Hello and happy Wednesday friends! I hope your week is off to a great start and you've had a lovely past few days. For today's post, I wanted to share my first quarterly update of my 36 goals for my 36th year of life. I'm pretty excited with the progress I've made so far!
MY GOALS
1. Run a 5k.
I am running a 5k this weekend! I'll let you know how it goes. I haven't run in almost 9 years so I think it's about time I add a 5k back on my list of things that I'd like to do. I really enjoyed running when I did it years ago so it's time I add it back to my routine.
2. Pay off my student loans.
As of today, I only owe $506.46. I had two loans remaining and paid off one of them since May, so I am down to my last loan. I need to pay about $100 a month to get these taken care of by the end to 2025. I'm anticipating I will complete this goal prior to my birthday next year.
3. Inventory my library.
My goal is to get all of my books on the shelves and make a listing of the books I own, what I've read and what I still need to read. Besides a few books I recently purchased, all of my books have been moved into my library and so far I have added about 30 books to my inventory. I have to finish my inventory then I'll be set.
4. Finish ONE crochet or knit project for myself.
This one is going to carry over from last year, but I really do want to finish at least one project that I started for myself. I've got a few options so I will be focusing on one of them and finishing them. I'll be sure to share once I get it done!
Update: Honestly... I ended up picking a brand new project for myself, but I am over half way done with it. Once I get that done, I'll post a full update on that one.
5. Purge my closet.
Over the last few years I have been slowly getting more and more clothing (which is 100% okay) but it's time I make deliberate time to go through said clothing and do a purge. I'd really like to get my closet down to a more functional closed where I don't have a bunch of clothes that I never wear. I'd also like to get a routine of putting away winter clothes so the closet doesn't feel so full.
Update: The closet remains the same. I think I am going to have to schedule a few days to get through it all because I want to do a thorough purge which will require me to pull everything out of the closet.
6. Grow my Facebook deals group.
I currently have 359 members in my Facebook Group and I would really like to hit 500 between now and my next birthday. I have been averaging about 100 new members a year which is great and I'm so thankful for them all, but I'd like to hit 500 so I can sign up for other affiliate programs. If you'd like to join the group, check out: https://www.facebook.com/groups/shopwithmejackabee.
Update: Group is at 367 members so I am slowly getting there! I had a rough few months getting deals posted but I am only 133 members shy of my 500 goals.
7. Post 3-4 videos on YouTube a month.
I verrrryyyy recently started my YouTube channel where I focus on all things books. My plan right now is to post one video a week for the next year. I am also planning to host weekly reading and productivity sprints too to help me focus on reading or whatever else I need to get done. As of today, I have videos planned through July and can start filming whenever. I'm excited! Check out Read with Me Jackabee: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadwithMeJackabee
Update: I have not been posting videos all summer. I had content planned for the whole summer but honestly just did not feel great about recording videos. So I made the executive decision to hold off on recording content until I felt a bit better about it all. My plan is to pick back up in September and see how I feel about it then.
8. Read 52 books.
As of this post, I have finished a total of 47 books. I have no doubt I will finish the goal by my birthday next year. I also posted an update to my 25 in 25 reading challenge. Check out more details about the challenge over here: 25 in 25 reading challenge hosted by Bri at Four Paws and a Book. To see my update post, click on the image below.
9. Make the quilt from Justin.
I am re-adding this to the list because the quilt was such a wonderful gift from Justin. And given that I actually have a space where the quilt will be very useful (it's a book themed quilt) it seems only appropriate I finally make it.
Update: Have not started the quilt, but still have it on my radar. I think this will be another one of those projects that I have to schedule time for because it can be very time consuming.
I got a paddle board from Justin a few Christmases ago and I only was able to use it one time last year. My goal is to get it out at least one time this summer and go for a quick spin around a local lake with my friend.
July 20, 2025 - Took the paddle board out with my friend Trista and got thoroughly burnt, but it was glorious. We're trying to get out one more time this summer before the weather gets cold.
