It's my birthday on Thursday, so I'm almost 12 months into my "Before 30" challenge, with 24 months to go. That means it's time for another update. Just like last time, I'll use green for finished items and pink for progress since the last update (July).
| Previous 6 July 2010 | Latest 6 Jan 2011 | |
| Academic | ||
| Complete my PhD | Transferred to full PhD status on January 21st | Conducted the first set of experiments. |
| Publish in an academic journal | Not started | |
| Present at a conference | One unsuccessful submission in 2009 | Presenting a short paper next week! |
| Home | ||
| Install a woodburning stove | Not started | Had the fireplace rebuilt, and purchased stove. |
| Redecorate the house | Got some quotes. | Carpentry & plastering done. Waiting for new carpets. |
| Install solar water heating | Not started | |
| Build raised vegetable beds | Not started | |
| Travel | ||
| Go to Greenland | June 2010 | |
| Visit the southern hemisphere | Probably New Zealand in 2011 | Pushed back to 2012 due to work on the house. |
| Have visited 30 countries | Started at 20; up to 22 by July. | Up to 23: added The Netherlands |
| Writing & Speaking | ||
| Have a novel published | Decided to DIY my first book, to great reviews so far | |
| Finish the Charanthe series | Rebellion (vol 1) complete & edited | About half way through writing Revolution (vol 2), and 13k words into Reformation (vol 3) |
| Finish writing one standalone novel | Odd first-drafts lying around | |
| Record and podcast an audiobook | Done some test recordings | |
| Have articles printed in 10 different publications | 1/10 so far; a few further queries ignored. | Sent out a few more queries. |
| Average 5,000 hits a month on my blog | Started ~1,500, avg. ~2,200 in early 2010 | Over the past six months the average is ~4,100 |
| Get a slot on the local radio station | Took a short course in radio production and broadcasting | |
| Take at least 5 public speaking engagements | Found a couple of leads for possible bookings | One confirmed. |
| Crafts & Skills | ||
| Hand-knit a jumper or cardigan for myself | Knit myself a cardigan | |
| Learn embroidery | Started learning | Continued with my flag project |
| Learn 10 new juggling tricks | Not started | |
| Use manual camera settings most of the time | Currently rather erratic | |
| Get my Guiding warrant | Around 1/4 done | |
| Develop a board game | Made an initial prototype (lots of work still to do!) | |
| Make all my own Christmas cards | About half were hand-made in 2009 | Complete in 2010 |
So out of 25 goals, that's 3 completed, which sounds quite bad apart from the fact that so many of these things are necessarily running incrementally and in parallel. Personally, I'm really happy with my progress, and delighted to find that having specific goals really is encouraging me to work on them with fewer (I won't say no) distractions. The next progress update will be around 6th July 2011.
21 comments:
I've been looking forward to seeing this. Well done so far.=)
Is it my maths or yours? You have 18 months to go before your challenge is finished, but your 30th will be in a January? Or maybe my brain is just fried with all these viruses attacking it. I seem to be going down AGAIN....=(
That's quite a list with some heafty projects requiring large amounts of time and probably a fair bit of cash. I am sure that you'll get there before 30 as you are so determined to succeed. Good luck and congratulations on what you've achieved so far.
Love the list :) I'm in the process of setting up my goals for the next decade (my 30th is this month). I found setting myself monthly targets and yearly targets has really helped but then I am not where I thought I would be by now.
Good Luck :)
Love the way you chart! Great accomplishments
kim
I'm impressed by your planning, I love planning, but hate putting it down in writing and seeing little progress. However as I'm just in the process of updating my CV, it seemd I'm not doing so bad for somebody a bit over 30 :) There's still the novel to write, though... If only I had little more time to do it...
BTW - any chances of getting your novel in print? Will get the Kindle version next time I'm downloading books, but having a copy (possibly signed) would be a treat :)
Oh, Rachel, this list makes me want to go to bed just looking at it! But you are young and healthy. It amazes me that this giant list doesn't overwhelm you! A board game? That is interesting...It seems you are asking way too much of yourself unless you never sleep again. But you did extremely well!!! And we need to do these tings while we are still young ind in good health. I can really understand wanting to fit as much into life as we possibly can! I hope you do it ALL and have a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
This is a great idea. I wonder what I would have come up with in a "before I'm 30" list. Looks like in April I'll be on the fast track to "before I'm 40." Gulp.
@Elizabeth you're right, of course - I've changed it now. I must've deducted 12 from 30......
Now I need a nap.
Quite impressive Rachel! I'm exhausted from just reading the list. As for the magazine publishing, follow up is half the battle, keep sending out those queries. Happy Capricorn birthday! Mine was last Sunday.
Well done! You're on your way to achieve all before you're 30!
You're not even talking about your PHD!
I think you are doing a great job with a lot of things going at once! Props to you my friend! :) And good luck with the remaining items.
Happy Birthday and well done on your list!
An interesting list. And a really good way of retaining focus as you build your sense of accomplishment. What happens after 30, though?
Wow! :-D ... 30 -- oh, I was once that long ago *laugh*
Happy 30th, for when it gets here, just in case I do not get by!
Nicely done, girl :) Lists like this are great because they always give us something to aspire to. And as everyone else here as already said: you have always struck me as a very determined person so I have no doubt you'll accomplish all these things! Good luck with the rset and a giant pat on your back!
I love this list. I should have done this at 45 and given myself 15 years to accomplish my "before 60" list. I like to see what matters to people.
Wow, well done - you've made significant progress on so many of them!
I must say I'm most inspired. I think I can tick off 2 items in your list so I'm only 1 behind you, but I fear I'm lagging far behind on all the others. And I've very much passed the 30 waypoint!!!
Thanks for all your writings. I don't read them often but when I do I always enjoy
i need to do something like this. keep goals in my life and achieve before im 30..good luck
Hummm....30 seems to be an arbitrary age for when you hope to achieve your goals; unless your name is really Ivan Karamazov.
Anyway, good luck with your list.
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