Turning 40 & doing forty things before forty!
March 29th 2017 saw me turning forty. How did that happen? To be honest it scares me, particularly how the time has gone so quickly. I’m not a fool I know it’s inevitable and cannot be avoided, but it scares me. With some time left until the big day I created a list of some things I wanted to do before forty. Take a look, it may give you some ideas of a few bucket list activities/achievements before your next big birthday. I am going to grab life by it’s horns and really achieve the incredible and what many would doubt I could achieve. This is the ultimate empowerment to do list… my 40 things before 40!
I have revisited this list throughout my 40s to tick off everything that I have achieved. Its time to write my 50 things before 50 list!
UPDATED SEPT 2023
The List #40thingsb440
- Get fit. Get my weight under 11 stone. My weight should be in the 9-11 stone range for my height of 5ft 6. DONE, but I looked like a Lolly pop. A more natural weight for me is 70 something kgs
- Get my 5km time to under 30 minutes. DONE, 29 min 53 hit on June 24th 2018, not a coincidence my mums birthday who had died 25 years earlier.
- Get my 10km time to under 60 minutes. NOT DONE, but got my 5km time to 27 Mins Dec 2021
- Detox for 5 weeks in June/July and clean up my booze binging. There I have said it. I binge drink to an unacceptable level. DONE which helped with the 11 stone weight. LYNN WTF!!
- Complete a triathlon. Not sure if this is a sprint one or a full on Olympic distance one;-) NOT DONE, goal for 50 things before 50 list
- Learn a new skill, this will need to be something creative. Maybe sugar flowers on cakes or photography or crochet? learnt so many new things, how to present and produce a radio show, photography, how to invest, creative super powers, how to train my body, the power of crystals..the list goes on and on.
- Go to a posh spa. DONE, Lifehouse, Essex. Charlton House, Somerset, Champneys, Stotfold.
- Learn how to make toffee. NOT DONE, but I did learn how to make fudge. Its SO easy!
- Finish J’s cross stitch birth sampler. I did DJ’s and J’s when they were born but failed with J’s which is 10% completed. NOT DONE, no chance!! Still not done at Sept 2023
- Drive Mrs Mummypenny income up to £5000 per month. DONE and exceeding by far, 6 figure business in 2022.
- Visit Barcelona again. DONE, visited in Nov 2022 and had the best time ever, I love that city.
- Write a book. DONE – WOO HOO The money Guide to Transform your Life
- Set up a self-employment pension plan. DONE, and written about on this blog. And it’s doing really well I am up to £140k, and very exciting to see the bigger the balance, the more it grows with compounding.
- Visit the Lake District. NOT DONE, must must do this in 50 things before 50.
- Go camping. DONE at Standon Calling
- Go to a festival. DONE at Standon Calling
- Bake something super amazing, like a cheese soufflé. DONE I have baked 3 birthday cakes for boys, many a roast dinner. I am doing okay.
- Go to a cookery school, Italian I think. NOT DONE move to 50 before 50 list
- Have a massive party for my birthday. Booked, 1st April 2017. Theme and entertainment being sorted. DONE, 1st April
- Visit a new beautiful UK beach that I have never been to before. West Withering has been suggested. Done Wells-Next-Sea, stunning beach on the hottest week of 2019
- Take a trip to Blackpool. Never been, my parents used to go every year and loved it. DONE FINALLY – With the pensions girls in 2022
- Use my position in business/society to share my knowledge/financial expertise with individuals who may not have access to my website. TOTALLY DONE
- See Justin Timberlake in concert again. NOT DONE, not so keen on him anymore. Seem SO many good bands, singers, George Ezra, Self Esteem, Hot Chip, Example, Basement Jaxx, Louis Capaldi, plus SO many more.
- Raise at least £1000 for charity, there are lots of things in this list that I can be sponsored for. DONE helped out with Tiegans Star FAB event in Jan. And worked on UK Money Blogger Charity campaign and Young Carer Campaign. And got a kitten from Blue Cross 🙂 And raised thousands, at least 5k for Grief Encounter Latest challenge is 20,000 km Pole to Pole with the finance girls
- Sing on stage. Done as I sang at London Cocktail Club Rockaoke stage a few weeks back. Sang Ironic – Alanis Morrisette, I loved it and I was great ;-). I went bigger and sang on the stage at Standon Calling festival – Song choice Don’t Stop Believing
- Say thank you to everyone who has made a difference in my life. DONE, with lots of notes being sent out as and when required
- Get another Prada bag. Yes, I adore Prada. DONE got a beautiful new card wallet.
- Climb a mountain, completely possible when I visit the lakes. NOT DONE, add to 50 before 50 list
- Do something scary that will give me an adrenaline rush. Not sure as I am scared of things like this 😉 DONE I shot guns in Las Vegas and went on the Chase to try to win a load of money
- Get a selfie with a premiership footballer. Although Beckham would be completely acceptable 😉 DONE – The beautiful Jamie Rednapp at a Chelsea Academy Football game
- Eat in a new 3 Michelin starred restaurant that I have never frequented before. NOT DONE
- Afternoon tea at the Ritz NOT DONE
- Get my hair done a different colour. DONE, went brond, purple and bright red
- Read 10 life changing books, any suggestions are welcome. One suggestion last week was ‘Catcher in the Rye’. DONE, so many life changing books have been read
- Get a tattoo done. Design sorted, location on body sorted, tattoo artist found. Just need to book it in. Scared as this will hurt, not good with pain relief. DONE, July 2018. In fact now have 5 tattoos.
- Go to ladies day at the races, where I can wear a hat. NOT DONE
- Go up in a hot air balloon NOT DONE
- Drive a Lamborghini NOT DONE.
- Get a pet. Research done. I am thinking 2 Guinea Pigs or a kitten. DONE, TREV THE KITTEN
- See Coldplay live in concert again. NOT DONE, again not bothered unless its free, Although did see Tom Jones who was ace!
So there you have it, let me know your thoughts. Tell me what you would love to achieve before a big day. And if there are any brands out there thinking they could help out, please do contact me at lynn@mrsmummypenny.co.uk. The photos will be on Instagram and twitter as and when I achieve them. So please give me a follow!
Updated 1st March 2017.
I have done 13 things out of the list of 40….hahaha not really good enough. I have 1 month until my birthday. What are the quick wins?
Updated 17th January 2020
24/40 things have been done by the age of 42!! I am getting there, this now becomes a list of things to do before 50!!
Updated 25th September 2023
27/40 things have been achieved by the age of 46 1/2. Time to write my 50 things before 50 list.
16 Responses
What a great list! I might do one for things to complete before I’m 30 at the end of the year 🙂 good luck with achieving this!
Cheers hon. Its a great thing for directing the mind and doing some amazing things with my family:-) I am obsessed with lists!!
This is such a great list! I absolutely love reading goals 🙂 you should break them down into months, so you don’t miss any opportunities! Or maybe I’m just too organised, haha.
Haha I love the extreme organisation. 1 thing ticked off today. My hair is half blond;-) Its been auburn/ginger for 39 years lol!
That was a really varied mix of goals! I think I ought to make my own list – I’m 36 now but I probably need the four years’ momentum to be able to run for more than 5 minutes in one go! 😀
A list of goals is always important to have. Some of these are pretty hard though!!
A lot of that is def achievable in the ti!e frame. But may go for a short story approach in the book front
I keep to do a list…but to be honest it would be very similar.
Good luck!
Yep the write a book might be a stretch given how busy I am! I have written about 3000 words so far;-)
I wish you the best of luck with all your intentions Great idea!
Thanks for the giveaway.