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40 by 40 (#5 - #9)

I`ve been thinking of some things to add to my 40 By 40 list and thought I`d get them written down here. I feel like actually putting my goals into words on paper (or in a blog) is one of the most important steps I can take. Putting it out there for others to see helps me stay accountable. If you read this, please comment and ask me how I am doing toward accomplishing my 40 by 40. That will help me more than anything!

Here`s what else I`ve come up with so far:

5. Pay off all credit card debt. I think this is definitely something I can accomplish. I don`t have a ton of debt, but enough that I feel like I need to get rid of it. I also have a student loan that I am still paying on and would love to get rid of it too, but for now I will focus on the credit cards.

6. Take a class on digital photography and build my skill. I LOVE photography. I fell in love with it in junior college when I took a photography class one semester. Back then of course it wasn`t digital, but film photography and we actually learned how to develop our own film which was so amazing! I believe I still have my portfolio somewhere in my boxes back in Texas. At the end of the semester my teacher actually presented me and another girl with brand new cameras because he said he saw a lot of promise in our work. Of course I didn`t pursue photography, I got a degree in biology and then moved to Japan to teach English. However, as digital photography and natural light photography have taken off and I see more and more people I know making a living doing that I always feel like I could be doing that too. I need to work on my skills before I start trying to make money doing it though!

7. Build and stick to capsule wardrobes for both Noa and myself. It would be a real bonus if I could convince my clothes hoarding husband to join us! I fight with Noa on the daily about what she`s going to wear and I feel like a capsule wardrobe would make both of our lives easier. This actually may be one of the first goals I accomplish because I am thinking of starting one for her very soon because I am tired of fighting with her.

8. Get my gmail inbox down to zero! I just checked and I currently have 3769 messages in my inbox. That`s just ridiculous!

9. Organize photos on my computer. Oh wow! This is a big one. I have so many photos. Every time I move pictures from my phone to my computer I realize just how many pictures I have that I don`t need. I do have them fairly organized on my computer, broken down into years and then further into months, but still way too many. I need to cull them, back them up properly, and start making some albums and/or prints of the ones I want to keep so they aren`t just filed away in the digital space. 

I`ll be back soon with more goals!

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