11. Take a tile glazing class at Pewabic Pottery.
If you don't know what Pewabic is - it's a local tile making company that has tiles all around the metro Detroit area. The tile are all hand made and are so beautiful so I'd love to take a glazing class and make a tile of my own to have in our home.
August 2025 - The plan right now is to go this Saturday for this class. I'll post an update for my next quarterly update with pictures of the final product.
12. Work on my flexibility.
One thing I have been noticing as I am aging is that my back is often sore. Partly because I sit a lot for my job, but also because I do not do things to actively move/stretch my body. I would like to be very deliberate in working on my flexibility. One way I plan do do this is to dedicate 15 minutes a day for an entire month to stretching my body. Right now the plan is to do this for the month of July, but if I miss a day, I have to start over. So no matter what, I am doing 15 minutes of flexibility/yoga a day for 31 days in a row. I may even try a 30 day challenge from Yoga with Adrienne.
Update: I did 14 days of this challenge in July and a week in August, but haven't completed a full month. I will be picking a month later this year to do the challenge when I don't feel so busy that it hurts.
13. Establish a nightly "shut down" routine.
One are that I struggle with a lot is the day-to-day maintenance of our house. So I'd like to create and follow a nightly shut down routine for the house to help alleviate some of the stresses that come with not tidying up after ourselves on a regular basis. I'm hoping Justin will help me with this too to create something we can both easily do.
Update: I have started brainstorming things that I'd like to do every day (like a load of laundry, empty/load the dishwasher and pick up clutter). I'm thinking it would be good to implement this starting in the new year as a 2026 goal. I'll keep you posted.
14. Start reading all of Agatha Christie's books.
Growing up, I really loved reading Agatha Christie's books and I'd really like to re-read them all again. My goal for this year will be to read all of her Hercule Poirot books. From what I can tell, there are a total of 38 of those books so I would like to read all of them before my next birthday.
Update: So far I have purchased six of the books of the 38. It's proving a bit hard to find the versions I want, but I am sure I'll be able to get them from my local library if needed and wanted to just get them read.
Here's what I have so far:
- Murder on the Orient Express
- Murder in Mesopotamia
- Dumb Witness
- Death on the Nile
- Evil Under the sun
- Hallowe'en Party
My plan is to start reading/listening to them all this fall because they feel very fall-esque. I'll let you know as I start reading through them.
We also have something scheduled for September, but that's a trip we do annually for a ladies retreat with her church.
My mom is retiring this year and I'd like to do a little getaway for her and I to celebrate her bit accomplishment. We do have some budgetary restrictions, but I am planning to do a little something for her and I.
July 2025 - Mom and I went on a mini overnight trip to Kalamazoo, MI. It wasn't a huge trip or anything crazy, but it was fun to get away for the evening and spend some time together.
16. Finish the 90% done projects in the house
I have not started on these projects and honestly, the last one may not get done before fall/winter hits. It's been so hot outside I just didn't see the point in investing a lot of time/money in the deck. Maybe once it cools off this fall I'll be able to get more done out there, but for now that project is on hold.
- Patch hole in pantry room ceiling
- Paint arch in mudroom white - this is the only beige thing in our house and it's still driving me insane.
- Hang lights on deck and plant flowers in planters.
For the last year and a half, I have been growing out my natural hair because I had no idea what color my hair actually was. Turns out, it's a pretty grey/brown combo and I'm to the point where I am debating cutting off all the rest of the dyed parts of my hair and going super short. Below is some inspiration I have in mind for a hair cut - though I do not want bangs one bit.
Update: Guess what I did? I cut about 6" off my hair and I am so glad I did it! I am so close to having completely dye-free hair and I am so excited.
19. Finally use my sourdough starter.
I have had a sourdough starter for a few years and have not done anything but maintain it. This will be the year that I finally make something with said starter.
I have had a sourdough starter for a few years and have not done anything but maintain it. This will be the year that I finally make something with said starter.
Update: My sourdough starter is very dormant so I will need to prioritize revitalizing it then finding some recipes for Justin and I to try for bread since we both want to make bread at home.
