101 in 1001 days

Carly @ Being Carly has inspired me to take on this project. I’m always wanting to do lots of things so I hope this deadline will help me get my butt in gear!

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.

Start Date: November 22, 2009
End Date: August 19, 2012

Here’s a list of the things that I will accomplish before my dear law school spouse starts his last semester of law school!

Crafting
1. Finish honeymoon scrapbook
2. Scrapbook at least one page per month

Blogging
3. Blog about each completed task
4. Blog every day for a month.
5. Clear out RSS feed and keep only those blogs that I truly enjoy reading.

People
6. Go out with friends at least once a month

7. Have a pizza delivered to a friend in another city as a surprise
8. Host a game night
9. Make cookies from scratch and mail them to five people
10. Send 10 cards to friends just because
11. Send a random care package to a friend
12. Put change in someone’s parking meter
13. Play five video games with Husband
14. Make Husband his favorite dinner and dessert by request

Self-Improvement
15. Make it all the way through 10 push ups
16. Refinish/redecorate one piece of furniture
17. Go down 2 clothing sizes
18. Take a photography class
19. Upgrade my point-and-shoot camera to an SLR
20. Go to the gym at least 3 days a week
21. Complete Couch to 5K program
22. Learn to drive a manual transmission
23. Spend at least one night in a really classy hotel
24. Write someone a thank-you letter, but not for a present (e.g., old teacher, author of a book I read)
25. At least BEGIN learning French
26. Drive the speed limit for five days
27. Take more photos!
28. Take at least one Continuing Education class
29. Drink only water & tea for one week
30. Organize a girl’s night/weekend with my closest friends
31. No fast food for one week
32. Write a business plan for my wedding planning business
33. Get laser eye surgery to fix my eyesight
34. Prepare monologue for a professional theatrical audition
35. Audition for a professional (i.e. paying) company

Experiences
36. Learn how to make my mother-in-law’s Italian pasta sauce
37. Try a kind of fruit I've never had before
38. Try a kind of vegetable I've never had before
39. Start a new Christmas tradition
40. Attend a New Year’s Eve celebration
41. Try 5 new recipes
42. Host a movie night at my home
43. Build a snowman and photograph it
44. Go to the movies… ALONE
45. Try 10 new restaurants

46. Go to a pub trivia night.
47. Buy and beautiful dress and have Husband take me somewhere nice
48. Attend a midnight movie premier
49. Make breakfast for dinner
50. Attend a St. Louis Symphony concert
51. Bake a pie from scratch
52. Go to a free summer concert
53. Attend a dance class

Travel
54. Visit friend and new baby in DC
55. Visit a National Park
56. Visit Universal Orlando when the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opens
57. Take a week’s vacation to a place other than Disneyworld
58. Visit a country outside of North America
59. Take a hot air balloon ride
60. Go on a roadtrip with no predetermined destination

Money and Finances
61. Save at least $1000 for our joint account cushion
62. Have 3 months of income in the bank
63. Create and stick to a solid budget
64. Start, manage and then spend a Christmas fund

Reading
65. Read five Jane Austen books
66. Read 5 “classics” that I never read in high school or college
67. Join a book club
68. Ask 5 friends to recommend a book, read all 5

List Related
69. Write a list of tasks to do in 1001 days.
70. Post this on my blog so I can be accountable.
71. Put a counter on the blog to remind of the time remaining for these tasks.
72. Put $5 in savings for each completed task
73. Celebrate the completion of 101 things with a bottle of champagne!

Personal
74. Purge wardrobe of anything I haven't worn in the past two years
75. Join a parish closer to my new townhouse
76. Attend church every Sunday for 15 weeks consecutively to develop a habit
77. Participate in a walk/run for a good cause
78. Put my business card into at least 10 free lunch contests
79. Finalize wedding album from two and a half years ago!
80. Buy fresh flowers once a month
81. Buy a "new" outfit from the thrift store
82. Take a very girly bubble bath
83. Spend a day, or a morning, going to garage sales
84. Get a massage
85. Buy something from 5 different Etsy stores

86. Make a headboard for the guest bedroom
87. Find out my blood type!
88. Catalog or record all the books I read/have read. [Bookpedia]
89. Go for one week without buying anything from or of Starbucks
90. Buy and keep at least one houseplant alive or decide to decorate with fake plants.
91. Get a new laptop
92. Put away the last lingering box from the move to the new townhouse
93. Research my ancestors to create a family tree with anecdotes from family members
94. Scan my printed photos
95. Scan Husband’s family photos
96. Hang artwork in the new townhouse
97. Organize the storage room
98. Organize crafting room
99. Watch 26 movies, each one starting with a different letter

100. Get a pet. Any kind will do!
101. Buy a new washer and dryer