To-do's to complete by age 25!

I've been seeing '30 Things to Do Before You're 30' lists everywhere lately. I'm 22, and I have a while before I hit thirty. However I do believe in setting goals for yourself, because if you're able to set goals, you will be more likely to really see your goals and find a way to achieve them.

I'm feeling old as a 22-year old, which many people scoff at, but this is the time in life where you really get shoved into the real world! I have to come to terms with the fact that I am done with formal education (unless I someday choose to go for my master's), and I am stepping into a world that is completely unfamiliar to me.

I am a fan of lists and plans, and I think a list of things to do before I reach twenty-five is appropriate!

1. Get my spending habits under control. I am a compulsive shopper. I shop when I have money and when I don't, and I shop when I'm stressed and when I'm not! I need to see where my money is going and plan better for the future, when I will have things like my home, food and well-being to pay for.
2. Get a bikini wax. It isn't that I'm afraid to get one, really, but I just haven't ever taken the plunge! It's something I want to try.
3. Travel to Europe. Something I've always wanted to do. I never went abroad, so this is a dream!
4. Move out of my parents' house. I'm hoping that I'll be able to get a job and figure out my own living situation over the next three years!
5. Get involved in a Delta Gamma alumni group. I couldn't have loved being a Delta Gamma more during my collegiate years. I made friends that I know I will have for many years to come, and I couldn't be more grateful for my experiences! I don't want to let that fall on the wayside, and I want to give back to my chapter.
6. Eat more fruits and veggies. I've always been a picky eater, and I'm slowly learning to like fruits and vegetables. By the time I'm 25, I hope that I'm eating them every day!
7. Get in shape and stay that way. I learned the hard way that the older you get, the harder it is to lose weight. In high school, I'd fluctuate ten pounds at the drop of a hat. I want to create a workout routine and stick to it!
8. Get a placement for a client in a top-tier magazine. I'm hoping to enter into public relations, and although I'm already approaching this goal, I still think it's important!
9. Purchase an expensive handbag. Kate Spade, Chanel, Chloe. All gorgeous brands, and all brand I can't quite afford yet! I want to spoil myself and buy one that I'll cherish forever.
10. Have no credit card debt. I don't have a credit card yet, but I know the day will come sooner or later. 
11. Buy an expensive bottle of champagne to celebrate with. I tend to stick with cheap alcohol, but when something truly amazing happens to me or a loved one, I want to celebrate properly!
12. Host a formal party. This might be a little far off, as my friends and I usually keep it pretty casual. I think that a formal cocktail party would be so fun, and I think that I can find a great opportunity for it!
13. Minimize my fear of spiders and other bugs. I panic when I see them (panic as in jump out of my moving car), and I'm ready to get over my fear.
14. Visit the west coast. I've never been further west than Ohio, so I'm ready to travel!
15. Take a cooking class. Everyone needs to learn how to cook properly at some point. I want to learn the basics so I know how to cook a real meal!
16. Learn how to hail a cab properly. It always terrifies me when, at an internship or in the city, I have to hail a cab. I suck at it and feel like I look silly. Time to get over my fear!
17. Replace at least 50% of my closet with nicer clothes. As I get older, I have realized that a bunch of my clothes fit into two categories: no longer fit, or no longer fit my style! I want to stay away from hanging onto old pieces that I never wear.
18. Write a letter to my future self. I did this when I was younger and it's so interesting to see things from the point of view that you had when you were younger!
19. Make a dent in paying off my college loans. I have quite a few loans to pay off now that I've graduated. I want to be responsible and try my best to get off on the right foot with my finances!
20. Go to Las Vegas. I haven't ever gambled, and I think that Vegas is the place to do it.
21. Buy an Apple computer. I am still using the HP laptop that I bought in 2009, and it is definitely outdated! It has a loud fan that blows the entire time it's on, and it gets crazy hot really fast. I hope it lasts for a while, but I also hope to buy an Apple computer soon!
22. Learn how to play the piano. I wish I had learned as a kid, and I love the sound of piano. It would be awesome to learn how to play myself!
23. Do something drastic to my hair. I have gotten into such a rut with my hair. Eventually I'd like to make a change and do something fun with it!
24. Have a signature dish. I feel like most great cooks have one incredible dish that everyone raves about. I want to make something great that everyone can enjoy!
25. Get a job where I love the work and the people. I feel like it's hard to find both, and I don't want to be stuck at a place where I don't have one or the other.

What are your most important goals for the next few years?

xo

Amanda