27 Before 27

After reading this post on Emma's blog back in July I was inspired to write my own list. As my 26th birthday was looming I felt like it was the perfect opportunity to compile my own list of goals to reach/ things to do before I turn 27 next year and that way I would have a whole year to work at the list.

What I really liked about Emma's list was that her goals were a good mix of really simple ones (donate something to charity) and more difficult ones (save money for a bond on for a new flat). I already had a mental list of things I wanted to do over the next year and thought why not make a list and really try this time and make it goals that are small, achievable and some a little more difficult and scary. Here is some of the list, I won't share them all with you because some are more personal and a bit boring to be honest.

• Learn to swim. This is probably the biggest and scariest one for me. We are planning on going to Italy next year for my mother's birthday and my aim is to be able to swim by then, so I have a whole year to do it. 

• Read more books. I'm currently reading Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk. 

• Start saving regularly.

• Organise my digital photos on my computer, get them printed and put into photo albums (including transferring all our old family home movies from VCR to digital copies and copying all of our family photos).

• Watch more films and documentaries. My ambition is to eventually make my own documentary.

• Spend more time with my family. Recent events both personal and in the world news have really made me think about how short life is and that I should truly appreciate every day I have on this earth and spend it with people I love instead of wasting time worrying and being unhappy about stupid things. 

• Explore my city/country. There is so much to see and do in Dublin/Ireland, why spend lots of money going abroad when I have lots I still haven't seen/done here.

• Start drawing/ painting/ making art again. This is something I've really struggled with due to bad past experiences and I've let other people get the best of me so I really want to change that. 

• Try more recipes and make a notebook of the ones I love the most.

• Go on more dates with Donnacha, whether it's going to dinner or lunch or to the movies or for a walk or having a night in. Just forget about computers and phones and spend quality time together and talk to eachother. 

• Go to an orthodontist and get my teeth sorted. I never smile with my mouth open and I want to change that. 

• Take more photographs/ Learn more about cameras (and possibly save up for my own one).

• Explore my ipod and listen to more new music in general, I have so much music on my ipod and I probably listen to about 30% of it. Listen to full albums, take recommendations and give new (old) music a chance

Donnacha has made a list of his own so we can talk about it and work on things together. It's interesting to hear what is on his list. Would you think about writing a list like this or have you done so before?

Emma x