My 1001 Days Starts Today!
Okay, as promised, here is my list of 101 things I want/need/hope to accomplish in the next 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.
Start Date: March 1, 2008
End Date: November 27, 2010
Strikethrough= Completed
Italics= In progress
De-Cluttering
1 Frame & Hang all pictures/art that are laying around the house...or get rid of them!
2 Get rid of old wedding dress
3 Get rid of or find use for pictures from first wedding
4 Get rid of the 3 large cardboard boxes full of stuff in the second bedroom
5 Give away three items on Freecycle
6 Pare down xmas decorations to ones I actually like/use
7 Sell first engagement ring
8 Take one full carload of stuff to Goodwill
Friends & Family
9 Get a new address book- copy over current addresses, add anyone I am missing, add birthdays & anniversaries
10 Send out 100 xmas cards in one year
11 Send out greeting cards to at least 8 people/families each for 4 holidays other than xmas
12 Send out 20 handmade greeting cards for birthdays, anniversaries or other "non-holidays"
13 Send someone a surprise "care package" for no reason
Giving & Community
14 Create a Volunteer Coordinator handbook for future reference
15 Personally recruit a Pride Charlotte sponsor or vendor
16 Attend a gathering of Charlotte Atheists & Agnostics
17 Plan & host a Women of Charlotte event
18 Plan (or help plan) a Charlotte Area Syracuse Alumni Club event
19 Plan & host an informal Charlotte Area NMH Alumni Club event
20 Increase donation amount to NMH
21 Send out 100 mailed notes to NMH classmates to solicit notes
22 Volunteer for an organization other than Pride
23 Give blood
24 Participate in one charity walk (including asking others for donations/sponsorships)
25 Make a loan on Kiva.org
26 Donate total of $100 to same teacher or school on DonorsChoose.org
27 Streamline my charitable giving- choose 4 organizations that mean the most to me, and only give to them
Going Without
28 Go one month without buying anything Made in China
29 Go one month without eating any fast food
30 Go one week at work without using the Internet for anything non-work related
31 Go one week eating only at home (including no take-out/pick-up), or food brought from home
32 Go one week without spending any money.
33 Go one weekend (from Friday after work through bedtime Sunday night) without using the computer
34 Go one weekend (from Friday after work through bedtime Sunday night) without watching any TV
Health & Nutrition
35 Weigh under 200 pounds
36 Get back to a clothing size of 14 (or less)
37 Get Cholesterol Levels to Optimal numbers- HDL 60 or above, LDL under 100, Triglycerides under 155.
38 Reduce the amount of daily medication I take
39 Shop for fruits & vegetables at farmers market
40 Go for a walk (20 minutes or more) every day for one week
41 Go one month without drinking soda
42 Go to bed by 10 PM every night for one week
43 Go without caffeine for one month
44 Take an exercise class
Hobbies & Leisure
45 Finish Celebration cruise scrapbook
46 Finish my NMH postcard scrapbook
47 Start and finish a 2007/2008 scrapbook
48 Start and finish cat scrapbook
49 Start and finish cruise scrapbook for mom
