So I turned 40 this week. No major tantrums, no freakouts (well, none birthday related anyway), and the big birthday dinner was some clam chowder, a burger and onion rings at Red Coat Tavern. All in all, not a bad time. But as I posted on Facebook last week, turning 40 has caused me to reflect a lot, which in turn has given me a lot of food for thought for future blog posts so you may want to prepare yourself for that.

It’s also given me a lot of resolutions, a lot of resolve. What better time to make resolutions than a major milestone birthday, am I right? Of course I am! I’m Mo, yo, and I know.

So without further ado and in no particular order….

Mo’s 40 Resolutions for Turning 40 (and beyond)

1. Stop wasting food; USE what you buy.
2. Take your lunch to work at least 3x a week; save yourself some money (and you like to cook!).
3. Try at least one new recipe a week and make use of all of those cookbooks you own.
4. Embrace the low-carb, high protein life. It’s what’s right for your body and its medical conditions, and will make losing weight that much easier.
5. Be more conscious of what you’re putting in your body. Try not to buy as much processed food, and buy organic when it’s affordable (especially dairy).
6. Until you are 100% out of tea, no. more. tea. purchases.
7. Lose weight. Enough is enough. Getting from 35 to 40 was difficult enough with the uterine fibroids, excessive bleeding, and the subsequent anemia, nevermind the fact that your knees are killing you every time you go up and down stairs. Don’t make getting from 40 to 45 more difficult.
8. MOVE! Exercise. Walk around the block. Do one of those fitness DVDs  you own. You own walking videos, belly dancing videos, tai chi videos and yoga videos. DO THEM!
9. Try tapping. Sure you’ll probably sound and feel like an idiot at first, but try it anyways. It’s not going to hurt anything.
10. GET OUT OF DEBT! The retail therapy avenue doesn’t work.
11. Use your subscription to smartcookies.com and do Kate Northrup’s Money Love Challenge (for those that are interested, email me or send me a private message on FB).
12. Spend less on material items and spend money on experiences instead.
13. Stop buying books. Really. You have more than enough to satisfy your reading urges for more than a year. But you can include them on Christmas wish lists.
    1. Get a library card and actually return the books like you’re supposed to (before they’re due).
14. Stop using credit cards for anything more than recurring payments.
15. Start putting more towards savings and investments (aka retirement)!
16. BLOG! People like what you have to say, and you’ve got a LOT to say (I mean, really, have you been in this head of yours?).
17. Develop your brand and blog network.
18. Clothes. Keep up with your laundry and quit buying clothes.
19. Stamp. You enjoy it, and people enjoy your cards and other creations. ‘Nuff said.
20. Finish the basement already. You’ll have owned the house for 2 years on December 20th. It’s about damn time.
21. Explore religions and spirituality and the meta physical and all that stuff more.
22. Spend time and energy on people who want to spend time and energy on you.
23. Start journaling. That includes the journal you started in college with inspirational quotes and pictures. Start vision boards. You have more than enough magazines to do so.
24. Use your planners. My God, you spend enough money on them. Use them.
25. Quit swearing as much. Yes, fuck is a great adjective (and verb, really) but quit using it as much.
26. Keep the house tidy (and relatively clean) so you won’t be embarrassed if someone stops by unexpectedly (remember the time Catholic Boy stopped by and made a comment? Don’t do that again).
27. Treat your skin better. Stay hydrated, moisturize your body, feet and hands more, and use the face products you have!
28. Take more pride in your appearance.
    1. Iron your clothes if necessary.
    2. Blow out your hair more.
    3. Try to plan out your wardrobe more and throw together things less.
29. Love yourself and others more; dislike less.
30. Start practicing minimization. Does the item bring you joy? No? Get it out of the house whether you give it away, donate it, or just trash it. Just get it out of the house.
31. Live within your means. And be honest about it. Don’t try and keep up with everyone else. You don’t make as much as most people so quit trying to live like you do.
32. Try Feng Shui. You’ve been interested in the concept for years and Lord knows you own more than enough books on it (plus there’s always the internet). Try it. It’ll even give you something to blog about!
33. Start working on your Desire Map or the Firestarter Sessions from Danielle LaPorte (now there’s a woman who gets it)!
34. Be more gracious. Send thank you notes, birthday cards, etc.. Facebook wishes and messages don’t count!
35. Read more, watch less.
36. Indulgences are good, especially to reward yourself for something, but too much of a good thing is too much of a good thing.
37. It’s okay to do things alone. Don’t let the fact that there’s no one to go with you stop you from doing something you want to do.
38. Don’t be ashamed of what’s interesting to you. Whether it’s your love of regency romance novels, tarot cards, feng shui, tapping, etc. This is your life, not high school. Who cares?
39. Do what’s right for YOUR body, YOUR budget, YOUR life, YOUR MIND (and peace of….).
40. It’s okay to be yourself.

P.S.– The picture? It’s taken from the dock of my family’s place on Starvation Lake. Thanks, Meagan!