20. Monthly date nights with Justin.
Lately it feels like we both have just been so busy that I would really like to be intentional with time together. Whether that's just watching a movie at home or going out to try something new/fun, I would like to be deliberate in dating my hubby.
May 2025 - saw Lilo & Stitch in theatresJune 2025 - date night at home watching a movieJuly 2025 - saw How to Train Your Dragon in theatres and the new Superman movie
21. Create a BookTube Book Club.
I saw this awesome idea where a fellow BookTuber created a book club where she has people on her channel once a month to do sprints and other fun activities while also focusing on a book. I would really like to start something like this and I am hoping that she would be okay with me creating something similar to her - of course, I would give her the credit if I did.
I saw this awesome idea where a fellow BookTuber created a book club where she has people on her channel once a month to do sprints and other fun activities while also focusing on a book. I would really like to start something like this and I am hoping that she would be okay with me creating something similar to her - of course, I would give her the credit if I did.
Update:
I officially started a book club that will start October 2025! The official name of the book club is The Craft and Crime Book Club and the theme will be mystery/thriller and I will try to post optional crafts based on the books that we read. And I am excited because my YouTube friend, Dana Ella, was okay with me doing a book club too. I'm going to try and set it up so that our streams don't overlap at all.
If you want to join in or follow along, check out my newly created Instagram. Just click on the image below and it will take you directly there.
22. Create a TBR Jar or something similar.
As I mentioned above, I'd really like to organize and catalog all of my books. As part of that process, I would really like to create a TBR jar so that when I am trying to pick a new book to read I can just randomly pick from the jar. I'll be sure to share what I come up with once I do it.
23. Give 5 "just because" gifts.
I have been seeing this trend around and I think it's so fun. Instead of waiting to give someone a gift on a special occasion, I'd like to get people things and give to them just because I thought of them when I saw it. My goal will be to do that 5 times this year.
July 2025 -
1. Gifted some anklets to a friend that mentioned she wanted more as hers were getting a little threadbare.2. Got a friend some Frenchie themed straw toppers for her cups.
24. Schedule family photos with both our families.
We're hitting the point that it's becoming important to have family photos regularly. I would like to schedule two sessions for photos with both my family and Justin's family so that we can have some more up-to-date photos together.
Update: I've already discussed doing family photos with Justin's family, but need to find a date that works for my photographer and my friend.
25. Convert our wedding video to digital.
When we got married in 2011, there wasn't a whole lot of options in regards to videography so we had the church record our wedding on a VHS - yes you read that right, VHS. My goal is to have that converted to a digital file so we can actually watch our wedding ceremony.
Update: I have made progress on this one - I found a site that does this and all I need to do is package up the tape and send it over to them to convert for me. I am planning to make a digital copy and thumb drive in case my system ever crashes.
26. Read 3-5 classic or banned books (some fall under both).
So far I have purchased two banned/classic books to read: The Color Purple and Crime and Punishment. I tried to pick a few different genres to challenge myself a bit. These will be added to my TBR list later this year/early next year.
27. Organize the basement to make it a living space.
Justin really wants to move his office down to the basement because his office tends to get very warm in the summertime (his office is the furthest from our furnace). We started last week working on reorganizing the basement so that he could start migrating down there but it will take us some time to get there.
Justin really wants to move his office down to the basement because his office tends to get very warm in the summertime (his office is the furthest from our furnace). We started last week working on reorganizing the basement so that he could start migrating down there but it will take us some time to get there.
Update: We had a few major appliance issues this summer which delayed our plans to update the basement. This is another thing where I am going to have to schedule this into my time to be able to complete it before my next birthday.
28. Send 10 handwritten notes.
I really love sending mail to people, so I would like to make it a point to send 10 handwritten notes to people just because I can - this will not include birthday cards, Christmas cards or thank you cards.
Update: I have sent a total of 2 hand-written notes so far this year. I'm a little bit "behind schedule" but it will be easy to finish by my birthday next year.
