101 things in 1001 days: The List

• 1. start a log of books read
• 2. plant a garden
• 3. paint a piece of pottery for myself
• 4. call each set of grandparents 5 times for no reason (0/10)
• 5. eat 3 things I’ve never tried before (1/3)
• 6. take a photo every day for a month
• 7. be in the audience for a tv talk show
• 8. open a Roth IRA
• 9. learn more about photography and practice taking pictures
• 10. run a 5k
• 11. buy real bedroom furniture
• 12. go to a hot air balloon race
• 13. make apple butter
• 14. go pick apples
• 15. make 5 pieces of jewelry that I like (0/5)
• 16. get the stuff to hook up my MP3 player in the car
• 17. go to a home buying seminar
• 18. give/send people 50 happy notes (6/50)
• 19. organize my clothes and closet
• 20. learn enough italian to get around in Italy
• 21. see a play
• 22. find a system for managing work papers
• 23. go to 7 outdoor concerts (0/7)
• 24. actually finish this list
• 25. fly a kite
• 26. find a good charity and give money
• 27. get a haircut at least 3 times a year (2)
• 28. learn how to make a better website
• 29. find a place to document the 101 and do it
• 30. make and send 5 scrapbooked cards
• 31. make a book with all my favorite family recipes in one place
• 32. find and try 10 good crockpot meals (0/10)
• 33. go on a picnic
• 34. adopt a dog
• 35. {personal}
• 36. buy a sewing machine and sew something
• 37. take and display 100 photos I love (0/100)
• 38. throw my sister’s bridal shower
• 39. frame the poster of my school
• 40. go camping
• 41. eat breakfast every day
• 42. calculate net worth once a month
• 43. shred old financial papers
• 44. increase retirement savings
• 45. pay off car
• 46. increase emergency fund
• 47. maintain no debt (except mortgage)
• 48. buy a house
• 49. save for a down payment on a house
• 50. rebalance retirement savings
• 51. send three “any soldier” packages (0/3)
• 52. create efficient filing system for papers as they come in
• 53. go to rome
• 54. do 15 hikes
• 55. go to ten more “places to see” places (1/10)
• 56. visit Jess
• 57. visit paternal grandparents
• 58. visit maternal grandparents
• 59. go on a cruise
• 60. work–go to Kagan one week training
• 61. work–earn my gifted endorsement
• 62. work–become a board certified teacher
• 63. read a C.S. Lewis book
• 64. read 5 books that are my friends’ favorites
• 65. read twenty new authors (0/20)
• 66. throw out old magazines and file ideas I want to keep
• 67. go to ten new restaurants (4/10)
• 68. get an angel from the salvation army’s angel tree every year (1/2)
• 69. use Joe’s goals every day for two months
• 70. keep a gratitude journal for a month
• 71. mail Christmas cards
• 72. finish crocheting Kristen’s scarf
• 73. find a place to volunteer and do it
• 74. go see a stand up comedian or improv
• 75. write down 50 cute things the kids do or say
• 76. back up computer once a month
• 77. be able to run 3 miles
• 78. get a massage
• 79. drink 3 or fewer sodas a week
• 80. lose 20 pounds
• 81. keep all the weight I lose off through the 1001 day
• 82. keep a food journal for one month
• 83. take another cooking class
• 84. get scuba certified
• 85. host people at my house ten times (1/10)
• 86. do a christmas tacky light tour
• 87. organize my files at home–so they can be transferred easily to a new house
• 88. find a church I like attending
• 89. go to a concert of someone I really like
• 90. go tubing/canoeing/or rafting
• 91. make my bed every day for a month
• 92. cook a pot roast
• 93. take two classes (fitness or otherwise) for fun
• 94. find a perfect present for a friend
• 95. watch 15 new movies from the AFI list (2/15)
• 96. stay in a B&B
• 97. finish cruise scrapbook
• 98. use cash only for one month (except gas)
• 99. {personal}
• 100. {personal}
• 101. sell, donate, or throw away 101 things I don’t need

Almost there!

So I have finally come up with 100 things I want to do in the next 1001 days…I just need one more! Since it will be at the top of the list (by default of how the blogger widgets work) I feel like it should be a decent goal, and not one that is lame.

Many of my goals I tried to do for a month. I’m hoping that after a month or two of doing something it will either become a habit, or I will at least feel like I have given it a real shot of becoming a habit and for whatever reason it didn’t make the cut. Some things I know have a small chance of actually becoming a habit, but I feel that doing it for a month would still benefit my life (like doing a gratitude journal). Others I hope will stick with me (Joe’s goals, food journal, making my bed.)

Other ways I came up with my goals: I listed things I always wanted to do (obviously), thought of things I sometimes do that I’d like to do more often, things that would make my life easier or better, things I’ve should do but have been procrastinating on, and things that I’m scared to do but should.

There are a few things in there that I kind of cheated and listed even though I know I am already going to do them (sister’s bridal shower, rome) but they are still things that require effort and planning so I thought it was fair to list them as goals. In theory, I would hope that most things on the list are things I would have done anyway, and that the time period combined with my love of list making and crossing things off would give me the catalyst to get going. I’m encouraged by other websites where people have completed their list and started another one. I think that its always a good sign when people are willing to do something twice.

My challenge, as always, is going to be to stick with this. I tend to get all excited about something and then two weeks later forget about it, focus on another part of my life, or decide its not worth it. Many of my goals address things that I have done that, but I hope that committing to the list itself will be a way to stick with something for once. [Just had visions of people reading my blog three years from now and finding this to be the last post, never having been touched again once I begin...I have to admit the blog itself is a way that I am trying to keep myself accountable!]

If you are someone who finds list interesting, you might want to check out Best 101 Lists. Its not the 101/1001 lists, but other random lists of 101 things, such as organizing, blog tools, and the like.

Still thinking…

Wow, it’s a lot harder to find 101 things that I want to do than I thought it would be. I’m still working on finishing the list…but it will definitely be done by Dec. 31st!

101 in 1001

The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria: Tasks must be specific, with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must be realistic and stretching.

Here is the original site. 101 in 1001
Originality isn’t my strong point in this, either with the program itself or the goals. But at least it will be interesting for me.