Last year, I began a new decade of life and I couldn’t be more excited. Why? At 30, I’m now able to live life on my own terms and I’m looking forward to all the blessings that will come with this. Halfway through my third decade, I made a 30 before 30 bucket list and while my success rate was only 47%, I’m not mad about it. Since publishing that list, my goals and priorities had shifted, and I accomplished other goals not mentioned. It was still exciting to revisit it on my 30th birthday, so with that said, here’s my 40 before 40 bucket list.
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Why Make A 40 Before 40 Bucket List?
Creating a 40 before 40 bucket list is powerful because it gives intention, clarity and momentum to a decade that often flies by. Here’s why I choose to do it:
- It turns time into purpose. Instead of letting my 30s pass on autopilot, a 40 before 40 list helps me decide how I want to live— what matters most, what I don’t want to postpone, and what kind of memories I want to carry forward.
- It balances achievement and joy. My list isn’t just about big milestones or career wins as a meaningful life is multidimensional.
- It creates accountability. Writing goals down makes them real. A 40 before 40 list becomes a gentle contract with myself to stop waiting for “someday” and start saying yes now.
- It encourages growth and bravery. My list pushes me outside my comfort zone, just like this blog does—learning a new skill, taking a bold trip, and starting things I’ve been putting off. Growth often lives there.
- It captures my values at this stage of life. My priorities will evolve but this list reflects who I am now—what excites me, challenges me and brings fulfillment.
- It becomes a story, not just a checklist. Years later, my 40 before 40 list will read like a map of lived experiences— proof that I didn’t just age, I lived. So, with that said, here’s my list!
“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” — Mae West
40 Goals Before 40
1. Complete a 5K in under 30 minutes. My shortest time to date has been 35 minutes.
2. Become a strong swimmer.
3. Become a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. Now that I’m finished with residency, this is my newest career goal. I’m still on the fence about fellowship.
4. Attend the Calabash Literary Festival in Treasure Beach.
5. Pay off my new car. I still drive the same car I did in medical school, so I’m looking to upgrade this year.
6. Start a family.
7. Fill out my bookshelves. My husband installed shelves for us last year, so it’s time to fill them out with books.
8. Visit another Jamaican cay. Jamaica has dozens of cays, and it’s time I visit them. So far, I’ve only ever been to Monkey Island (it no longer has monkeys but the name stuck).
9. Visit Luminous Lagoon. Imagine Jamaica is one of only five countries in the world with a bioluminescent lagoon, yet I’ve never been to it (at night). Embarrassing!
10. Visit Milk River Mineral Bath. The chemical make-up of the waters are remarkably radioactive, more so than leading European spas. This mineral bath has so much untapped potential; I’m overdue a visit.
11. Attend a local indigenous festival— hopefully one of these Maroon festivals, a Rasta or Taino festival.
12. Visit a Rastafarian village. I’d also love to visit the remaining two of Jamaica’s four Maroon villages (namely Charles Town and Scotts Hall).
13. Trek the Upper Rio Grande Valley. This is one of the most beautiful and untouched corners of Jamaica. I need to check out more waterfalls in Millbank, Comfort Castle and surrounding communities.
14. Hand feed hummingbirds. Hummingbirds are my favourite birds so I’d love to visit a sanctuary where they are tame enough to feed from nectar in my hand.
15. Work out a retirement plan.
16. Read the Bible from start to finish.
17. Bake a Christmas fruit cake from scratch.
18. Visit Jamaica’s easternmost point, the Morant Point & Lighthouse in St. Thomas.
19. Go paragliding.
20. Take a family vacation abroad.
21. Visit Cuba. I deeply admire this country’s resilience, and they’re our nearest neighbour.
22. Explore more of the Caribbean. It’s a pity how expensive inter-Caribbean travel is.
23. Take a cruise.
24. See the Northern Lights, time lapse videos of the Aurora Borealis seem so magical!
25. Visit Iceland.
26. Visit West Africa, especially Ghana. I know I’m going to openly weep, but I’m ready. Visiting the slave castles, the dark dungeons and the Gate of No Return is an important spiritual pilgrimage for me. I can’t wait to become a slave descendant who made The ReturN.
27. Summit Mount Kilimanjaro, the Roof of Africa. I’m not sure HOW I’ll survive one week on the mountain in freezing temperatures, but if others can do it, so can I. Treks like Acatenango are my preparation.
28. Visit a desert. I’m fascinated by landscapes I can’t see in Jamaica.
29. Visit an African safari.
30. Ride a hot air balloon.
31. Visit Paris.
32. Visit Venice.
33. Experience the Swiss Alps.
34. Visit All 7 World Wonders. I have five more left, having already visited Chichen Itza in Mexico and Machu Picchu in Peru. Did you know that each World Wonder carries a unique passport stamp? I want to collect them all!
35. Experience Christmas in New York. Home Alone 2 lives rent free in my head.
36. See the Statue of Liberty.
37. Visit All 7 Central American Countries. After the delights of my Panama birthday (2024) and Guatemalan honeymoon (2025), I can’t stop thinking about exploring the rest of Central America. I’m excited to visit El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Belize, but I’ll admit that I need to do more research about Honduras first.
38. Explore more of South America.
39. Visit the Grand Canyon, USA.
40. Visit Banff, Alberta, Canada. This dreamy destination lives rent free in my head.
Wrap Up
You may notice a few repeats from my 30 before 30 bucket list, hehe. Those are the eight goals still relevant to me and the direction in which I’d like my life to go. But, who knows what this decade will bring? In 2035, perhaps I’ll look back and laugh at some of these goals. I’m sure I’ll accomplish many of them (some are already in progress), but I may lose interest along the way in others, or worse–not have enough funds or time for everything. Will I even still be blogging at 40? Who knows! Anyway, do you write similar lists or do you prefer to go with the flow? Sound off in the comments section below! Fun fact: my husband had commented 5½ years ago on my 30 before 30 list while we were still strangers! God writes the best stories. 🙂 ‘Til next time.
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Adventures from Elle 
This is such a wonderful list. I find that each decade of life brings different, evolving priorities, values, and circumstances, necessitating a shift in goals to ensure a fulfilling life. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
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It’s good to set goals.
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Swimming is great and kept me healthy through two pregnancies in my thirties. Are there lap pools you can use there? Ocean swimming is a fun, but presents a few challenges (ie things that sting!)
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That’s awesome!! Not publicly, I’d have to either live at an apartment complex with one or be able to afford my own some day. But let’s see 🙂 it’s an activity I’d love to take up so where there’s a will, there’s a way. Thanks for reading!!
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Maybe one of the hotel/resort pools lets community members swim for a fee? I did that in Boston, near work.
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Not in Jamaica! Most try to keep locals out unfortunately 🫣 but when I’m overseas, I’ll look into this
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