Wednesday, June 04, 2008

My 101 in 1001 List

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

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.
2. Stay Focused. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.
3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.
4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.
5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.

*********************************************************************
I love lists, so it's no wonder that I love the idea of this 101 list.
But I especially love that it made me stop and think about goals or dreams I've had that have been put on hold or forgotten about after having kids(35). Dusting some of those off felt really, really good! Some of the goals are entirely selfish (22,24,26), and some I hope will better me in areas of health, spirituality, and finances. I included some things that I've always been afraid to do(93) or have been curious about(49), some are to help me understand my loved ones better(91,94), and some are to help me be more empathetic and missional to my community(76). All in all, I hope that God uses this list to grow me to fall in love with Him, His people, and His earth more.

Start Date: Sunday, June 1, 2008
End Date: Sunday, February 27, 2011



Health and Wellness
1. Lose enough weight to be in my BMI target range.
3. Go vegan for 2 weeks
17. Try at least 5 fruits and 5 vegetables I've never tried before
18. Exercise 30 minutes a day (weekdays) for at least one month
16. Drink nothing but water for a week
27. No fast food for one full month (even for kids)
92. Follow Tio's diet for one week
53. Take tennis lessons
83. Stop drinking soda entirely
84. Have acupuncture done
86. Complete the Couch to 5k program
100. Abstain from sweets for one entire week

Spiritual/Faith
4. Finish reading the Bible (as of start date, NT has been read)
6. Start journaling again
11. Take a seminary class that I will enjoy
23. Read the Bible daily for at least one month (can include #4)
29. Pray for immediate family and friends daily for one month
37. Finish my Banner Pole of Remembrance
61. Read the holy book of another world religion
73. Memorize ten of my meaningful "life" verses/passages
93. Initiate and tell one person why I am a Christian
98. Find a church to join

General
2. Go to a "hot" beach (during warm weather!)
5. Go 1 week with no television
10. Finish the 1000 Challenge to get rid of 1000 things in my home (as of start date, 500 things remain)
12. Grow and maintain a veggie patch (current tomato plants do not count)
14. Bake bread on a weekly basis (this only counts when I have successfully done it for at least 2 months in a row)
15. Train Pele in obedience
19. Take a full spa day
20. Buy lingerie
21. Get fully dressed every day for at least a month
22. Get my teeth professionally whitened
24. Get my nose pierced
25. Build something (a bookcase?)
26. Knit something for myself
28. Find a wine that I actually like (will take suggestions!)
30. Finish knitting that silly pair of socks
31. Learn to sew 5 practical things
32. Buy a bed and a living room set
33. Wake up before the kids by 15 minutes every day for 2 weeks
34. Buy an original painting to hang in my home
35. Travel internationally for 30th birthday
36. Take pottery lessons
38. Bring no plastic into our home for one month
42. Learn to whistle with my fingers (loudly!)
43. Ask the Chef at Automatic Slim's for a recipe I love (if he says no, ask another professional chef)
44. Read 10 books I currently own but have not read
45. Get my children's clothing line going
50. Research and narrow down which home-(un-)schooling method I want to use
51. Utilize nothing but the farmer's market for family produce needs for one full month
52. Change the oil in my car one time
59. Make a family tree or trace my genealogy
60. Replace at least 3 cleaners with environmentally friendly versions (for home or body)
67. Go ice-skating
70. Go camping as a family (if we have small babies, then camp in the backyard)
71. Design and bake a wedding-worthy cake
72. Pose nude for a photo shoot (after goal weight is achieved)
75. Minimize energy consumption by only using clothes line, no lights before 6 pm, etc.
77. Change ten bad habits into good habits
79. Bake a perfect souffle
80. Try 5 cheeses I've never tried (even if I don't think I like it)
81. Go to and play at a casino
82. Make limoncello
87. Ride a real roller coaster-no kids!
101. Take voice lessons
46. Finish quilting my square


Relationships
7. Go on a weekend getaway with no kids
8. Go 1 week without getting on the computer.
54. Go to lunch with a friend once a month for 4 non-consecutive months
55. Learn to and play a video game with Hunny
68. Plan a romantic night for Hunny, and surprise him with it once a month
90. Become proficient in non-violent communication
91. Study and understand Generalized Anxiety Disorder
94. Write a letter to mom
89. Spend a night at the Peabody or the Madison for anniversary

Financial
9. Save $1 a day, saving $1,001 by the end of the challenge
78. Start a savings account for Bear and Bunkin
85. Cut my college loan debt in half

Community
39. Practice acts of kindness for a full day (pay for an expired meter, pay for the next person's coffee, etc) 5x
40. Take a daily walk, picking up trash along the way, for one week
41. Walk (or run) for a cause (March of Dimes, Susan G. Komen)
47. Continue growing my hair and donate to Locks of Love
48. Meet at least 4 neighbors, and pursue conversations at least 2 more times each
56. Send a birthday card to all immediate family and friends for a full year
64. Research how to join (and if I qualify, join) a bone marrow donor registry
69. Rescue a pet from a shelter (if we have small babies, then donate money instead)
74. Research how to donate breastmilk and if there is a local bank
76. Have a conversation with a homeless person/volunteer at a soup kitchen
96. Buy a TWLOHA shirt to support that cause
97. Find a friend or group with which to barter services
95. Buy 25 flowers for 25 random strangers

Enrichment/Learning
62. Read the rest of Shakespeare's plays (those not read in college)
63. Learn calligraphy well enough to nicely address envelopes
65. Learn to identify 10 (local) birds by sight and sound
66. Re-memorize the times tables (no laughing at me! I need to!)
57. Re-learn Spanish (become conversational again)
58. Read a book in Spanish
13. Read classic works of fiction every couple of months (list to be determined)
49. Be able to identify 3 non-Dipper constellations
88. Rewrite a college paper and submit for publication in a journal


And last, but not least
99. Get pregnant! (After goal weight has been reached and if Hunny agrees to it!)

+I will try to update this list monthly to mark off things done or in progress
+Any unfinished tasks by the end of the 1001 days must be finished the following month and $2 per unfinished task must be donated to a charity, OR $5 for each unfinished task must be donated to a charity.
+If one of these is absolutely no longer desired, I have the right to remove it as long as I can explain my reasoning and that I replace it with another goal to be completed by the end of the challenge.

5 comments:

kediger said...

Ooo, that's seems overwhelming but intriguing (I also love lists!). Where do you start?

Lori ~ The Simple Life at Home said...

Excellent, excellent list!! I really like how you built in consequences for yourself. I wish I had thought of that, but, darn, too late now!! LOL!

I need to get cracking on my list - time's a wasting!

Pierce your nose? Really??

Mellie_Blogs said...

That is so ambitious!!!! I love the idea, think I would pare it down quite a bit for me LOL!

I am looking forward to the updates!

: )

Michele @ Frugal Granola said...

Wow, your list is so inspiring! :) I'm impressed.
Here's a wine suggestion:
http://www.ste-michelle.com/wines/indian_wells/chardonnay.cfm

You might also want to check out this site (breast milk donation):
http://www.breastmilkproject.org/

If it's any help, I made a few loaves of bread at once. Then, I freeze the ones I won't be using that week. This way, I usually only have to make bread every other week, instead of every week. :)

I'll have to keep thinking on this...
Blessings,
Michele
www.frugalgranola.blogspot.com

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