101 in 1001 days

 

I’ve rebooted my 101 in 1001 goals list! Check out the new post here. Feel free to stay here and read through my old goals and then check out what my new ones are.

 

 

During a blog hop I saw the idea of 101 goals in 1001 days and fell in love with the concept. Unlike New Year’s Resolutions that I willfully admit that I make and soon after abandon, this list and the time frame seem so possible. 1001 days is about three years, precisely two and three quarters of a year. That is more than enough time for me to get things done. Also, I like lists. I may not always get things on my to do list completed but I sure dive into a new list with all of the gusto and enthusiasm that I can muster. So I am challenging myself to complete the following 101 activities. The activities range from serious to silly and I am just going to have fun with this.

I found these guidelines on another blog and this helped me focus on some things that I would like to do. It’s sorta like a bucket list but since the term ‘bicket list’ makes me think of Jack Nicholson in a hospital gown [shudder] here I am calling it 100 in 1001 days. The guidelines I am following I found on a blog called My LA Blog.

101 in 1001 Guidelines

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 organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

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.

Official start date: July 31, 2011

Official end date:   April 27, 2014

Progress report: 

To see keep up with my progress list items will look like:

No color or text change for items still to be done

Purple text and text in italics for items in progress

Blue text and strikeout through text for items completed.

The list

My Body, My Self

1. Sign up and properly train for the 2012 Broad Street Run

2. Practice Yoga/stretching three times each week for a month (or more if it becomes a habit)

3. Eating a vegetarian diet for a month

4. Give up dairy for two months

5. Sign up for a bellydance class

6. Make a viable plan for running/ going to the track again

7. Limit the amount of television that I watch

8. Stop biting my nails

9. Get a massage

10. Have my makeup professionally done

11. Visit a salon and have my hair professionally done

12. Wear a tankini

13. Get 7-8 hours of sleep each night for one week (longer if possible)

14. Do a split (stolen from my friend Norma)

Hobbies and Such

15. Crochet a Sweater

16. Knit a scarf

17. Complete the outstanding UFOs (list to be announced)

18. Learn to play two songs on my guitar

19. Listen to all of the CDs that I own

20. Read a classic book once a month (list to be announced)

21. Complete the Song of Ice and Fire Series (the ones completed)

22. Make an effort to attend at least two meetings of the crochet groups I joined

23. Have my own Star Trek Marathon (all verisons and movies of the show baby!)

 

Reaching Out

24. Get to know my neighborhood by walking it at least once a week

25. Host a dinner party (if successful do it monthly)

26. Visit Aruba again

27. Call or visit friends that I keep ‘meaning to call’

28. Send a handwritten letter to friends and family on their birthday or other special occasion

29. Writing thank you notes for gifts and kindness

30. Answer yes to invites from friends

31. Have a dinner party (monthly if all goes well)

32. Start a game night with friends (both mine and The Bee) that can coincide with dinners or not.

33. Call relatives at least twice each week

34. Spend a few afternoon each month with grandmother

 

Piggy Bank Tales

35. Take a financial fitness class

36. Save four months of salary

37. No eating out for a week.

38. Prepare and bring my own coffee for a month

39. Shop with coupons

40. Save four months salary (six if possible)

41. Place unused items (books, yarn, etc) for sale on eBay, a yard sale or Craig’s List

42. Research and invest in a stock for at least three months

43. Start my business

 

Home Sweet Home

44. Refinish bathroom

45. Clean out basement

46. Finish unpacking

47. Hang curtains and blinds on all of the windows

48. Finish decorating each room

49. Weatherize my house properly

50. Bake something from scratch monthly

51. Have a housewarming

52. Repaint the bathroom

53. Fold and put away laundry the day I wash it

 

The Bee

54. Take The Bee roller and ice skating

55. Train with her for a 5K

56. Cook a full meal together once a week

57. Take The Bee to see a show on Broadway

58. Take a trip to New York to be tourists

59. Sign up for the Thanksgiving Day Parade

60. Take The Bee to a fancy restaurant

61. Start a family night (something just the two of us will do)

62. Per The Bee: Keep something baked in the house

63. Start reading with her nightly (the nights she is with me)

 

Thinking Thoughts I Never Thought Before

64. Make a decision about school

65. Take an adult education class

66. Follow and educate myself more about world politics

67. Visit ten new types of restaurants

68. Visit twelve museums

69. Go to a wine tasting

70. Go see an opera

71. Perform at an open mike

72. Listen to something other than NPR for a week

73. Visit and stay at a bed and breakfast

74. Visit a few friends’s churches

75. Go to a concert

 

Pay it Forward

76. Practice Random Acts of Kindness 

77. Smile and engage strangers in conversation

78. Complete baby hats for Military Baby Shower

79. Volunteer at a crisis center

80. Pay for some one’s library fines

81. Donate blood

 

My ‘hood

82. Take a walk through the neighborhood at least once each week

83. Using Foursquare visit some local restaurants, businesses and parks

84. Sweep my front and keep my alley area clean

85. Place some potted plants and decorations in the garden

 

Social Media

86. Read and blog about the books that are all over the house

87. Visit other blogs and comment for two weeks

88. Take one night each week off of social media

89. Take classes and conferences offered about blogging, web design

Just Because

90. Watch all of Lost

91. Take a dance class

92. Wear some heels

93. Have a booth at a craft fair

94. Go to a professional sports game

95. Make and send care packages to friends’s with college aged children

96. Get professional pictures of myself and The Bee

97. Get a passport

98. Change all of my passwords

99. Start an indoor garden

100. Travel for Book Fairs: Harlem, Washington, DC, Baltimore, BEA (more if opportunity arises)

101. Take a cooking class

Ok. As I looked through my list some things seemed to contradict others (ie go to Aruba/ Save money) but I figure since I have until 2014 to complete this list there is room enough for both.

Join me on this journey, I haven’t decided if I am going to start another blog just for the 101 in 1001 or just blog within my ‘regular’ blog. As I read through the list I saw that there was little work related goals and after doing a mental debate I’ve decided that the things I want to do from this list may not be specifically library chick related but I think a well rounded me will lead to a better work me.