Friday, August 15, 2008

101 in 1001: Life List

Like most of us at one time or another, I think I’ve reached one of those little plateaus in my life. I’m feeling tired, uninspired and down. Whenever I feel this way I let myself stay there for a little while. It’s perfectly OK to feel down. I just don’t want to make a habit of it.

As I thought about why I wasn’t feeling joy the way I wanted to, I realized that I needed to refocus. Instead of looking down – naval gazing – I needed to look up and out. Future instead of past. Horizon rather than the pavement between my feet.

I had heard of the 101 Things To Do In 1001 Days Project before. It seemed like it might be the right time to join.

The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in 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 effort on your part.)

Start Date: Friday, August 15, 2008
End Date: Friday, May 13, 2011

My plan is to update and blog about successes and failures. I’m already feeling more energized and positive about life!

BECAUSE I LOVE ME
1. Take a vitamin every day. (145/1001)
2. Get my cholesterol checked.
3. Go to the dentist.
4. Floss 3 times a week for a month.
5. Exercise once a week for a month. (1/1)
6. Exercise twice a week for two months. (2/2)
7. Exercise three times a week for three months. (0/3)
8. No fast food for a month.
9. Bake a loaf of bread at least once a month. (4/33)
8/17/08 Cottage Cheese Dill Bread
9/1/08 Whole Wheat Bread
9/7/08 Pita Bread
11/9/08 Banana Bread
11/16/08 Pumpkin Bread
12/26/08 Whole Wheat Bread
1/17/09 Light Sandwich Bread
10. Take a beading class.
11. Take a knitting class.
12. Get a new tattoo.
13. Cook 50 new recipes and document how each one turned out. (4/50)
9/7/08 Hummus
9/22/08 Hamburger Stroganoff
9/27/08 Ken's Chili
11/16/08 Tomato Soup (made up my own recipe)
12/22/08 Salted Caramels
1/10/09 Tortilla Soup
1/28/09 Skillet Spaghetti
14. Do one thing every day that makes me feel good. (166/1001)
15. Lose 20 pounds. (2/20)

BECAUSE I LOVE HER
16. Put a dollar in a jar every day. At the end of 1001 days we will do something fun – just the two of us. (166/1001)
17. Go to a musical once a year. (1/3)
11/15/08 "Oliver" at the Stranahan Theater
18. Go on a date once a month. (6/33)
19. Play hooky.
20. Go to a drive-in movie.
21. Expand our family. We added Oliver - however, I think Ali has more than just Oliver in mind!
22. Go on a picnic – with a basket and a blanket and homemade food.
23. Visit every park in Hancock County together. (3/6)
24. Give ten “just because” gifts. (1/10)
9/16/08 - a cd of piano and surf music - she was having trouble sleeping
25. Take a completely impulsive, spur of the moment road trip.

BECAUSE I LOVE HIM/THEM
26. Take Sammy for a walk at least three times a week for a month.
27. Teach Sammy and Oliver three new tricks. (1/3 Sammy) (1/3 Oliver)
28. Make homemade dog treats.

BECAUSE I LOVE GOD
29. Meditate at least three times a week. (22/130)
30. Pray daily. (166/1001)
31. Spend one weekend a year on silent retreat. (0/3)
32. Work at finding or creating a faith community that challenges and sustains.

BECAUSE IT SCARES ME
33. Donate blood.
34. Learn how to jump start a car.
35. Volunteer for a political campaign.
36. Go whitewater rafting.
37. Ride a horse.
38. Submit one piece of writing to be published.

BECAUSE IT’S HOME
39. Fix the corner on the stair landing with new molding.
40. Organize the craft room.
41. Paint the craft room.
42. Fence the back yard.
43. Tear up the old carpet upstairs and seal the hardwood flooring.
44. Organize pictures. Got a flickr account and burned backups to external hard drive and CD's
45. Organize recipes.
46. Extend the patio.
47. Extend landscaping.
48. Clean out the garage.
49. Get a fire extinguisher for the kitchen.
50. Make a proper first aid kit for the house.
51. Make proper first aid kits for the cars.
52. Dust the house once a week. (23/130)
53. Clean the bathroom once a week. (23/130)
54. Get a new coffee table.
55. Look into alternative heating for the house for the winter.
56. Make shelves for the spare bedroom closet.
57. Organize spare bedroom closet.

BECAUSE IT MAKES THE WORLD BETTER
58. Volunteer at the Humane Society.
59. Recycle more consistently.
60. Actually remember to take the reusable bags to the store.
61. Replace the burned out regular light bulbs with CFLs.
62. Say hello and smile at everyone I pass on the sidewalk when I take Sammy for a walk.
63. When I get good service somewhere, tell the management.
64. Have ten no-spend days per month. (6/33)

BECAUSE IT’S CREATIVE
65. Knit something so difficult I don’t think I can do it.
66. Finish the vintage sheet quilt and actually quilt it myself.
67. Learn to do mosaics.
68. Make a piece of jewelry I love.
69. Take a photo every day. Print and keep the best ones. (71/1001)
70. Dabble in writing a little bit of poetry.
71. Learn to spin.

BECAUSE IT’S IMPORTANT
72. Make a will.
73. Save money every month – no matter how much or how little. (6/33)
74. Update our medical and legal power of attorney papers.

JUST BECAUSE
75. Take a trip by train.
76. Take a trip to Toronto.
77. Read 20 nonfiction books. (0/20)
78. Read 20 of The New York Times Top 100 Books in either 2007 or 2008 to be published in December 2008. (excluding ones I’ve already read) (1/20)
The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta (NYT Top 100)
79. Learn to play poker.
80. Clean out the closet and donate ALL the clothes that don’t fit. No saving for “just in case I lose 20 pounds!”
81. Pay for the person’s meal behind me in the drive-thru.
82. Go to a book signing.
83. Get 2740 sold.
84. Build a snowman.
85. Celebrate a solstice.
86. Learn more about history.
87. Write ten handwritten letters. (0/10)
88. Take a yoga class.
89. Visit a national park outside of Ohio.
90. Stand outside in a rainstorm and look up.
91. Blog at least four times a week. (23/130)
92. Take my lunch to work every day for a month.
93. Learn to make beer.
94. Try different wines.
95. Learn to make 10 different cocktails that we actually enjoy drinking. (0/10)
96. Host 10 dinner parties. (0/10)
97. Start some kind of cooking club.
98. Learn to play tennis.
99. Eat dinner at the table with the TV off at least once a week. (23/130)
100. Put $10 in savings for every item on this list not accomplished in 1001 days.
101. Make my new list for the next 1001 days.

4 comments:

random thougths said...

I'm impressed...I'll keep open to see your progress here... and while trying new recipes, don't forget the friends you have who enjoy your old recipes...lol.
progress is slow here, but it is progress.
Love you!

A bit of hodge podge said...

If you give me a little bit of notice, I might be able to help you with #37. She needs freshened up on her manners before somebody comes over. It's been a little while (with having 2 little ones in the past 3 years).

Tanya said...

Awesome!!!! Just the thought of it makes me sweat but we've got approximately 2.75 years to "get er done!" Thanks!

Unknown said...

A thought for number #72- leave a video testament as well as a will so they get get a personal message as well as a legal one.
see www.silverchord.org