Lize's 101 Things to do in 1001 Days...
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.
The Website
January 14, 2007 -- October 10, 2009
1. Cancel my cable.By default, I moved...and the cable is gone. Ha! 2/11/07
2. Get a passport. January 20, 2008: The paperwork is filled out; I need to get the pictures taken and submit them. This is exciting! February 27, 2008. I did everything, sent it in...I will have my passport in 4-6 weeks! Update: March 15. 2008 -- My passport arrived!
3. Spend one week away from my home(s) to write.
4. Send out a work for publication (rejection or not). Two of my poems in Maustin's Zine. :)
5. Send a postcard to PostSecret.
6. Do yoga every day for one full month (0/30).
7. Drink 8 glasses of water a day for one full month (0/30).
8. Get a massage! Completed: May 2, 2008
9. Send a personal card out once a week from now until Spring Break (0/8).
10. Give the ol' college try to learning Spanish. November 2007: Berenice and I have an agreement that I have to study Spanish like a fiend in order to have a conversation entirely en espanol...
11. Go one week without eating a meal outside of the apartment (or bringing one to school) (7/7). I did this during the second week of January, 2008. It just kind of...happened. Wow. Good for me for cooking and bringing lunch every day.
12. Read Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway. I am getting rid of this one. I absolutely CANNOT finish Mrs. Dalloway. Maybe I'll replace after I think of what I'd like to replace it with. Seriously. I'm afraid of Virginia Woolf.
13. Read Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own.
14. Read Toni Morrison's Jazz.
15. Read Susan Glaspell's Fidelity.
16. Read James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.
17. No soda for one year (January 14 - January 14). -- We had a meeting the other day where there was ONLY soda...and I STILL didn't drink any. Yay! 3/10/07 UPDATE: I did it! It's January 14, and I made it an entire year without drinking soda! I feel very...accomplished and optimistic.
18. Read The New Yorker every morning for one month (0/30).
19. Do 50 sit ups every day for one month (30/30). Began on 2/17/08. Update: Done and done....too many situps!!! (But not really)
20. Give blood (haven't done this in a while). 7/30/07 -- Donated...Finally! Will try to continue in September when I'm able to again. But I did it once, like it says on my list. :)
21. Drive somewhere spontaneously this summer (does it make it less spontaneous that I wrote this?). 6/14/07 -- Here I am in Taos, New Mexico. Good for me, and good for Taos.
22. Get my CPR certification. I signed up for March 1 with the Red Cross; CPR and First Aid. I paid, so I guess this one is officially done...well, once I do it.
23. Go to a Creative Writing "retreat" of sorts.
24. Get a new bike.
25. Make my futon pillows. Epic Fail: I threw that shit out. I never got it done after almost THREE YEARS.
26. Join a kickboxing class.1/30/08 I finally did it! I joined the 24 hour fitness class, Wednesday nights, 6:30 p.m. It was QUITE the workout, but so amazing. I'll be there. Every Wednesday. Seriously.
27. Refrain from going to Starbucks for one week (I haven't gone in two days, but I won't count them!) (7/7).January 13, 2008: I can't believe I did this one! I realized yesterday it had been one week since I had been to a Starbucks; part of it was illness from last weekend when Catherine was here, but the rest of the week...I just didn't go. Good for me! That's another one down from the list!
28. Watch the movie "The Hours." -- 5/24/07
29. Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.
30. Watch "Pan's Labyrinth." Went on 1/19/07 with Mike, Norma, and Mitch. It was beyond excellent!
31. Watch "The Godfather" and "The Godfather 2" in their entirety.
32. Write something "creatively" at least once a week for a YEAR (0/52).
33. Go to Las Vegas.
34. Go to California.
35. Go to Boston.
36. Take the LSAT.
37. Attend a Take Back the Night vigil.
38. Participate in the Day of Silence.
39. Go to three book / poetry readings (2/3).
a. Southwest Early College's first ever Creative Writing reading, which I "hosted." Good for the kids.
b. Jonathan Kozol with Norma at The Tattered Cover.
40. Read Anne Sexton's oeuvre.
41. Go skiing for the first time (hey, I live in Colorado!).
42. Go to Maine for Lobsterfest! (I've wanted to do this for years, actually)
43. Participate in another Bike Tour.
44. Go to a religious gathering (church, temple, etc..) at least six times (6/6).
a. Taos, NM -- St. Jerome's Church
b. Santa Fe, NM -- Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi
c. Denver, CO -- Christ Church United Methodist
d. Denver, CO -- Christ Church United Methodist (Joined the church choir, so this one is done and done).
