The Finale

40 Things for 40 Years in 40 Weeks: The Finale

Exactly 1 year ago just a week after I turned 40, I set out to do 40 things for 40 years in 40 weeks and called in my #40for40in40 challenge. I have finally made it to the finish line. I will be honest, it was not completed in 40 consecutive weeks as I had originally intended but as I mentioned several times before…  life takes over once in a while and unfortunately it required that I push the pause button on my project a  few times. However, I still feel like I put 40 weeks (and then some) of time into this project so I am going to give myself an A for effort anyway.  

When I first made my list, I (being the former accountant that I am) put a spread sheet together with the  40 items I had come up with. When I noticed there were some common themes among the items, I categorized them. 

They were broken up by the following: 

1. Be a Kid Again

2. Bucket List Experiences

3. Cooking Goals

4. Things I Never Get to Do 

5. Things That I Really Enjoy

I worked my way through the items in no particular order. Some were done one at a time, some simultaneously and many little by little.  

The last item on my list was to have photographs taken of just me. I wanted to really glam up and  document myself at 40 so that some day when I reach 80 I could look back at the photographs and remember this point in time when I created and took on this challenge. Again, I will be honest - I didn’t  get this list item done yet. I still intend to do this in the very near future because after all… 41 isn’t going to look that much different than 40 and in fact given some of my list items to be my best self inside and out maybe 41 will look better! But I don’t feel like I failed or that my challenge is incomplete because while I didn’t get the fancy, professional photos done – I took a lot of photos this past year and made a huge effort to really document each and every item on the list. Again, I am going to give myself an A for effort and as far as I am concerned… 39.5 out of 40 given everything else that I have had to go on this year in my regular life is pretty damn good. So instead of posting those photos I had intended to get done, I am posting one self portrait that I took as well as my favorite photos from the past year of adventures. In looking back over this past year, I had to ask myself - what did I learn from this challenge? Well, quite a lot.  

I learned that life is short. Very short. It has many ups and downs but you have to find as much happiness  as you can along the way, tell the people that are important to you that you love them and enjoy the ride. I learned that sometimes you need to take life by the reigns and make it happen instead of waiting for something to come to you. Creating this challenge for myself brought so much happiness into my life this  past year and even on the days when it seemed like work to be plugging away at the list - I don’t regret one single second of it. 

I learned that I am a mom first and that all of the other roles I fill usually have to come second including what I need to do for me. It's not always what I want to come first but it does because these little people depend on me the most. However, I have to remember to do things for myself, take time away when I can  and ask for help because that makes me a better mom. It also reminds me of who I am outside of being a  mom and that is something that we all need to do as parents.  

I learned that everyone is going through something - whether you can see it or not. Everyone. Nobody’s life is perfect, least of all mine. We all need to remember this, be kind and show grace if we can afford to. I learned that I am an imperfect person and that I make mistakes ALL THE TIME. Sometimes I learn from them, sometimes I make them a second time and then learn from them. Sometimes I just keep making them. 

I learned that I will never be a great athlete or a marathon runner but I am a warrior in other ways. I can try at something and technically fail but at least I made the effort to try it in the first place. 

I learned that I need to never stop learning. This challenge has woken my brain up this past year and has energized me in ways that I had not felt in quite a long time.  

Lastly, I learned that what I enjoy the most is gathering people and making lots of good food. I am happiest when my house is full, there is a homemade spread on the table and there is lots of laughter around me.  

This past year has been amazing and full of adventure. I was gifted so many things throughout this journey. I got my spark back that I felt like I had lost. I tried new things that I never thought I would. I connected with old friends and made new ones. I went to places that were unexpected and I created so many things that I am going to enjoy in my home for years to come. I also found my charitable cause in my community and I am now regularly volunteering there which feels really good to give back in some  small way. Lastly, I discovered “Gayle” my alter ego. It’s a long and very funny story but all you need to know is that she is a good time gal and when I channel her presence, nothing but fun ensues. We all need to have a little Gayle in our life once in a while. #bemorelikegayle

Thank you to all of you that participated in this project. You know who you are and I am truly grateful for what a great group of family and friends I have. I am also humbled by those of you that took interest in what I was doing and posted such sweet comments. I was encouraged by so many people that cheered me on along the way. I am also thrilled to hear that my little challenge may have inspired others to do something similar on their next milestone birthday. If you have any inclination to do something like this…  DO IT. You won’t regret it.  

And so that completes my #40for40in40 challenge. Thank you for reading!