40 things before I’m forty

In January 2026 I turn 40 years old, and have a list of personal milestones and broader goals I’d like to achieve before that big ‘FOUR OH’. Here’s my list, and links to how I’m getting on so far…

  1. Eat pizza in Italy (read about my trip to Italy)
  2. Go up in a hot air balloon
  3. Climb the three peaks (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Snowdon)
  4. See the northern lights
  5. Compete in a powerlifting competition (read about it)
  6. Pose for life drawing class
  7. Give a conference talk
  8. Watch a live sporting event (read about it)
  9. Get a will drawn up
  10. Pay off debts (again)
  11. Buy a subway sandwich
  12. Learn to swim
  13. Hire a junior dev (read about it)
  14. Go to a “proper” festival
  15. Get my taekwon-do black belt
  16. Have a MFM threesome 👀
  17. Run a marathon in every major UK city or the biggest UK marathons (London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh, Milton Keynes, Belfast … ?)
  18. Break £100k turnover in my business
  19. Pick up another language again – i.e. log into duolingo for the first time in years (currently learning Spanish, day streak of 445 and counting)
  20. Be a better friend – write more, remember birthdays, listen better
  21. Finish the todo list on any one of my side projects
  22. Skinny dipping somewhere beautiful
  23. Do the parkrun A-Z (see progress so far)
  24. Complete a tough mudder
  25. Attend a Pride event
  26. Deadlift double my body weight
  27. Bench press my body weight
  28. Go zorbing
  29. Try out indoor climbing
  30. Have professional photos taken of the family
  31. Take part in the 365 Project
  32. Go on a cross-country train adventure
  33. Get my nipple(s) pierced
  34. Get a tattoo
  35. Ride a horse
  36. Divorce my husband 🥲
  37. Run an ultra marathon
  38. Try a new sport – I like the look of Hyrox…
  39. Walk 10k steps a day for a whole year
  40. Contribute back to the WordPress open source project

Sounds familiar? That’s because I did a similar thing before I hit thirty.