I saw this on another individual’s blog and decided it seemed like a rather good idea. Thus, my own 101 Things was born. Today is July 8, 2008 (though I won’t be posting ’til much later), but I will begin my optimistic completion of these tasks/goals on August 1, mostly for a more well-rounded date — and to give myself a couple weeks to comprise my list.
So, here are the rules from the mission’s official Web site (http://www.triplux.com/dayzero/):
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 (i.e. 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.
And so, I shall attempt 101 things in less than three years… Is it realistic? I suppose it will depend on my list (which has zero items as I write this sentence), but with any luck, it’s an achievable goal, or goals, if you will. Wish me the best of luck. Unfortunately, the truth is that I may desperately need it.
Start Date: August 1, 2008
Completion Date: April 29, 2011
- Begin learning to play an instrument – either piano or guitar.
- Write poetry again.
- Donate blood for the first time.
- Visit my great-grandmother who I haven’t seen since Christmas 2006.
- Forgive my father’s father (long story).
- Accumulate $1,000 in my savings account.
- Walk the streets of Charleston, SC.
- Get another tattoo. (Can I cross this off twice for my 2 new tattoos?)
- Volunteer at the Mooresville Soup Kitchen.
- Teach Sophie how to sit, stay, fetch (and bring back) and shake hands.
- Start mowing my own lawn.
- Pay off at least half of my Capital One card. =/
- Drink more water, less soda.
- Exercise consistently, three days per week or more.
- Actually take Sophie for long walks instead of short parades around the yard.
- Maintain my car on a regular basis.
- See a movie alone. (Never have!)
- Take cooking lessons.
- Sand down and stain the piece of bed Sophie gnawed on.
- Visit Disney World again.
- Swim with a dolphin.
- Swim underwater without holding my nose.
- See Biltmore Estates.
- Travel to Washington, D.C. again and visit my uncle and his family.
- Read a whole book in one day.
- Study the French language again.
- Attend a Penn State football game … in the Alumni section.
- Go to my first NFL game.
- See my first hockey game.
- Explore Charlotte for an entire day.
- Walk through the One Tree Hill sets – “River Court” primarily – in Wilmington, NC.
- Purchase a new beta fish. (RIP Broken)
- Take and stay on a multi-vitamin.
- Dye my hair to its natural color.
- Teach my little sister how to whistle.
- Try calling people to say thank you instead of writing emails and thank-you cards.
- Get my teeth whitened.
- Visit the dentist.
- Not have a hangover the day after drinking all night.
- Bake my mother’s banana bread.
- Figure out how to make my mother’s spaghetti sauce.
- Purchase no clothes or shoes for one month.
- Climb Chimney Rock.
- Join the Society of Professional Journalists.
- Try sushi.
- Purchase a piece of original artwork.
- Find the perfect TV cabinet for my bedroom.
- Finally finish unpacking my house.
- Get back into a size 4.
- Wake up more than once a week when the alarm goes off.
- Run the dryer less often – only once per load of laundry.
- Donate to Goodwill.
- Order out/Pick up/Hit up a drive-thru/Eat at a restaurant no more than 3x/week.
- Stop buying bottled water.
- Explore options that will lead to better pay.
- Send friends from home notes/cards for no reason.
- Keep a plant alive more than one week.
- Try go-kart racing.
- Make my Mom happy and go to Church on Christmas day.
- Print two pictures of my baby sister and I, have them framed for each of us.
- Organize a family portrait for my mother.
- Accompany my grandmother to Atlantic City.
- Get a new cell phone.
- Don’t lose/break my iPod, or have it stolen.
- Visit NYC.
- Attend an art show.
- Begin saving toward a professional camera.
- Eat less bacon.
- Cut my news clips as the newspaper comes out instead of piling papers on my desk.
- Enter some works toward the North Carolina Press Association awards.
- Bake a cake from scratch.
- Visit an aquarium.
- Leave dishes in the sink no more than 24 hours.
- Take an entire Saturday off for no reason.
- Teach Sophie to go into her crate without me having to drag her there.
- Put away my shoes after wearing them instead of leaving pairs all over the house.
- Go through my clothes and actually part with belongings I never wear.
- Buy myself flowers.
- Purchase fruits and vegetables from the farmer’s market instead of Harris Teeter.
- Break the $46,000 marker on my student loans.
- Utilize Wii Fit – I bought it and it’s only collecting dust.
- Write an entire article without stopping to check Fbook, MySpace, my blog, my bank account, etc.
- For at least one day, don’t look at a single clock and just fly by the seat of my pants.
- Visit Carowinds (finally).
- See Rent when they tour.
- Finally purchase The Breakfast Club on DVD.
- Complete at LEAST 1/3 of the things on the list (it’ll be tough).
- Make a new 101 list if I don’t finish everything.
- By the onset of 2011, begin working at a different newspaper.
- Send in one piece to The Huffington Post.
- Get a raise at my current newspaper gig.
- Make $150 in tips waitressing one Friday night.
- Adopt a child through “Angel Tree” during Christmastime.
- Enroll in a women’s self-defense course.
- Visit my high school and see if my poem is still painted on the Alumni Room wall.
- Start a 401K plan through work.
- Apply (if possible) for the NY Times Intermediate Reporting Program.
- Give up hot chocolate/chocolate milkshakes for an entire month.
- Meet Joe Paterno.
- Fill my empty photo albums.
- Make a scrapbook-type collage of Scranton.
I’ll cross these off as I go and update about my successes – and failures. If you notice, #87 says “Complete at LEAST 1/3 of the things on the list (it’ll be tough).” I tend to give up on things or make To-Do lists, then fail to follow through. I’m at least hoping to make it 33 percent of the way.
Many of my items seem, well, selfish or money-related; I’m a poor girl who has many aspirations for herself. With a life toppled by bills and making fewer dollars than I’d like, I somewhat can’t help it, but I tried to include many things I’d love to do for others on the list as well. Perhaps putting a smile on someone else’s face through volunteering or a random card will make all of the things I want for myself a little less important.
Like I said, wish me luck! This is not going to be an easy list to complete, but I’m going to make my absolute best effort to not forget I wrote it accomplish each goal. =) — M
4 Comments so far
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A MinD in MoTown 
Scratched off two things today; the first two goals I’ve actually accomplished. Only 99 items left… Ha.
Comment by amindinmotown October 7, 2008 @ 12:07 pmThis is such a fabulous list. I think you should try to continue with it. What an experience some of these accomplishments would be. I especially like #30, it’s on my list as well as #17. I also love the ones involving your family.
Comment by Sarah Nicole September 3, 2009 @ 12:36 pmYour list, and your comment, made me look over this again and I actually have things to cross off. Woohoo! Hopefully I’ll stay motivated this time.
Comment by amindinmotown September 3, 2009 @ 1:25 pmYay!
Comment by Sarah Nicole September 4, 2009 @ 7:39 am