50 Go camping
51 Go to a drive-in movie
52 Go to a Red Sox game (doesn't have to be at Fenway)
53 Go to an SU basketball game (doesn't have to be at SU)
54 Go to a Charlotte Knights game
55 Participate in NaBloPoMo www.nablopomo.com
56 Go to an ethnic cultural festival, other than the Greek Festival
57 Take a cooking class
58 Take a personal interest/leisure activity class
59 Try ten restaurants in Charlotte I haven't been to before
60 Join Paperbackswap.com
House & Home
61 Make a "To Do List" of 15 things around the house, and finish them all in a weekend
62 Make ten new dinner recipes
63 Cook meat on the outdoor grill
64 Create a monthly budget
65 Find a cat sitter
66 Buy fire-proof home safe
67 Fix or mend something that would otherwise be thrown out or put in Goodwill pile
68 Make one purchase from a company I found in the National Green Pages
69 Purchase something from a local crafter/artisan that I would otherwise buy from a mainstream retailer
70 Replace the bathtub
71 Replace the carpet
72 Have the cracked floor tiles repaired
73 Paint the downstairs bathroom (or get it painted)
Personal Growth/Miscellaneous
74 Stop biting nails so they can grow long enough to need a manicure- and get one!
75 Attend a service at Piedmont Unitarian Universalist
76 Babysit for a child by myself
77 Have a letter to the editor published in the Charlotte Observer
78 Reach eBay feedback level of 300
79 Find out status of my retirement account at FC and do something with it!
80 Get my credit report- make sure all information is accurate and close all old accounts that I never used anymore
81 Take a Duke Non-Profit Management class
82 Take a graduate-level university class
The Arts
83 Go to a concert at the Neighborhood Theater
84 Go to a concert at Verizon Wireless Ampitheater
85 Go to a musical performance or theater performance at UNC Charlotte
86 Go to a play at Actor's Theater
87 Go to a play at CAST
88 Go to a touring production of a Broadway musical
89 See all 5 of the Academy Award Best Picture nominees for one year's awards before the awards are given
90 Watch 10 Academy Award Best Pictures that I haven't already seen
Travel
91 Visit two states I haven't been to before (actually spend time- not just drive through)
92 Travel to a country outside of North/South/Central America/the Caribbean
93 Take a cruise on a line other than Carnival
94 Ride in First Class on a plane
95 Visit my grandparents in CT
96 Visit Ryan & Tracy at their new house
97 Visit the Williams clan in Maryland (my cousin & her family)
Upgrading
98 Buy a new (used) car
99 Buy a new computer
100 Buy new cell phone
101 Buy new digital camera
Some of the items could have fit in two categories, such as the "visit grandparents", which could be "Friends and Family" or "Travel," but ultimately I left them under "Travel" because it will involve travel & planning to go to those places.
So far I am "in progress" on #9- I bought an awesome new address book at the Hallmark store, but still need to put everyone's information in there, #80- I sent for the credit reports, and #84- Frank bought us tickets to the James Taylor concert at Verizon in May. I will update on an as-needed basis.