45. Drive across the country (again, yes, but not as rushed as the first time).
46. Participate in a walk (AIDS in NY, maybe?).September 9, 2007: With students from my advisory, I participated in the AIDS walk in Denver, Colorado.
47. Buy a blender. 1/25/07 -- Norma bought me a blender as a belated Christmas gift. She did, however, get the idea from this list. Haha. It still counts!
48. Go one week without saying something sarcastic (0/7). This may be the hardest one!
49. Go to an NFL game (or preseason game).
50. Go to an MLB game. Completed 5/7/2008: St. Louis Cardinals at Colorado Rockies. Cards Lost. Shocking.
51. Go to an NBA game.
52. Try at least one new recipe a month for a year (6/12).
October 2007: Beef Stew
November 2007: Pot Roast
December 2007: Eggplant Parmigiana
January 2008: Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar and Garlic, Rigatoni with Eggplant Puree
February 2008: Pear and Blue Cheese Flatbread
March 2008: Greek Salad, Baked Pork Chops
53. Take an art class.
54. Fast for 24 hours (water only allowed). Completed: May 23, 2008.
55. Listen to the entire History class Podcast I have on my iPod.
56. Subscribe to a newspaper. I subscribed to the Denver Post for the weekends only. Good for me for trying to educate myself.
57. Go to a wine tasting.
58. Go one week without complaining about anything (0/7).
59. Lose 5 pounds from start (5/5).
60. Lose 10 pounds from start (0/10).
61. Lose 15 pounds from start (0/15).
62. Lose 20 pounds from start -- leading to my goal weight (0/20).
63. Take my medication twice a day for an entire month (if I do it for a month, I'll continue to do it!). (30/30) Thank you, trifluo.
64. Give something to a stranger. Tonight, I gave a stranger my lighter -- and told her to keep it, since I quit smoking! 1/14/07
65. Go to Canada.
66. Go to Mexico.
67. Sit outside -- near water -- and watch fireworks. 7/4/07: Watched fireworks with the Sturrs and Binders. It was a very lovely event.
68. Vote in 2008. Caucused tonight for Obama. 2/5/08. Super Duper Tuesday! (I'll vote in November, as well, of course.)
69. Go one week without cursing -- written or verbal. Hard to do, but totally did it. 26 Things for one month.
72. Sleep outside one night (probably not in winter, haha).
73. Watch the sunrise.
74. Go to the Renaissance Fair!
75. Spend one night a month by myself with my notebook for a year (0/12).
76. Forgive someone who has hurt me.
77. Apologize to someone who I have hurt. MR, January 2009.
78. Give the ol' college try to learning the guitar. -- 6/21/07: I started guitar lessons today with John and I bought myself a guitar!
79. Buy a gift for a friend "just because." -- I bought my softball team a big ol' lunch...just because -- 3/16/07.
80. Read 1984.
81. Learn to drive a stick shift. Completed: 12/9/07 -- Sean, even in the snowy days of December, took me out in his truck to learn stick shift. I did really really well! I even made it up steep hills in ice; very successful overall.
82. Read A Handmaid's Tale.
83. Take a cruise.
84. Cook a meal for friends. 10/21/07: For the first snowfall of the season, I cooked a meal of comfort food -- specifically, beef stew for Micah and Marina.
85. Go to Disneyworld or Disneyland.
86. Stay up all night talking to a friend. I'm counting this as done, based on the time I've spent the past month on the phone and with her.
87. Not step on a scale for 30 days. (Wow, that's going to be a hard one) -- I'm beginning this today, March 22, 2007. Let's see how it goes. Update: I made it! March 22 - April 22, I didn't step on the scale ONCE. It was actually a great experience; I started seeing my body for what it was, not just a number from a slab of metal. Rewarding, I'd say. Rewarding.
88. Ask someone on a date (but not until 2008!).I asked the softball player out from Match.com (6/21/07), and I believe we're going out next week.
89. Run a half marathon.
90. Go to the movies once a month for a year (3/12).
a. January '07: Freedom Writers; Pan's Labyrinth; Venus
b. February '07: Dreamgirls, Breach, Letters from Iwo Jima
c. March '07: The Italian
d. April '07: Did I see any? I don't think so, but I had two visitors, so I'll chalk it up to that.
e. May '07: Grindhouse
f. June '07: Knocked Up (groan), Paris Je T'Aime, Once, Sicko
g. July '07: Transformers, Eagle Vs. Shark, Broken English, Sicko (again), Chalk
h. August '07: Bourne Ultimatum
UPDATE Darn it, I messed this up. Okay, I had to start over...erm, twice.
a. May '08: Iron Man, Indiana Jones
b. June '08:
c. July '08:
d. August '08:
e. September '08: Teen Wolf (Chris Voth)
f. October '08:
g. November '08: Footloose! (Chris Voth)
h. December '08:
i. January '09:
j. February '09:
k. March '09:
l. April '09:
91. Go on a vacation with friends. Went with Catherine to Santa Fe, New Mexico. We stayed in a scary motel. It was awesome.
