Today, I turn 40. To be perfectly honest, I’ve had a really hard time with 40. My kids are getting older (my youngest goes to kindergarten next week!). I’m sure my health is about to take a hit (I sure don’t “bounce back” as quickly as I did before). And, I’m officially now on the downward side of life.

And that scares the heck out of me.

Why? Because there’s so much I have yet to do.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve done a lot in my first 40 years. And, I haven’t taken those opportunities for granted. But, then again, I worked hard for a lot of that.

But,I’m one of those people who is always looking forward. And, for me, forward has many possibilities.

So, on my 40th birthday, I thought I’d take a look back at 25 things I’ve done (to this date) and 25 additional things I want to do before I call it a day. Here goes nothing…

25 things I’ve done

* Had a baby

* Had a baby girl

* Got married (to Angela Bonello)

* Started a blog

* Survived high school

* Graduated from college

* Got a job in the PR industry

* Kept an award-winning blog going for 5 years

* Spoke at a national industry event (BlogWorld in 2011)

* Keynoted an industry event (Seattle PRSA event in 2012)

* Sat on a board (PRSA board)

* Founded an event (the MN Blogger Conference)

* Made a difference (HAPPO)

* Hiked to the top of a mountain in a third-world country (St. Kitts)

* Played in a national athletic event (the NAIA national golf championship in 1996)

* Played in a state high school athletic event (1990 Minnesota State Golf Tournament)

* Bought a home

* Found a favorite local eatery where we’re “regulars” (Bryant Lake Bowl)

* Proposed to a girl

* Walked my son to school every day

* Started a business

* Visited Hawaii

* Won my first industry award

* Spoke at my alma mater (Winona State University)

25 things I want to do

* Work for a Major League sports franchise

* Learn to play the guitar

* Learn more about photography

* Coach a high school basketball team

* Visit Australia with my wife

* Visit Europe (specifically Spain, Italy and Norway) with my wife

* Live on a golf course

* Live on an island

* Be on the board of a non-profit I care about

* Watch both my kids graduate from high school

* Watch both my kids graduate from college

* Walk my daughter down the aisle

* Hold a granddaughter in my arms

* Take epic road trips with our family to National Parks across the country

* Visit my kids at college

* Play golf with either of my kids

* Travel to Scotland with my brother and play St. Andrews

* Watch my brother get married

* Be a uncle to my brother’s kids

* Be a college professor

* Volunteer for at least one organization when I retire

* Work at a golf course–again (I worked for golf courses for 10-plus years when I was a kid)

* Buy a boat

* Visit the Masters one more time (I’ve been there twice now, fortunately)

* Go to my 30th high school reunion (it would be my first)

Note: Photo courtesy of Will Clayton via FlickR Creative Commons.