Time is flying by and I’m already halfway through my 60^th year. That means it’s time for another 60 before 60 progress update. Read on to find out how many of the 60 items I ticked off the list in the first half of the year.

About my 60 before 60 list

In July, I celebrated my 59^th birthday. As yet another milestone approached, I decided to do something a little fun and different in my 60^th year. I made a list of 60 things I wanted to do before my 60^th birthday and shared it here to keep myself accountable.

In my first 60 before 60 update, I reported I had already completed 26 of the 60 items. Halfway through the year, here’s how things are shaping up…

Michelle’s 60 before 60 list – Six-month update

Everyday life

#4 – Do a neighbourhood Christmas lights walking tour. Between rain and fog, the weather really didn’t cooperate this year, but we did sneak in a neighbourhood walk about a week before Christmas.

Food and drink

#5 – Eat a “99″. A 99 is a vanilla soft serve ice cream cone with a Cadbury Flake. I enjoyed one on the beach in Bridlington, Yorkshire during my visit in October.

#11 – Go on a wine tour. When I was visiting my daughter in Kamloops, British Columbia in November, we visited a local winery.

Giving

#13 – Donate to 10 charities. I had a lucky windfall in December and donated part of the money to charity. That brought me to nine. I hit ten when I pledged to go alcohol-free in February for the Canadian Cancer Society’s Dry Feb campaign and made the first donation to my campaign. You can donate to this great cause on my fundraising page.

Green living

#19 – Watch an eco-documentary. I watched Our Planet II on Netflix in October.

Leisure

#33 – Go to a concert. My daughter Laura and I saw the Jonas Brothers in Vancouver in November. And, I have tickets to see Keith Urban in June!

I’m also well on my way to my reading goal with 21 out of 30 books read at the halfway point of the year.  I’ve hiked 19 new trails out of my goal of 20. I’m pretty confident I’ll hit 30 books and 20 trails before July.

Life goals

#39 – Update our retirement plan and #40 – Pick a retirement date. Done and done! Stay tuned for more information.

Travel

#46 – Visit my daughter Laura in BC. Done in November.

#50 – Visit my sister in England. Done in October. You can read all about it, and see my pictures, in these posts:

• A day in London. The weatherman got it wrong!
• Feeling a little train envy.
• The Sunday Spark – Maybe island life is not for me.

#53 – Plan a trip. I completed this one in January when I planned a trip to California in July.

Career

#59 – Publish an article in a professional journal. I cleared this category in December when Reinventing Retirement in an Age of Longevity was published in the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists’ Benefits Quarterly publication.

Six months in, I’m ahead of schedule

I had nothing new to report this quarter in the Health & Wellness, Home, Learning, Music, Personal & Spiritual Growth, and Writing & Blogging categories.

However, I completed 13 more items, bringing my six-month total to 39 out of 60. I’m ahead of schedule but some of the remaining items could be problematic. Can I do it? Stay tuned!

Have you ever made a similar list as you approached a milestone birthday? What would be on your list of things to accomplish before your next birthday? Drop me a comment below and let me know.