92. No chocolate or candy for 30 days! (0/30)
93. Try 3 different types of food (Hillary has wanted to take me for Indian...so that would be one if we go). (3/3) 1/22/07 -- Went with Mitch and Norma for Indian food; it was delicious!; 2/17/07 -- Went with Mike for Middle Eastern food. I was sick as a dog and couldn't taste anything, but I THINK it was delicious. :); I forgot to write the date, but it was either April or May of 2007 when Marina introduced me to Russian pastries. Fabulous!
94. Watch 10 indie / foreign films. (10/10)
a. Pan's Labyrinth
b. Tsotsi
c. Jesus Camp
d. Hotel Rwanda
e. The Italian
f. Shortbus
g. Cinema Paradiso
h. Volver
i. Talk to Her
j. Paris Je T'Aime -- Completed on 6/9/07 with the French film Paris Je T'Aime. -- Here is 10! Good for me and good for the French.
k. Once
l. Eagle vs. Shark
m. Chalk
95. Read any Shakespeare play that I haven't yet read.
96. If appropriate, give in to love. Stop fearing it.: Thank you, Nicole. :)
97. Swim in the Pacific Ocean.
98. Toast marshmallows, either romantically or platonically. 6/8/07: A celebration at Kyle's house for the end of the school year.
99. Get a puppy! July 11 - August 8, 2007 I am dog-sitting. This is my puppy! Thankfully, the situation is temporary (and is teaching me that I'm not ready for a commitment that's longer than a month).ADDENDUM: I got a dog! Okay, I did it. November 24, 2007. She's Duchess and she's mine...ADDENDUM AGAIN: I had to give her back because I was allergic. Sheesh.
100. Keep my lent for 2007. NOT COMPLETED: I went on a date 2/23/07. But that's okay because it was a good date. :)
101. If I complete 80% of these items, I will get a tattoo; if I do not, I will donate $2 for each item not completed to my charity of choice at that time.
35 / 101
(34%)
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.
The Website
January 14, 2007 -- October 10, 2009
1. Cancel my cable.By default, I moved...and the cable is gone. Ha! 2/11/07
2. Get a passport. January 20, 2008: The paperwork is filled out; I need to get the pictures taken and submit them. This is exciting! February 27, 2008. I did everything, sent it in...I will have my passport in 4-6 weeks! Update: March 15. 2008 -- My passport arrived!
3. Spend one week away from my home(s) to write.
4. Send out a work for publication (rejection or not). Two of my poems in Maustin's Zine. :)
5. Send a postcard to PostSecret.
6. Do yoga every day for one full month (0/30).
7. Drink 8 glasses of water a day for one full month (0/30).
8. Get a massage! Completed: May 2, 2008
9. Send a personal card out once a week from now until Spring Break (0/8).
10. Give the ol' college try to learning Spanish. November 2007: Berenice and I have an agreement that I have to study Spanish like a fiend in order to have a conversation entirely en espanol...
11. Go one week without eating a meal outside of the apartment (or bringing one to school) (7/7). I did this during the second week of January, 2008. It just kind of...happened. Wow. Good for me for cooking and bringing lunch every day.
12. Read Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway. I am getting rid of this one. I absolutely CANNOT finish Mrs. Dalloway. Maybe I'll replace after I think of what I'd like to replace it with. Seriously. I'm afraid of Virginia Woolf.
13. Read Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own.
14. Read Toni Morrison's Jazz.
15. Read Susan Glaspell's Fidelity.
16. Read James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.
17. No soda for one year (January 14 - January 14). -- We had a meeting the other day where there was ONLY soda...and I STILL didn't drink any. Yay! 3/10/07 UPDATE: I did it! It's January 14, and I made it an entire year without drinking soda! I feel very...accomplished and optimistic.
18. Read The New Yorker every morning for one month (0/30).
19. Do 50 sit ups every day for one month (30/30). Began on 2/17/08. Update: Done and done....too many situps!!! (But not really)
20. Give blood (haven't done this in a while). 7/30/07 -- Donated...Finally! Will try to continue in September when I'm able to again. But I did it once, like it says on my list. :)
21. Drive somewhere spontaneously this summer (does it make it less spontaneous that I wrote this?). 6/14/07 -- Here I am in Taos, New Mexico. Good for me, and good for Taos.