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: March 1, 2008
End Date: November 27, 2010
Strikethrough= Completed
Italics= In progress
De-Cluttering
1 Frame & Hang all pictures/art that are laying around the house...or get rid of them!
2 Get rid of old wedding dress
3 Get rid of or find use for pictures from first wedding
4 Get rid of the 3 large cardboard boxes full of stuff in the second bedroom
5 Give away three items on Freecycle
6 Pare down xmas decorations to ones I actually like/use
7 Sell first engagement ring
8 Take one full carload of stuff to Goodwill
Friends & Family
9 Get a new address book- copy over current addresses, add anyone I am missing, add birthdays & anniversaries
10 Send out 100 xmas cards in one year
11 Send out greeting cards to at least 8 people/families each for 4 holidays other than xmas
12 Send out 20 handmade greeting cards for birthdays, anniversaries or other "non-holidays"
13 Send someone a surprise "care package" for no reason
Giving & Community
14 Create a Volunteer Coordinator handbook for future reference
15 Personally recruit a Pride Charlotte sponsor or vendor
16 Attend a gathering of Charlotte Atheists & Agnostics
17 Plan & host a Women of Charlotte event
18 Plan (or help plan) a Charlotte Area Syracuse Alumni Club event
19 Plan & host an informal Charlotte Area NMH Alumni Club event
20 Increase donation amount to NMH
21 Send out 100 mailed notes to NMH classmates to solicit notes
22 Volunteer for an organization other than Pride
23 Give blood
24 Participate in one charity walk (including asking others for donations/sponsorships)
25 Make a loan on Kiva.org
26 Donate total of $100 to same teacher or school on DonorsChoose.org
27 Streamline my charitable giving- choose 4 organizations that mean the most to me, and only give to them
Going Without
28 Go one month without buying anything Made in China
29 Go one month without eating any fast food
30 Go one week at work without using the Internet for anything non-work related
31 Go one week eating only at home (including no take-out/pick-up), or food brought from home
32 Go one week without spending any money.
33 Go one weekend (from Friday after work through bedtime Sunday night) without using the computer
34 Go one weekend (from Friday after work through bedtime Sunday night) without watching any TV
Health & Nutrition
35 Weigh under 200 pounds
36 Get back to a clothing size of 14 (or less)
37 Get Cholesterol Levels to Optimal numbers- HDL 60 or above, LDL under 100, Triglycerides under 155.
38 Reduce the amount of daily medication I take
39 Shop for fruits & vegetables at farmers market
40 Go for a walk (20 minutes or more) every day for one week
41 Go one month without drinking soda
42 Go to bed by 10 PM every night for one week
43 Go without caffeine for one month
44 Take an exercise class
Hobbies & Leisure
45 Finish Celebration cruise scrapbook
46 Finish my NMH postcard scrapbook
47 Start and finish a 2007/2008 scrapbook
48 Start and finish cat scrapbook
49 Start and finish cruise scrapbook for mom
50 Go camping
51 Go to a drive-in movie
52 Go to a Red Sox game (doesn't have to be at Fenway)
53 Go to an SU basketball game (doesn't have to be at SU)
54 Go to a Charlotte Knights game
55 Participate in NaBloPoMo www.nablopomo.com
56 Go to an ethnic cultural festival, other than the Greek Festival
57 Take a cooking class
58 Take a personal interest/leisure activity class
59 Try ten restaurants in Charlotte I haven't been to before
60 Join Paperbackswap.com
House & Home
61 Make a "To Do List" of 15 things around the house, and finish them all in a weekend
62 Make ten new dinner recipes
63 Cook meat on the outdoor grill
64 Create a monthly budget
65 Find a cat sitter
66 Buy fire-proof home safe
67 Fix or mend something that would otherwise be thrown out or put in Goodwill pile
68 Make one purchase from a company I found in the National Green Pages
69 Purchase something from a local crafter/artisan that I would otherwise buy from a mainstream retailer
70 Replace the bathtub
71 Replace the carpet
72 Have the cracked floor tiles repaired
73 Paint the downstairs bathroom (or get it painted)
Personal Growth/Miscellaneous
74 Stop biting nails so they can grow long enough to need a manicure- and get one!
75 Attend a service at Piedmont Unitarian Universalist
76 Babysit for a child by myself
77 Have a letter to the editor published in the Charlotte Observer
78 Reach eBay feedback level of 300
79 Find out status of my retirement account at FC and do something with it!
80 Get my credit report- make sure all information is accurate and close all old accounts that I never used anymore
81 Take a Duke Non-Profit Management class
82 Take a graduate-level university class
The Arts
83 Go to a concert at the Neighborhood Theater
84 Go to a concert at Verizon Wireless Ampitheater
85 Go to a musical performance or theater performance at UNC Charlotte
86 Go to a play at Actor's Theater
87 Go to a play at CAST
88 Go to a touring production of a Broadway musical
89 See all 5 of the Academy Award Best Picture nominees for one year's awards before the awards are given
90 Watch 10 Academy Award Best Pictures that I haven't already seen
Travel
91 Visit two states I haven't been to before (actually spend time- not just drive through)
92 Travel to a country outside of North/South/Central America/the Caribbean
93 Take a cruise on a line other than Carnival
94 Ride in First Class on a plane
95 Visit my grandparents in CT
96 Visit Ryan & Tracy at their new house
97 Visit the Williams clan in Maryland (my cousin & her family)
Upgrading
98 Buy a new (used) car
99 Buy a new computer
100 Buy new cell phone
101 Buy new digital camera
Some of the items could have fit in two categories, such as the "visit grandparents", which could be "Friends and Family" or "Travel," but ultimately I left them under "Travel" because it will involve travel & planning to go to those places.
So far I am "in progress" on #9- I bought an awesome new address book at the Hallmark store, but still need to put everyone's information in there, #80- I sent for the credit reports, and #84- Frank bought us tickets to the James Taylor concert at Verizon in May. I will update on an as-needed basis.