Well, I’ve made it another year around the sun, and one year closer to my age 42 deadline. I am 37 years old. (How did that happen?!) So I’ve got five years left. That sounds like so much time, but I know I can’t expect to cram in all the Things in the last two years.

Let’s look at where Things stand now:

Things I have completed:

1. Starting the 42 Things Blog.
2. Rereading the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series.
3. Update my Librarything list.
4. Take a photography class.
5. Make a list of 42 things I like about my body.
6. Do Meatless Monday for 3 months.
7. Join a book club.

Things that are in progress:

1. Cook all the things from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.
2. Read or get rid of all my unread books.
3. Blog regularly (once a week) for 6 months.

Things I’ve attempted but didn’t finish and need to try again:

1. Making the bed every day for 30 days. (Made it 2 days. I seriously hate making the bed, y’all.)
2. 30 days of Praying in Color. (Made it 6 days, but it was December and holiday stuff started and blah blah blah)

If you look at the percentages, two years of the project (more like 1.5, but let’s round it) is 28%. I’ve completed 16% of the Things and if you include the ones that are in progress, that’s 23%. So I’m not too far off pace, really.

Beyond the facts and figures, I am really glad that I started this project. I’m glad I made a list of 42 Things. And I’m glad I gave myself permission to fail. I revisited the permission slips post recently and it was just what I needed. So you don’t have to click the link to reread the post, here’s the main takeaways I got from my reread. I gave myself permission to write in total Jennifer style, oversharing, and being spectacularly uncool. I gave myself permission to skip around, which is good because I’ve been doing that liberally. I gave myself permission to fail and write shitty things. And I gave myself permission to take naps. I’ve really been abiding by that one.

I’ve got three more months of blogging every week(ish), and there are topics that I feel compelled to tackle, even though I’m afraid to. I’m trying not to be so afraid, one of the main themes here at Forty-Two Things, so I’m going to jump in and write some stuff down.

I worry that what I’ve got to say has already been said — and said better — by other people, writers I look up to. But I can’t let that stop me. Everything’s been said before by someone, right?

So I’m moving forward into the last five years of my Forty-Two Things by 42 Project, ready to get shit done. Ready to leave it all on the page, or screen. Ready to learn and grow. Thanks for reading along and cheering me on.

P.S. My mom got me a selfie stick. I’m going to really dork it up with this thing.