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.
Start Date: December 29, 2008
End Date: September 26, 2011
When an item is complete, I will bold the item and put the completion date and a link to the blog entry that discusses it.
Body
1. Lose 60 pounds. Lose the weight I gained while pregnant. (Completed: May 14, 2010)
2. Start and maintain an exercise program that includes both cardio and weight training.
3. Take a multivitamin, iron, and calcium daily. (Completed: December 28, 2009)
4. Do yoga at least once a month.
5. Learn five new healthy dinner recipes. (One, Two, Three, Four)
6. Complete 5 day pouch test. (Completed: June 27, 2009)
7. Stop drinking soda at work.
8. Stop ordering soda at restaurants.
9. Floss regularly.
10. Go vegetarian for two weeks.
Mind
11. Read His Dark Materials (Philip Pullman).
12. Read Jane Austen: The Complete Novels (Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, Lady Susan).
13. Read Watchmen (Alan Moore). (Completed: February 22, 2009)
14. Read The Things They Carried (Tim O’Brien). (Completed: January 24, 2009)
15. Learn to play one song on my guitar
16. Read 30 books I haven’t read before (in addition to the above) and blog about them. (Completed: June 28, 2011. 30/30)
17. Attend a literary event.
18. Create a “books” page on my blog for posts about books. (Completed: January 17, 2009)
19. Write an essay and submit it for publication. (It doesn’t matter if it gets accepted – success is in the submission.) (Completed: November 12, 2009) Read the essay here.
20. Help my husband work on his or my car.
Occupation
21. Either get a promotion or find a new FT job.
22. Get a raise. (Completed: October 14, 2009)
23. Get accepted to and attend/present at a conference. (Completed: April 8, 2009)
Finances
24. Make timely student loan payments. (Completed: December 28, 2009)
25. Consolidate all possible consumer debt. (Completed: January 20, 2009)
26. Pay down at least ¾ of my AMEX bill.
27. Build up a savings account equivalent to three months’ bills.
28. Sell my old camera on eBay.
29. Develop a bill paying strategy with my husband. (Completed: December 28, 2009)
30. Do not get coffee to go (i.e. Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts) more than once per workweek. (Done)
Purchases
31. Buy a bigger bed. (Completed: September 18, 2009)
32. Move into an apartment. (Completed: February 9, 2009)
33. Get a smartphone. (Completed: August 29, 2009)
34. Donate to “This American Life”.
35. Buy Wii Fit. (Completed: January 7, 2009)
Community
36. Participate in two community service activities a year (2009, 2010, 2011). (One)
37. Attend the Renaissance Festival.
38. Join the library (Completed: January 21, 2009)
39. Register this list on Day Zero. (Completed: December 29, 2008)
Just for Me
40. Participate in and finish NaBloPoMo. (Completed: January 31, 2009)
41. Get new passport with new last name.
42. Develop picture organization (digital storage). (Completed: December 28, 2009)
43. Develop picture organization (print display). Frame and hang pictures/art.
44. Blog at least three days a week. (Done)
45. Write 10 new poems.
46. With my sister’s help, scrapbook my Ireland trip. Create a pregnancy album.
47. Learn how to use my camera better
48. Pick a blog theme and stick with it for more than a month. (Completed: February 4, 2009)
49. Pick a blog theme and stick with it for more than three months. (Completed: May 19, 2009)
50. Maintain a blog that talks about the 101 in 1001 project through the end of the project. (Done)
51. Do 30 creative writing prompts.
52. Blog about each completed item. (Done)
53. Complete last year’s 26 Things. Complete a 26 Things project.
54. Complete this year’s 26 Things. Recover my corkboard.
55. Post a blog entry about a new dinner recipe attempt (with pictures).
56. Create "work" "dinner party" playlist on iPod.
57. Create "mellow" playlist on iPod.
58. Post a wedding A-Z photo essay on my blog. (Completed: January 25, 2009)
Married Life
59. Have at least one date night a month with my husband.
60. Get my husband a passport.
61. Travel to a foreign country with my husband.
62. Send wedding thank-you cards. (Completed: August 17, 2009)
63. Buy traditional anniversary presents (Year 1 – Paper (Completed: November 15, 2009), Year 2 – Cotton (Completed: December 24, 2010)
64. Stay at a bed and breakfast with my husband.
65. Order our wedding album. (Completed: August 16, 2009)
66. Get my husband a bike.
67. Go for a bike ride with my husband.
68. Take a mini-vacation (long weekend) with my husband.
69. Watch 5 movies that my husband loves that I am not interested in. (One)
70. Finish my list of 366 things I love about him. (Completed: November 15, 2009) The full list here.
71. Spend a full day on vacation with no email access.
Family Life
72. Host a holiday dinner. (Completed: December 24, 2010)
73. Host a non-holiday family dinner.
74. Attend my brother’s law school graduation. (Completed: May 16, 2009)
75. Bake peanut butter cookies for Oreo. (Completed: January 2, 2009)
Recreation
76. Host a non-holiday dinner party for friends.
77. Visit ten new cities. (Albuquerque 4/09, Miami 5/09)
78. Go camping.
79. Take a road trip.
80. Go to Niagara Falls.
81. Visit two U.S. states I haven’t been to before. (New Mexico 4/09)
82. Do craft/DIY holiday cards in 2009 and 2010. (2009)
83. Go to the Bronx Zoo.
84. Go to the top of the Empire State Building.
85. Have a picnic with friends in a local park.
86. Fix (or have fixed) the bike Mike and Tracy gave me.
87. Watch every episode of House. (Completed: June 9, 2009)
88. Go to the Frick (Completed: June 27, 2009)
89. Go to MoMA
90. See an outdoors summer Shakespeare show.
91. Go to three concerts. (One, Two)
92. Visit 5 places in New Jersey Day Trips. (One)
93. Play mini-golf. (Completed: August 15, 2009)
94. Watch all of the films on AFI’s “10 Top 10“ list. (38/100)
95. Host a game night.
96. Try five new restaurants. (5/5) (One, Two, Three, Four, Five - Completed: February 16, 2010)
97. Go to a professional sports game. (Completed: January 4, 2009)
98. Send a random care package to a friend. (Completed)
99. Go apple picking.
100. Bake three dishes from the picked apples.
101. Host a Pampered Chef party.
]]>