Alright, so I’ve seen this “project” a few times before, but have never really paid much attention to it. I’ve been meaning to start it for a while now, but am just now finally getting around to it. I don’t ever make New Year’s resolutions, or really write down goals for myself, so I figured this would be a good exercise. The only thing was that I underestimated how hard it would be to come up with 101 things! It took a while.
As you see, I’ve already created a “101 in 1001” tab up under the header on my blog, so I can easily go back to cross things off. In turn, you can also get there easily to check up on me!
We’ll see how this goes. I’ve pledged to donate $5 to charity for every item I’m not able to cross off, so I figure that no matter what happens, some good will come of this!
Not familiar with the 101 Things in 1001 Days project? Check out this website.
The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (i.e. 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 effort on your part).
Start Date: August 1, 2009
End Date: April 28, 2012
Marriage & Family
1. “Date night” with Michael once a month (9/33)
2. Surprise my husband with a gift just because3. Get pregnant (and then, please God, STAY pregnant) (COMPLETE 1/12/10 and beyond – Evidence)
4. Talk to my dad every two weeks (20/73)
5. Visit my dad and his family in Virginia
6. Host my family for dinner at our house (2/8)
7. Host Michael’s family for dinner at our house (1/8)
8. Have dinner with my family twice a month (11/66)
9. Create living wills
Mind, Body & Soul10. Lose 5 lbs. (COMPLETE January 2010)11. Go a week without weighing myself (COMPLETE 10/15/09)
12. Complete some form of exercise at least 3 times per week
13. Read at least one book per month (9/33)14. Give up soda for a week (COMPLETE 1/19/10)15. Get through a month without eating a single frozen lunch (COMPLETE September 2009)
16. Go to church every Sunday for at least a month17. Get my first massage (COMPLETE 12/22/09 – Evidence)
18. Indulge in a few pedicures (1/5)
19. Try swimming laps for exercise
20. Learn to swim (the different strokes)
21. Go to the eye doctor
22. Ride my bike to work every day for a week23. Stay away from the M&M jar at work for an entire week (COMPLETE 8/14/09)
24. For one week, go to bed at 9:00 p.m. just to read
25. Eat dinner with the television off for one week
26. Eat dinner with the television off for one month
27. No eating after 8:00 p.m. for a month (0/30)
28. After baby, get back to pre-pregnancy weight
Home Is Where the Heart Is
29. Redecorate our bathroom
30. Tile the floor in the bathroom
31. Replace furnace/central air
32. Replace carpet
33. Replace faucet in the kitchen
34. Empty entire fridge, clean it, then put everything back in
35. Reorganize kitchen cabinets
36. Clean out the den and convert to a nursery (when the time comes!)
37. Buy a new house
All Work, No Play
38. Book my first “stranger” photo shoot
39. Do at least one photo shoot a month (8/33)
40. Invest in two new lenses (0/2)41. Upgrade my camera (COMPLETE – 1/1/10)
42. Start a family/child photography side business
43. Launch a photography blog and/or website
44. Get accepted into ILP PrePro45. Get elected as president of a professional organization (COMPLETE – December 2009)46. Get a better job (COMPLETE 2/23/10 – Evidence)
Hit the Open Road
47. Travel to at least six different cities for weekend getaways/vacations (1/6) — #1 Chicago; #2 San Antonio; #3 Austin; #4 Key West; #5 Miami
48. Travel to a foreign country (Canada doesn’t count)
49. Get to New York City during the Christmas season50. Start a “Newlywed Map” (COMPLETE 9/16/09 – Evidence)
51. Go camping
52. Participate in Montreal Bike Festival
53. Visit the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, OH
54. Take a day trip to a state park and have a picnic
I ♥ Food
55. Try at least two new recipes a month (18/66)
56. Take a cooking class with my mom
57. Go out to breakfast (3/5)
58. For one week, make meals that can only be made with ingredients already in our cupboards (excluding perishables—vegetables and dairy)
59. Make homemade pasta
60. Try yogurt again
61. Try oatmeal again
Friends Are Forever
62. Talk to my best friend every two weeks (20/73)
63. Get together with “the girls” from college at least three times per year (2/8)
64. E-mail friends at least once per month (7/33)
65. Catch up with an old friend
66. Throw SuperBowl parties every year (1/2)
67. Send birthday cards to all friends/family in 2011
Pinching Pennies
68. Deposit some EXTRA money into savings after every paycheck (20/73)
69. Increase the percentage of my income that is put into my retirement account
Cha-Ching70. Buy a new car for Michael (COMPLETE 4/23/10 – Evidence)
71. Buy a Mac72. Pay off my LASIK eye surgery (COMPLETE 1/22/10)73. Buy a Nintendo Wii (COMPLETE 12/25/09 – Evidence)
