Let's Make This Thing Count...

“I try all things, I achieve what I can.”

Welcome to my 29^th year and welcome to my adventure! Fifty-two to thirty is my brainchild born out of the desire for accomplishment prior to hitting thirty as well as injecting a little bit of excitement into my life.

The plan is simple: On December 5^th 2008, I turned 29. Now that I am on the threshold of thirty, the final figurative benchmark in the twilight of my youth, I am making a concerted effort to live up to all the feel good stories and motivational posters I’ve ever seen. For each of the fifty-two weeks of my 29^th year, I’m going to try one new thing I’ve never experienced in my life.

I’ve already compiled a list of over forty different ideas and as the year unfolds I’m sure more new experiences will present themselves. I’m not worried about filling all fifty-two weeks at this early stage, but I am concerned with making sure everything I try is meaningful, fun or at the very least, entertaining. I’m pretty good with laughing at myself, so hopefully we can do that together when necessary.

However, just to clarify, not everything on this list is going to be a life altering experience. I’m not setting out on a journey of self-discovery and I have no expectations of drastically reinventing my self. Similarly, I will not choose any completely meaningless activities solely for the purpose of doing something new. I mean, I’ve never eaten a whole tomato, but that doesn’t mean I’ll throw one down, chalk up fifty words about it and call it a day. Besides, tomatoes are totally repulsive.

Rather, this list is comprised of activities I’ve always wanted to try but have never had the opportunity. From laziness to fear to the lack of time and money, there are countless things I’ve never had the chance to experience despite my various desires. Therefore, this entire undertaking is serving as a catalyst to actually get out and accomplish some pretty exciting things. Granted, I realize turning thirty isn’t going to be some drastic event in my life, I thought it would serve well as a symbolic deadline to learn how to live a more active life.

There is a quote I love from legendary football coach Vince Lombardi that sums up what this whole thing is about to me. “The quality of a person’s life is directly proportional to their commitment to excellence.” In other words, a good life takes effort. It’s easy to settle into the grind of adulthood: wake up, go to work, eat dinner, watch TV, go to bed. Rinse. Repeat.

If you want more excitement and fulfillment in your life you have to work at it. Maybe I love some of the new things I try in the next year and they become a regular activity or a favorite hobby. Maybe I fail miserably at something or hate it so much I don’t even see it to completion. That’s fine, at least I’ll know for sure and if the desire ever returns I’ll be better prepared. Either way, it is reflective of what I hope to gain out of this entire adventure, a continued desire for new experiences and the habit for putting forth the effort necessary for a fulfilling life.

Now, without spoiling any of my upcoming adventures, I will tell you that some will certainly be more exciting that others and I’m sure some will even seem commonplace to many of you. However, the point of this list is to try things that are new and meaningful to me, even if that meaning is as superficial as a good time or, as is often the case in my life, ridiculous, obnoxious humor. But even with that in mind, I’m keeping this list positive. Therefore, I’ll have to pass on my brother Patrick’s idea to poop in a litter box. Sure it’s a funny story to share with the grandkids someday, but it’s just not the direction I’m trying to take here. Thanks anyway man.
All of this brings us to the first week and my first new experience.

Week One:Start a Blog.

I’ve always liked the idea of keeping a journal but, unfortunately, I never felt like I had anything important to say. Sure, I could write daily about what I had for breakfast, the latest gossip from homeroom or whatever other random thoughts crossed my mind but, thankfully, I’ve never taken myself that seriously.

However, when I first came up with this idea I thought it was necessary to document all of my new experiences. This way I could keep track of my various adventures and keeping a record would inspire me to follow through on the entire plan. I have read that writing is a powerful neuromuscular activity that connects the conscious and subconscious minds. Therefore, in addition to serving various therapeutic functions, writing can act as a driving, creative force in a person’s life.

Considering all this information, it was obvious that I should publish my writings in a weekly blog about each activity so I could also share them with my friends, family and any other curious parties that may stumble upon this site.

So I would like to thank everyone who has taken his or her time to visit my blog and read what I have to say. Hopefully, over the next fifty-two weeks, I can provide some meaningful insight, inspiration or entertainment as I attempt to expand my horizons and enrich my life while accomplishing this enormous task. I plan on having a lot of fun tackling new experiences, meeting new people and learning many things about the world and myself. Thanks for your support.

P.S. I am actively seeking the assistance of any interested readers to provide some assistance that is crucial to the success of this undertaking. First, new ideas are always welcome. Although I have compiled plenty of ideas, a different perspective could supply some fresh, new activities that could lead me in a direction I never considered.

Second, please provide feedback. Let me know you’re out there so I know I’m not alone here. Positive feedback is obviously great, but any suggestions for improving or refocusing this project would also be appreciated.

And of course, it will be a long year, so at some point I may start to slack. If that proves to be the case, I welcome any swift kicks in the ass to keep me motivated. I don’t have any intentions of quitting on this so please help me keep it rolling anyway you can.

Thanks again.

Let’s make this thing count…