Yes, it all started with the research and purchase of a planner and one quickly approaching milestone . . .

In the weeks leading up to my fifty-fifth birthday I have had the opportunity to reflect on my life-what makes me uniquely me, what makes me tick, what makes me happy, what (and who) feeds my soul, and what I want to do with the time I have left on this earth.

With the intention of moving forward from this moment with grace, gratitude, and grit . . . always grounded, what started as an ad-hoc list of things to help me live life more fully has turned into a bit of a bucket list of things to do before I turn 60.

Aside – I love that the organizer that I selected is called the “Legend Planner”!

1. Try 55 new wines.

2. Visit 55 towns I have never been in.

3. Go for coffee 55 times (family, friend, co-worker, or business acquaintance).

4. Make a list of 55 things I am grateful for.

5. Write/publish 55 stories.

6. Try 55 new recipes.

7. Buy 55 new plants for the acreage.

8. Read 55 books.

9. Recycle 55 items that I have been holding on to.

10. Start a conversation with 55 strangers.

11. Save $55/week for 55 months.

12. Read 55 poems.

13. Write 55 poems.

14. Visit my daughter and her family 55 times in 55 months.

15. Visit my Mom 55 times in 55 months.

16. Drive 55 roads that I have never driven.

17. Give 55 pieces of clothing away.

18. Volunteer for 55 hours.

19. Lose 55 lbs.

20. Meditate for 55 minutes/week for 55 months.

21. Write 55 letters and mail each one.

22. Read 55 short stories.

23. Walk for at least 55 minutes/week for 55 months.

24. Drink 55 cups of water/week for 55 months.

25. Make 55 phone calls to catch up with old friends.

26. Try 55 new soup recipes.

27. Spend 55 minutes in a wheat field.

28. Spend 55 minutes by a lake or river.

29. Spend 55 minutes walking the beach.

30. Discover 55 new artists (music).

31. Take photos of 55 abandoned farm yards.

32. Watch 55 sunrises.

33. Watch 55 sunsets.

34. Colour 55 pictures in an adult colouring book.

35. Paint and install 55 birdhouses at the acreage.

36. Donate 55 bags of dog food.

37. Donate 55 cases of canned cat food.

38. Visit 55 art galleries.

39. Limit podcast list to 55 and spend half of my time driving listening to podcasts instead of the radio.

40. Mark the changing of the seasons, new moons and full moons with 55 minutes of reflection.

41. Get 55 massages.

42. Stay in bed 55 Sundays to read for at least 55 minutes.

43. Light and sit around 55 fires.

44. Learn 55 Croatian words/month for 55 months.

45. Invest in 55 hours of professional development.

46. Donate $550/year to charity.

47. Plant 55 trees.

48. Donate 55 cans of soup to the food bank.

49. Spend 55 nights stargazing.

50. Catch 55 fish.

51. Get either 55 manicures, or 55 pedi-cures, or a combination.

52. Donate 55 books.

53. Buy coffee for the car behind me in the Tim Horton’s drive thru line 55 times.

54. Add 55 gemstones to my collection.

55. Start an accountability blog.