go vegan for 3 months
• Watch a series of 24 in 24 hours

Here is an update of where I am with the rest of the as-yet incomplete challenges:

1. Pass C2 Goethe German exam – planned for November 2018. My life is currently a sea of German verbs, Grammar and practice exam papers and I am motivated so that I don’t have to take any more German lessons after the start of November.
2. Visit 40 countries in Europe – visited 26 out of 40 and at least two more visits planned before the end of 2018.
3. Go paragliding
4. Enter a photography competition – completed on 16.01.2018
5. Write my will and plan my funeral
6. (Re)Learn the flute
7. Go alcohol-free for a year
8. Watch every movie on iMDB Top 250 Films list – watched 120 out of 250
9. Write a novel (at least 50,000 words) – I have a number of ideas that I am currently working on and then I just need to chain myself to a chair and write.
10. Beat at least one of my running PBs for 10k, 10 miles, half marathon or marathon – I have been struggling with a knee injury for most of this year so unfortunately I will have to try to complete this next year and hopefully my knee will be fit enough to get me round quickly enough
11. Read the Bible cover to cover
12. Go to the Opera – completed on 04.07.2018
13. See the Northern Lights
14. Go vegan for 3 months – completed on 15.07.2018
15. Have something that I have written published
16. Save money for a rainy day
17. Write a diary for a year – currently in progress
18. Take a Hot Air Balloon ride
19. Take part in an Ultra race – I was hoping to do this in 2019 but with the knee injury that I have had in 2018, I might have to wait until 2020
20. Throw a birthday party for myself
21. Watch a series of 24 in 24 hours – completed on 25.11.2017
22. Learn how to wolf whistle
23. Try snowboarding
24. Take an overnight sleeper train
25. Cook every recipe from one cookbook – currently in progress – completed 60 out of 100 recipes
26. Learn how to fold 40 origami designs
27. Read 40 novels in German – read 6 out of 40
28. Take a wine degustation course
29. Read The 40 Books Every Woman Should Read – read 15 out of 40
30. Solve a Rubik cube – currently in progress
31. Take up a new sport
32. Catch, cook and eat a fish
33. Make an item of clothing to wear
34. Stop biting my nails
35. Read 40 non-fiction books –  read 6 out of 40
36. Fly long-haul business class
37. Have a haircut at least 4 times a year – this is in progress but I am not going to tell you every time I have a haircut! That would be far too boring to read about!
38. Be able to touch my toes
39. Downsize – get rid of anything I don’t need or want by selling, giving away or donating
40. Start and maintain my own travel website – the planning for this is well underway and I am hoping to go live in early 2019

Slow and steady progress – I will get there in the end!

Tags: 40Before40, books, Challenges, inspiration, life, list, movies, progress, reflections, travel, update