101 in 1001 1.0.1

It's really version 2, but the number was far too tempting!!

Remember how I did this before? It was a lot of fun and really kept me working on those things.

It's been awhile now, and I think I'm ready to tackle a new one. It gets really old when life is focused solely on dishes, grocery lists and folding laundry. So it's time to give myself some larger goals again.

The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:Tasks must be specific (no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (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 Reward: Personal satisfaction of a job well done...and lots of things accomplished you really needed or wanted to do!


Finishing Date: Monday, May 13, 2013
(at some point I'll sort them into some sort of understandable order!)
Updated 5/7/12 with what I've done already.

1. one week of the sink shined before bed
2. decorate kids' room (done 9/15/10)
   
3. decorate our room
4. decorate porch (or convert it into a studio! 11/11)
5. donate books and movies kids have outgrown: on Hudson's 4th birthday or before we move again, whichever is first (done 6/6/11)
6. finish new look to bathroom (done 10/10)
7. replace girls' mattresses (done 8/20/10)
8. throw out sippy cups
9. declutter kids' toys 3 times (1st 9/17/10, 2nd 6/4/11)
10. get rid of Josh's old bed and mattress (listed on Craigslist right now! 5/7/12)
11. get rid of nursing clothes (obviously after Hudson weans) (started giving things away 1/3/11)
12. purge emails (in both Gmail and Thunderbird) (done 9/23/10)
13. purge pictures Getting there!
14. re-organize bathroom stuff  (done 1/12) 
15. update Josh's wardrobe (got a good chunk of that done! 9/1/10)
    
16. update my wardrobe (did a TON last weekend! 9/20/10)
17. have the house company-ready for one week
18. paint kitchen  (9/11/11)
19. paint stairwell and hallway
20. go for a massage and/or spa day
21. get a manicure (done 4/1/12)
22. get a pedicure
23. go on a helicopter ride
24. go on vacation (with family) to Georgia or NC
25. go to a batting cage with Josh (done 7/2/11!)
26. ride with Josh on a motorcycle
27. go to a shooting range with Josh (done 7/2/11!)
28. go to Ireland
29. sing karaoke. Just once.
30. see TobyMac in concert
31. try skiing. Just once.(who'm I kidding? I don't even want to play it on the Wii!)
32. visit another continent
33. finish and print ABC book (done and ordered! 9/25/10)
34. finish Michael's book (DONE! 9/16/10)
    
35. make and print simple (photo-heavy) baby books for each child.
36. use up wedding favor candles (13) (done 8/24/10)
37. get amalgam fillings replaced with safer fillings
38. exercise every other day for a month (March and April, 2012)
39. Complete Couch-to-5K program (I'm on week 3!)
40. go to Bisons game each summer (whoops! missed 2011)
41. have a vegetable garden every summer (done 2010 and 2011, 2012 seedlings just got put outside)
    
42. three weeks with computer completely off (not in a row) (one done before Christmas 2010)
43. don't complain about being tired one whole tired day done 9/6 and 9/7/10
44. cut Hudson's hair (did this 12/18/10!)
45. learn how to muscle-test myself (learning)
46. meet 2 online friends (Michelle Adams and Heidi Mixon!)
    
47. meet up with Great-Uncle Lynn to learn what he knows about the family stories/records
48. memorize 30 Bible verses (learned 26 together with kids)
49. save up money for down payment, or at least for a moving van and a first month's rent/security deposit (good start!)
50. update blog header at least three times (1st done 8/31/10, 2nd done 11/1/10, 3rd time 12/28/10)
51. play Beatles (story mode) on expert bass
52. put away laundry the day I wash it 4 times (done twice: on vacation 11/10 and 1/10/11)
53. read 50 books for me (40 done.)
54. read 20 chapter books to kids (10 done.)
    
55. rent a fisheye lens (or buy one ;) )
56. go to farmer's market 6 times (4 times so far)
57. write a bucket list
58. get lawn signs for an election; put them up  (done in 2010)
59. go to the county fair each summer (did in 2010 and 2011)
60. vote every November (and primaries when appropriate) (primary 9/14/10, elections 11/2/10, elections 11/8/11)
61. write 10 more memoir mini-stories
62. save 50% on a grocery store trip (coupons and sales) (10% saved once. thinking 25% might be more realistic)
63. save up 3 months' salary
64. start Jasmine on an instrument
65. start learning a new language as a family
66. take kids to circus
67. take the kids somewhere fun, by myself 
68. teach Bekah and Hudson to read (Bekah is reading at a third-grade level now :) )
69. teach girls recorder
70. teach Jasmine to whistle (she taught herself!)
    
71. teach kids Gloria
72. teach kids to jumprope
73. teach kids to tie shoes  (Bekah's got it!)
74. all three kids riding 2-wheelers (Jasmine's got it!)
75. have kids memorize Bible verses in ABC book  (done!)
76. ballet lessons for girls (started 9/18/10)
77. take Jasmine ice skating twice (Josh took her once!)
78. bless someone with my photography…   (11/11)
79. buy an external flash and learn how to use it
80. photograph or participate in a "trash the dress" session
    
81. save up for and buy a wide-angle lens and/or a D90 
82. set up photo studio (for us) (11/11)
83. learn three new photo techniques (1: shaped bokeh. 2: reverse-lens macro; 3: making pictures look miniature)
    
84. set up photos in a stock photography place (or ETSY!! Done 11/12/10)
85. do self-portraits 3 times (first one done 1/10/10, 2nd one done 1/10/12)
86. go on a photo trip (day, weekend, whatever)(done 2/11-2/14/11 to Arizona!)
87. get featured as one of Pioneer Woman's favorite pictures, and/or I Heart Faces' blog, even if not winning (I know this is somewhat out of my hands, but it means I'll keep participating!) (finalist for IPrintFromHome.com's contest, which counts!)
88. give copies of awesome pictures to Knox, Anderson's and maple farm
89. be more selective in my photo shots: less "monkey with typewriters"
90. try 5 "new" countries' cousines (new to Josh or to me, or both) (1st: Irish. Second: Puerto Rican. Third: Persian. Fourth: Lebanese. Fifth: Jamaican!)
    
91. make a lemon meringue pie
92. eat vegan for a week (first week of May, 2012)
93. try 10 local-only restaurants
    
94. make a cheesecake (done 6/30/11)
95. make a souffle.
96. make pudding from scratch
97. two weeks of not eating out (other than date night)   (done 2/3-2/16/12)
98. only spend one hour online a day for 2 months (planning on making this permanent, but after 2 months can check this off)
99. cut down girls' movie-watching to one each a day for 2 months (or more ;) ) (done!! been doing it for awhile now!)
    
100. turn off computer before starting dinner each day for 2 months (or longer)
101. keep this list updated as I complete things/make progress