40 Things to do Before You’re 40

21. Restore a broken relationship. Is there is someone in your life whom you loved but is not in your life anymore? Regardless of it’s the result of something they did, something you did or just a mutual drifting in different directions, be the one to extend an olive branch. Some of your strongest relationships later in life will probably the result of this kind of intentionality.

22. Give new life to something old. When my wife Ashley and I were newlyweds, we restored an old home and it gave us both a lifelong passion for restoration bringing new life and new beauty that things that have been forgotten. Look past the dust and look past our modern culture’s obsession with throwing things away to replace them with something brand new. There’s something beautiful about restoration (and it doesn’t just have to be an old house. Get creative.)

23. Get comfortable in your own skin. One of the most common deathbed regrets goes something like this…”I wish I would have been myself instead of living my whole life trying to be who I thought everyone wanted me to be.” Choose to be yourself. Embrace your unique gifs, talents, quirks and God-given uniqueness. Don’t live to be a copy of someone else or to play a role someone else wants you to play. Be yourself or the world will miss out on the unique contribution only the real you can make.

24. Help someone who can’t repay you. The Bible says it is more blessed to give than to receive which seems counterintuitive, but it’s absolutely true! When you help someone who can help you back, it’s called networking. When you help someone with no thought of repayment, it’s called love. Be the kind of person who is willing to help others. True greatness isn’t about be served; it’s about serving others.

25. Throw a surprise birthday party for someone you love. This one is FUN and memorable. I’ve thrown several surprise parties for my wife Ashley. I was also part of an epic surprise 50th and 40th birthday party for two friends in the guise of a fake funeral (nobody actually died). I know it sounds kind of morbid, but it was a brilliant way to get everyone gathered together! Surprise parties make great memories and the show the people you love that you care enough to spend a lot of time planning a celebration.

26. Establish healthy boundaries. In almost every sport, there is a field or court with clearly marked boundaries. Anything “out of bounds” doesn’t count and those boundaries give order and structure to the game. So many people live life without establishing what’s out of bounds so their life has no real order or structure. Your relationships, your schedule and most every part of your life needs boundaries. If you don’t know where to start, the book Boundaries by Drs. John Townsend and Henry Cloud is a good resource.

27. Write a book (or a song). I remember the first time I held a book with my name on the cover. It was surreal. It was just a short, self-published book full of typos, but I felt like I was holding gold. When you write a book (or if you’re musically-inclined, write a song), it puts your thoughts and feelings into an enduring and tangible format you can share with future generations. It’s also very rewarding.