I see a lot of creators on YouTube work together on all kinds of fun things and I think it would be so fun to collaborate with another YouTuber on something. I'm thinking a readathon or something like that, but I haven't decided yet. My goal is to finalize that by end of July 2025.
July 2025 - Joined another BookTube friend for their Thrills and Chills Book Club. Attended two streams with them (July 1 & July 23)
30. Save up one full months salary.
After Justin was laid of late last year, we realized that we need to get serious about our finances. While it would not be enough to sustain us long-term, I would like to save up one full month of my salary so at the very least if something happened to my job, I would be able to get myself through the next month. Ideally, I'd like this to be cash so I just have it on me in case of emergency.
After Justin was laid of late last year, we realized that we need to get serious about our finances. While it would not be enough to sustain us long-term, I would like to save up one full month of my salary so at the very least if something happened to my job, I would be able to get myself through the next month. Ideally, I'd like this to be cash so I just have it on me in case of emergency.
Update: I am debating whether this should be pre-tax/deductions or take home. Given everything we've had going on, this has been delayed a bit. I'd much rather pay off a few loans than focus on this so I'm thinking early next year.
31. Start planning our next big vacation.
Financially, we are not in the position to take a big vacation this year, but I would really like to get something in the works for us to go somewhere (whether it's a new location or one we've been before).
Update: I haven't had a chance to chat with Justin about where we want to go yet, but I am thinking it will be 2 years from now to make sure we keep on track with our debt payoff plan.
32. Plan and blog every day for one month.
I really do enjoy writing blog posts, so I'd like to dedicate one month to blog posts (including weekends). I have a few ideas I'm playing with for July so maybe I'll be able to finish it then.
Update: So far in August I have posted every day and have a plan to post every day this month. If I am successful, I can cross this one off early in my year.
33. Leave 100% tip at a restaurant.
I have been seeing this a lot as I am going through ideas for my goals list and I think this is so cool. To be able to go to a restaurant (or even order food to be delivered) and tip someone exactly the same as what I paid for my food would be so fun.
I have been seeing this a lot as I am going through ideas for my goals list and I think this is so cool. To be able to go to a restaurant (or even order food to be delivered) and tip someone exactly the same as what I paid for my food would be so fun.
Update: I am saving this one until closer to the holidays to help someone out around the holidays. Still deciding if it will be a DoorDash order or in person meal.
34. Complete the 25 in 25 reading challenge / complete all Goodreads challenges.
I am participating in the 25 in 25 reading challenge from Four Paws and a Book and would like to complete that goal for 2025. I also am trying to finish all challenges from the Goodreads challenges.
Update: Check out my 25 in 25 update here: https://lifewithmejackabee.blogspot.com/2025/08/25-in-2025-midish-year-check-in-080725.html
35. Handmake one gift for each friend/family member this year.
Whether that's a birthday gift or Christmas gift, I'd like to make a gift for everyone. I'm thinking I may even be able to utilize my recent pottery classes to make little gifts for everyone.
Update: I reached out to a few friends to determine if we are exchanging gifts this year and a lot of people declined exchanging so I'm not sure I will be making handmade gifts for everyone this year. I think for the people that I am exchanging with, I will plan to make them something but otherwise this goal may be eliminated/replaced.
36. Wake up one hour earlier every day for one month and use that time for me.
My sleep schedule has been all over the place and I feel like I could really benefit from building a better sleep routine. My goal is to spend one month getting up one hour earlier every day to do something that is just for me - whether that's journaling, reading, exercising or just enjoying a cup of coffee in peace.
Update: I am going to pick a month later this year to do this one. I really want to make a plan for each day I get up early and how I want to use that time. Whether it's reading, exercising, journaling, etc.
Okay so that is my most recent update on my 36 for 36. I feel very good about my progress so far and look forward to seeing what the next quarter brings. Come back in a few months to see my progress at that point.
If you have any goals you're working towards, let me know! I'd love to be an accountability partner or even just have a friend to talk with while we do our goals.
Have a wonderful day,
Jackie
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