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 organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.
Beginning September 3, 2008 (My 41st Birthday!)
Ending: June 1, 2011
Task Not Begun; Task in Process; Task Complete
Places to Go / Things to Do:
1. Rent a beach house for a long weekend (or longer) with the girls
2. Go for a Saturday drive down the Natchez trace and have a picnic
3. Go to the Hwy 127 Yard Sale – (longest yard sale)
4. Walk in Central Park and read a book in the Conservatory Gardens, again
5. Go to a Braves game at Turner Field or the Cinncy ATP tennis tournament
6. Go to a professional sports event for a sport I’ve never seen live
7. Go to Savannah, GA or Charleston, SC.
8. Watch a sunrise on the east coast
9. Watch a sunset on the west coast
10. Go to a street fair or a carnival - Festival of Cultures @ Centennial Park 10/04/08
11. Ride a roller coaster
12. Have a reunion weekend with Cathy and Gina (gotta get them in the same country first!)
13. Go to a US State I’ve never been to – 07/09 – Went to Kansas on a biz trip. FYI, Kansas City is delightful. And they have significantly better retail than Nashville!
14. Go to a country I’ve never been to (plan in the works with Lauria A & Monique for 9/09- fingers crossed! plans aborted. we’ll see what comes up . . . )
15. Go sailing or snow skiing
16. Buy tickets to London 2012 Olympics
For my family:
17. Have Abbye spend a weekend with me in Nashville –( Monday -Thurs. –Dec. 29, 2008-Jan 1, 2009)
18. Take each of the nieces & nephews on dates w/ Auntie Annie –(Chris to a jackson Braves bball game 04/09 for his bday)
19. Knit a sweater for baby Elizabeth - Georgia wanted a blanket for Ellie so I’m trying to finish it before winter is over 01/09! UPDATE: as of 08/09 only 1/4 through so I gotta wrap this one up.
20. Spend a Saturday in Birmingham with all the nieces and nephews.
21. Go visit Chip in Portland.
For my community:
22. Create and implement a recycling plan.
23. Become a Foster Parent again
24. Become an active volunteer with CASA again
25. Do something spontaneous to help out a total stranger. (participated in septemberbirthday.org 09/08- charity:water)
26. Switch to energy saving light bulbs.
27. Buy all my Christmas presents from fair trade products
For my spiritual growth:
28. Read the Bible first thing in the morning - 21 consecutive days (then make it routine) Alteration: I tried this and got to 11 consec days and the 9 consec days. I’m going to focus on 21 days reading the Bible . . . nevermind what time of day. One step at a time. (10/29/08)
29. Read the Old Testament in Chronological Order
30. Take a weekend spiritual retreat by myself (no phone, no computer)
31. Go on an international mission trip
32. Disciple a young single woman (now that I’m one of the old ones) – working with the College class a ClearView so maybe opportunity could arise out of that this year (Aug 09)
33. Find an older woman to disciple me
For my intellectual growth:
34. Re-read and actually FINISH The Brothers Karamazov - Never really started before, I just took the book off the shelf and relocated to my bedroom. This will get done before Christmas!
35. Read Anna Karenina
36. Read the John Adams and/or Benjamin Franklin biographies
37. Improve my ability & confidence in speaking Italian
38. Go to the Library regularly to save from spending $$ on books (got a new card and found out the Library is a good place to work from occasionally!)
39. Have a TV fast (at least 3 consecutive days)
40. Learn about the History of China
41. Reduce TV viewing to 3 hours a day during the week.
42. Have three nights a week TV free for 1 month
43. Downgrade cable (use saved $ for other goals)
44. Take a writing class
For my creative growth:
45. Take a pottery class
46. Go to the Nashville Symphony @ the Schermerhorn
47. See a play – Going to see Wicked 09/03/09 but I said play not musical so I’m not counting it!
48. Spend an afternoon at the Frist Art Museum and the Country Music Hall of Fame
49. Learn to quilt
50. Take a cooking lesson
51. Buy a piece of original art
52. Write and illustrate a children’s book w/ my niece Abbye.
53. Write a poem
54. Finish writing the book!
55. Paint a picture
For my professional growth:
56. Invest in developing artists’ careers to help them achieve their goals
57. Participate in GMA’s Academy Events
58. Go to a leadership conference
59. Intentionally pursue mentoring relationships
For my health:
60. Take tennis lessons
61. Hire a personal trainer for 1 session a week for a month
62. Walk 3 miles a day with Barclay for 21 consecutive days (make it routine)
63. Start a weight loss training routine: do 3 X week for 6 consecutive weeks (Doing Jillian Michael’s Banish Fat & Boost Metabolism DVD. and Biggest Loser Weight Loss Yoga DVD – week 1 starts 3/1/09)
64. Quit drinking sodas
65. Lose 50 lbs. - joined and quit weight watchers – changing strategy but still trying!
66. Attend a yoga class
67. Have a spa day – facial, massage, mani, pedi. . . the works
68. Get my teeth whitened
69. Take my vitamins regularly (I hate them!)
70. Get annual mammograms (nobody said it’d all be fun) – 1 down
71. Eat fish 3 X a week regularly
For my financial growth:
72. Commit to Financial Peace for 3 months - reading Total Money Makeover & installed the Budgeting software (let’s call this step one. Thanks Lackey’s! )
73. Build up my emergency savings
74. Save aggressively for a house down payment
75. Buy a house
76. Start a SEP IRA – (CHANGE:Got a job, so 401K in lieu of SEP IRA. Will contribute once I’m eligible.)
77. Get Life & Disability Insurance
Just because:
78. Watch the first season of 24
79. Make Paella for a dinner party
80. Read the Twilight Series (4 books, I think)
81. Ruthlessly edit my stuff & give away or sell what’s in good condition - Clothes done: 3 bags of clothes to Goodwill – 3 bags to the garbage
82. Organize all my closets & drawers one room at a time - 2 rooms done.
83. Have a Gregory Peck film festival - kinda sorta – we watched Roman Holiday @ Fall Creek Fall (didn’t get to To Kill a Mockingbird) and found out not many of his movies are available on DVD
84. Go Dancing (did I just type that?)
85. Go Horseback riding (again. . . did I just type that?)
86. Surprise someone with an unexpected gift
87. Sleep under the stars
88. Train Barclay NOT to jump on people!
Just Because I never have:
89. Grow my own tomatoes – Summer ‘09
90. Plant a tree in my own yard
91. Go to the Grand Ole Opry
92. Write a song!
93. Fall in Love
94. Test drive a luxury sports car
95. Go to Grassmere Zoo (Dec. 30, 2008 with Abbye)
96. Go to New Orleans for Mardi Gras
97. Go to Fall Creek Falls – 10/26/08 - 10/28/08 w/ Melissa and Monique
98. Go to Dickens Christmas in Franklin - 12/13/08 w/ Melissa, Monique, Alicia and Katie
Because I’m scared to:
99. Go for a hot air balloon ride (I’m verrrry skeerd of heights but not ready to jump out of a plane)
100. Go on a blind date (previously against my rules)
101. Sing in a jazz club