22. Get my CPR certification. I signed up for March 1 with the Red Cross; CPR and First Aid. I paid, so I guess this one is officially done...well, once I do it.
23. Go to a Creative Writing "retreat" of sorts.
24. Get a new bike.
25. Make my futon pillows. Epic Fail: I threw that shit out. I never got it done after almost THREE YEARS.
26. Join a kickboxing class.1/30/08 I finally did it! I joined the 24 hour fitness class, Wednesday nights, 6:30 p.m. It was QUITE the workout, but so amazing. I'll be there. Every Wednesday. Seriously.
27. Refrain from going to Starbucks for one week (I haven't gone in two days, but I won't count them!) (7/7).January 13, 2008: I can't believe I did this one! I realized yesterday it had been one week since I had been to a Starbucks; part of it was illness from last weekend when Catherine was here, but the rest of the week...I just didn't go. Good for me! That's another one down from the list!
28. Watch the movie "The Hours." -- 5/24/07
29. Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.
30. Watch "Pan's Labyrinth." Went on 1/19/07 with Mike, Norma, and Mitch. It was beyond excellent!
31. Watch "The Godfather" and "The Godfather 2" in their entirety.
32. Write something "creatively" at least once a week for a YEAR (0/52).
33. Go to Las Vegas.
34. Go to California.
35. Go to Boston.
36. Take the LSAT.
37. Attend a Take Back the Night vigil.
38. Participate in the Day of Silence.
39. Go to three book / poetry readings (2/3).
a. Southwest Early College's first ever Creative Writing reading, which I "hosted." Good for the kids.
b. Jonathan Kozol with Norma at The Tattered Cover.
40. Read Anne Sexton's oeuvre.
41. Go skiing for the first time (hey, I live in Colorado!).
42. Go to Maine for Lobsterfest! (I've wanted to do this for years, actually)
43. Participate in another Bike Tour.
44. Go to a religious gathering (church, temple, etc..) at least six times (6/6).
a. Taos, NM -- St. Jerome's Church
b. Santa Fe, NM -- Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi
c. Denver, CO -- Christ Church United Methodist
d. Denver, CO -- Christ Church United Methodist (Joined the church choir, so this one is done and done).
45. Drive across the country (again, yes, but not as rushed as the first time).
46. Participate in a walk (AIDS in NY, maybe?).September 9, 2007: With students from my advisory, I participated in the AIDS walk in Denver, Colorado.
47. Buy a blender. 1/25/07 -- Norma bought me a blender as a belated Christmas gift. She did, however, get the idea from this list. Haha. It still counts!
48. Go one week without saying something sarcastic (0/7). This may be the hardest one!
49. Go to an NFL game (or preseason game).
50. Go to an MLB game. Completed 5/7/2008: St. Louis Cardinals at Colorado Rockies. Cards Lost. Shocking.
51. Go to an NBA game.
52. Try at least one new recipe a month for a year (6/12).
October 2007: Beef Stew
November 2007: Pot Roast
December 2007: Eggplant Parmigiana
January 2008: Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar and Garlic, Rigatoni with Eggplant Puree
February 2008: Pear and Blue Cheese Flatbread
March 2008: Greek Salad, Baked Pork Chops
53. Take an art class.
54. Fast for 24 hours (water only allowed). Completed: May 23, 2008.
55. Listen to the entire History class Podcast I have on my iPod.
56. Subscribe to a newspaper. I subscribed to the Denver Post for the weekends only. Good for me for trying to educate myself.
57. Go to a wine tasting.
58. Go one week without complaining about anything (0/7).
59. Lose 5 pounds from start (5/5).
60. Lose 10 pounds from start (0/10).
61. Lose 15 pounds from start (0/15).
62. Lose 20 pounds from start -- leading to my goal weight (0/20).
63. Take my medication twice a day for an entire month (if I do it for a month, I'll continue to do it!). (30/30) Thank you, trifluo.
64. Give something to a stranger. Tonight, I gave a stranger my lighter -- and told her to keep it, since I quit smoking! 1/14/07
65. Go to Canada.
66. Go to Mexico.
67. Sit outside -- near water -- and watch fireworks. 7/4/07: Watched fireworks with the Sturrs and Binders. It was a very lovely event.
68. Vote in 2008. Caucused tonight for Obama. 2/5/08. Super Duper Tuesday! (I'll vote in November, as well, of course.)
69. Go one week without cursing -- written or verbal. Hard to do, but totally did it. 26 Things for one month.
72. Sleep outside one night (probably not in winter, haha).
73. Watch the sunrise.
74. Go to the Renaissance Fair!
75. Spend one night a month by myself with my notebook for a year (0/12).
76. Forgive someone who has hurt me.
77. Apologize to someone who I have hurt. MR, January 2009.
78. Give the ol' college try to learning the guitar. -- 6/21/07: I started guitar lessons today with John and I bought myself a guitar!
