30deeds

 

I spent the first 29 years of my life just going through the motions and doing enough to get by.  I was mainly concerned about myself and did not go out of my way to help others.  As I started to think about my 30th birthday, I decided it was time to make a change.  Time to give back.

Leading up to my 30th birthday in August of 2013, I will be  completing 30 deeds.  Most will be planned but some may be spontaneous.  They will span a wide range of deeds from helping the homeless, animals, children, among others.  I have aspirations to make the project bigger than myself; motivating others to pay it forward.

Most people say that one man can’t change the world.  I beg to differ.

 

Update: Half way through the deeds

In August of last year, I made a decision to try to make a difference in the world by completing 30 deeds before turning 30 in August of 2013.  When I started the journey, I was unsure what to expect.  After completing half the project, it has exceeded all my expectations.  I have completed a wide variety of deeds including: providing meals for the homeless, working with children, teaching computer basics, helping families in need during the holidays, helping fight cancer, and more.   I have met a number of great people and learned so much.  I am beyond excited to complete the next 15 deeds in the coming months.

What has been surprising to me is how little time giving back takes out of my schedule.  I still have time to complete everything I need/want to in my personal life, while setting aside time to volunteer.  Most people use the excuse that they do not have the time or resources to volunteer.  To be honest, I don’t buy it.  It takes very little time and money to truly make a difference in your community.  I challenge you to find a local organization and volunteer!

Unsure where to look or how to get involved?  Check out http://www.volunteermatch.org/,  http://www.jerseycares.org/, or my personal favorite, http://newyorkcares.org/.  New York Cares partners with a variety of organizations in the New York area to match volunteers with projects.  Most projects do not have a commitment  so you can bounce around from project to project to find your niche.   The website is extremely intuitive which makes it easy to find and sign up for projects.  No more excuses of why you can’t volunteer!

I am challenging you to challenge yourself to make a difference in the world.  I promise you will enjoy it and learn more than you could ever imagine!  Good luck and keep me posted on your progress!

Make sure to follow 30deeds on twitter @30deeds and Like it on facebook.