Self-Help Lists + Goals for 27

I read waayyy too many self-help lists. I'm that girl that scrolls through her Facebook newsfeed and clicks on all of the "20 Things I Wish I'd Known in My Late Twenties" and "11 Cures For Your Quarter Life Crisis" articles. Terrible, I know.

But I came across one the other day on Huffington Post's 'Women' page that, in particular, caught my eye. With my 27th birthday just mere days away, this article has been on my mind on and off since I first read it a little over a month ago. The article was titled, "25 Things a Woman Should Have By Her Thirties." No, I'm not 30 yet, but 27 feels close enough some days and the items listed were very interesting to me. As I read through the list, I found myself counting how many of these items I can confidently say that I have. 11.5 out of 25, if you care to know. :)

Side note: This list is a very worldly idea of what women should have by their thirties written by one woman. Do I think every woman should have every single item on this list by 30? No. But I did find the list thought-provoking in my own situation? Yes.

Which items can I cross off this list? I'll never tell! Some of them are a little too personal for the blogosphere. But there were a couple that made me think, "Hmm, I could work on/be better at that." Like this one for instance:

16. The ability to forgive (others, but yourself first). 

...or this one.

19. The confidence to say no. At work. In bed. And everywhere in between. 

At first glance, I'd say that I'm good at both forgiving and saying no. But if I were to really did deep, I'm not so sure if my answer could honestly stay the same. I am my own worst critic, I do tend to hold grudges deep in my heart that surface in the most sensitive situations and (as much as my sassiness hates to admit it), I tend to be a people pleaser. Sometimes, I'm not confident enough to say no, so I say yes and take on the added pressure to keep everyone happy. 

My goal for 27 is to adapt parts of this list into my own life. Every single item? Nah. Ain't nobody got time for that! But I will say that this self-help list has given me some perspective. Sometimes I worry that young woman Sara still falls back into old teenage Sara habits. Maybe 27 is a good year to start setting some big girl goals and really working on being the best version on me possible. Hell, I'm not getting any younger! 

Now, I'll go ahead and leave you with a few of the items on this list that I DO have and that I'm pretty proud of.

1. A passport (the more stamps the better).

6. A form of physical exercise you are passionate about. 

13. The ability to write the perfect thank-you note (and the stationery that goes with it).

14. Eye cream that you use religiously twice a day.

17. A family you love.

20. A savings account and a retirement fund.

How many of the things on this list do you have? Count them up, just for fun!