79. Buy a gift for a friend "just because." -- I bought my softball team a big ol' lunch...just because -- 3/16/07.
80. Read 1984.
81. Learn to drive a stick shift. Completed: 12/9/07 -- Sean, even in the snowy days of December, took me out in his truck to learn stick shift. I did really really well! I even made it up steep hills in ice; very successful overall.
82. Read A Handmaid's Tale.
83. Take a cruise.
84. Cook a meal for friends. 10/21/07: For the first snowfall of the season, I cooked a meal of comfort food -- specifically, beef stew for Micah and Marina.
85. Go to Disneyworld or Disneyland.
86. Stay up all night talking to a friend. I'm counting this as done, based on the time I've spent the past month on the phone and with her.
87. Not step on a scale for 30 days. (Wow, that's going to be a hard one) -- I'm beginning this today, March 22, 2007. Let's see how it goes. Update: I made it! March 22 - April 22, I didn't step on the scale ONCE. It was actually a great experience; I started seeing my body for what it was, not just a number from a slab of metal. Rewarding, I'd say. Rewarding.
88. Ask someone on a date (but not until 2008!).I asked the softball player out from Match.com (6/21/07), and I believe we're going out next week.
89. Run a half marathon.
90. Go to the movies once a month for a year (3/12).
a. January '07: Freedom Writers; Pan's Labyrinth; Venus
b. February '07: Dreamgirls, Breach, Letters from Iwo Jima
c. March '07: The Italian
d. April '07: Did I see any? I don't think so, but I had two visitors, so I'll chalk it up to that.
e. May '07: Grindhouse
f. June '07: Knocked Up (groan), Paris Je T'Aime, Once, Sicko
g. July '07: Transformers, Eagle Vs. Shark, Broken English, Sicko (again), Chalk
h. August '07: Bourne Ultimatum
UPDATE Darn it, I messed this up. Okay, I had to start over...erm, twice.
a. May '08: Iron Man, Indiana Jones
b. June '08:
c. July '08:
d. August '08:
e. September '08: Teen Wolf (Chris Voth)
f. October '08:
g. November '08: Footloose! (Chris Voth)
h. December '08:
i. January '09:
j. February '09:
k. March '09:
l. April '09:
91. Go on a vacation with friends. Went with Catherine to Santa Fe, New Mexico. We stayed in a scary motel. It was awesome.
92. No chocolate or candy for 30 days! (0/30)
93. Try 3 different types of food (Hillary has wanted to take me for Indian...so that would be one if we go). (3/3) 1/22/07 -- Went with Mitch and Norma for Indian food; it was delicious!; 2/17/07 -- Went with Mike for Middle Eastern food. I was sick as a dog and couldn't taste anything, but I THINK it was delicious. :); I forgot to write the date, but it was either April or May of 2007 when Marina introduced me to Russian pastries. Fabulous!
94. Watch 10 indie / foreign films. (10/10)
a. Pan's Labyrinth
b. Tsotsi
c. Jesus Camp
d. Hotel Rwanda
e. The Italian
f. Shortbus
g. Cinema Paradiso
h. Volver
i. Talk to Her
j. Paris Je T'Aime -- Completed on 6/9/07 with the French film Paris Je T'Aime. -- Here is 10! Good for me and good for the French.
k. Once
l. Eagle vs. Shark
m. Chalk
95. Read any Shakespeare play that I haven't yet read.
96. If appropriate, give in to love. Stop fearing it.: Thank you, Nicole. :)
97. Swim in the Pacific Ocean.
98. Toast marshmallows, either romantically or platonically. 6/8/07: A celebration at Kyle's house for the end of the school year.
99. Get a puppy! July 11 - August 8, 2007 I am dog-sitting. This is my puppy! Thankfully, the situation is temporary (and is teaching me that I'm not ready for a commitment that's longer than a month).ADDENDUM: I got a dog! Okay, I did it. November 24, 2007. She's Duchess and she's mine...ADDENDUM AGAIN: I had to give her back because I was allergic. Sheesh.
100. Keep my lent for 2007. NOT COMPLETED: I went on a date 2/23/07. But that's okay because it was a good date. :)
101. If I complete 80% of these items, I will get a tattoo; if I do not, I will donate $2 for each item not completed to my charity of choice at that time.
35 / 101
(34%)