Pay It Forward74. Grow out and donate my hair (COMPLETE 8/5/09 – Evidence)
75. Clean out closet twice a year and donate old clothes to charity (0/6)
76. Donate blood at every drive held at work (0/10)
77. Donate $ to charity (0/5)
78. Mail packages to soldiers through Operation Baking Gals (2/10)
Just for Fun
79. Do another wine tour
80. Go to an amusement park
81. Go skiing82. Go to a local museum (COMPLETE – 11/7/09 – Evidence)
83. Get pictures taken in a photo booth
84. Go to a drive-in movie
85. Host a holiday cookie swap
Hobbies & Skills
86. Blog at least 20 times per month (8/33)87. Redesign my blog again (COMPLETE 1/4/10)
88. Learn to knit
89. Sew something
90. Make a quilt
91. Play my flute again
Capture the Memories
92. Get photos printed and framed to hang in my office at work
93. Get photos printed to hang in bedroom
94. Take more home videos
95. Design a honeymoon album and get it printed
96. Participate in Project 365
No More Procrastinating97. Finally give album changes to photographer so we can finish our wedding album (COMPLETE – November 2009)
98. Delete my MySpace profile99. Cancel our Vonage account (no more home phone!) (COMPLETE – 8/31/09)
101 in 1001
100. Donate $5 to charity for every item on this list that I do not complete
101. Start a new 101 Things in 1001 Days list once this one is completed
17 Responses to 101 Things in 1001 Days
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About
I'm Heather. I'm 33 and have been married to Michael for seven years. Together, we have two beautiful little girls we love more than anything, and a miniature dachshund who drives us crazy. I'm a full-time working mom who has very little time for my own "stuff" these days, like home improvement, cooking/baking, cake decorating, and photography. Despite the team not making the playoffs since 1999, I'm STILL a Buffalo Bills fan, which I think speaks to my loyalty AND sense of humor. I can't wait to pick up the pace with travel again some day... you know, when we're done being ruled by tiny fists. Welcome to my blog.
Love this idea. I may make one myself.
Good Luck!
I’ve made one of those myself! I started mine back in March! So much has changed in my life though, I’m wondering if I need to edit it!
Great list Heather! If you come to California, I can help with #20! I should think about starting one of these! You have inspired me!
Good luck with the list! Sounds great!
Maybe once the wedding is over I can think about doing a list too! For now i have more than enough to keep me occupied!
This is such a great idea!! I made a much shorter list of things I wanted to do this summer. But I like this idea for longer-term. Hmm… I might have to make one for me, too!! :)
Great list!!! I so need to update mine and change a few things. Good luck! The hardest part for me has been checking stuff off my list.
Can’t wait to see everyone else’s lists!
Michelle–I’d love to come out to California for a swim lesson. I’ll call you when I win the lottery. ;)
I’ve been thinking about making a list after reading 20 wishes by Debbie Macomber. I do the get in bed by 9-10 and read thing every night, obviously. It’s amazing what it does for you! I sent my operation baking gals cookies out today (and forgot to take pictures!) yay!
I did this last year, and I love it. I love looking at my list of goals and especially love crossing them off. I need to transfer it over to my new blog! GL! :)
Hi Heather- I’ve had my list started for about 2 months and have put off finishing it, even though I’ve started some of the things. I had never heard of The Newlywed Map, and love that idea.Good luck with your list and thanks for the inspiration to dust mine off and get going!
You have inspired me to start my own list. Thanks! Good luck with yours!
I just created a list on my own blog, and I’m such a novice. How do you go back and cross things out? Do you just edit that post every time? or are you keeping a personal list yourself to edit?
Julibean–To cross things off, you have to go back in under “Edit Post.” Once you make your changes, you hit Publish again.
To actually cross is out, you have to go into the HTML code and add the start tag < * strike> at the start of whatever you want to cross out, and the end tag < / *strike> at the end of whatever you want to cross out. (You have to remove the *s and spaces from the code, but that’s the only way I could get them to show up here for you.)
Hope that helps!
You need to update your list- you got the Wii! Thanks for the inspiration on this list. I made my own and it’s definitely a good reminder/good motivation.
Thanks, Noel! I often forget to go in and update the list right away, but I try to review it every couple of weeks or so and get caught up on everything. :)
Didn’t you “get a better job”?? :)
What a great list! I can tell you put a lot of thought into it. Good luck with achieving your goals!