Viva La Free Concert

My birthday is this Thursday, and it has been an interesting lead up.  I tend to hate birthdays because they remind you that you are one year closer to a retirement home.  I am turning 29 this year which means I have to do two things.

1)  I have to live it out because honestly, it's the last year of my twenties and once you turn thirty, people expect you to behave a certain way.  You can't really grow a five o'clock shadow and wear a t-shirt that says "Jesus is my breakdancing partner".  I am sure there are plenty who still do, but I don't know, I just feel like my twenties is when I got to be an idiot and get away with it because I was still in my twenties.  Once  I hit thirties, you can still be a douchbag time to time, but people may not be as understanding. 

2) I have to work really hard on my long term goals which have officially become my short term goals.  When I was in my early 20's (21, 23, even in 25) I set short term goals and long term ones.  Short terms consisted of getting my portfolio together, starting a website, learn a new program.  My long term were "find an incredible woman to spend my life with", "stop being dependent on my folks (for things like money)" and "make X amount of money by the time I am 30".  The first two I achieved.  I found my wife and she is my spine and feet.  She keeps me stright and on my feet.  Without her, I would be a mailroom employee with a bad habit of loving alcohol.  I also stopped being dependent on others.  If shit hits the fan financially now, I figure things out.  I don't run to the safety of the Jacob Bank Of Safety (Jacob is my father).

But here is the problem.  I told myself  back in my early 20's that by age 30, I want to make a certain amount of money.  I am not going to say how much it is, but it was reasonable.  I didn't say something outrageous and untouchable.  But now I am 12 months away from turning 30 and I am not close to that "X" number.  I am on my way there, but not really close to a point where I can reach it by any-means.

So, I will probably have to push the age from 30 to 35 and hope for the best.

For now, I was thinking of things I want to do in my last 12 months of my twenties and the first one (which is "Go to a good concert") will be taken care of today.  

I entered into a contest to win free Coldplay tickets in Madison Square Garden and I won.  So today, my wife and I will get to go check out a free show (take that ticketmaster convenience fee!).  I am pretty stoked.  Anyone that knows me well enough, knows I am a big fan of this band.  So it is nice to go to their show for free on my birthday week and scratch #1 off the list.

Here is the rest of the list of things I have to do in the next 12 months:

1.  Go to a good concert

2.  Have my artwork in atleast 3 art galleries by age 30

3.  Go see another country (Flying to Paris in August)

4.  Write a book

5.  Read a good book (or more)

6.  Get piss drunk one last time at a party or something.  After 30, I don't think my body can handle anything that isn't wine or beer.

7.  Save for retirement (401K or ING Direct type of investment)

8. surf atleast one more time (which may be hard since I live in NYC)

9. Find a way to get closer to the "X" amount I want to make by age 35.

10. Make sure I complete #9 by my 30th birthday!!!