101 Things 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.

Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.
2. Stay Focused. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.
3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.
4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.
5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.

Start Date: 1 June 2008
End Date: 27 February 2011

Creativity
1. Make 25 things for Etsy shop
2. Conquer my fear of the sewing machine
3. Make owl pillows
4. Make matching aprons for Hope and I
5. Make curtains
6. Make a dress
7. Make 7 skirts
8. Make a quilt
9. Learn to follow a knitting pattern
10. Learn to play the accordion
11. Learn to play guitar
12. Take a photography class
13. Organize all photos / photo albums
14. Screen print tees
15. Make soap
16. Follow a crochet pattern
17. Develop my own embroidery pattern
18. Make candles
19. Create and mail in a PostSecret

Financial
20. Pay off all of my credit card debt
21. Have $3,000.00 in savings
22. After the credit cards are paid off, only use a quarter of the credit

Food
23. Bake my own bread once a month
24. Learn to make pie crust
25. Make an authentic Thai meal for friends
26. Make my own apple butter
27. Make an authentic Indian meal for friends
28. Successfully make delicious tofu with nutritional yeast
29. Make my own sushi
30. Bake goodies twice a month and give them away to family, friends, and coworkers
31. Go vegetarian for 5 days out of the week
32. Make a ridiculously decorated from scratch cake for Halloween
33. Successfully make a soufflé
34. Have a fondue night and not burn down the apartment
35. Bake cupcakes for Hope’s class (with Hope) at each birthday
36. Have a small vegetable garden

Fuck the Man
37. Join the PTO and demand organic food in the cafeteria, tattoo acceptance training, and punk rock camp for girls
38. Take Hope to her first political / social march
39. Raid an anti-choice rally and avoid jail
40. Stay cable free (KILL YOUR TV)
41. Shop indie whenever possible
42. Volunteer at domestic violence shelter
43. Quit using plastic bags
44. Switch to Brita pitcher to avoid generating more trash

Fun and Games
45. Learn to play poker
46. Relearn roller-skating
47. Host nerd night 4 times a year
48. Cut my Netflix queue by watching 100 DVDs
49. Watch all the Hammer Horror films
50. Get a Tarot reading done once a year
51. Get 5 more tattoos
52. Get play pierced

Home / Organizing
53. Paint downstairs
54. Paint kitchen cupboards
55. Paint Hope’s room
56. Paint my room
57. Buy another set of bookshelves / organize books
58. Sort out paper work stored in the Filing Cabinet of Doom
59. Steam clean carpets
60. Organize sewing/yarn/craft mess
61. Paint sewing table
62. Find and refinish/paint three pieces of furniture

Learning
63. Research my Native American heritage
64. Learn about Hinduism
65. Learn Italian
66. Brush up on my dinosaur knowledge

Out and About
67. Take a trip to Portland, Oregon
68. Take a trip to Asheville, NC
69. Take a trip to Athens for the weekend
70. Take Hope hiking twice a year
71. Go to DragonCon
72. Go to the Renaissance Festival
73. Attend 4 concerts a year
74. Attend the Asheville Fiber Arts Festival
75. Actually go to the movies (not a kid’s movie) 6 times a year
76. Visit the Hindu temple
77. Go see a play at the Shakespeare Tavern
78. Attend the Atlanta Horror Fest
79. Visit 5 different art galleries/museums
80. Go to 3 different craft fairs

Reading
81. Reread Paradise Lost
82. Read all of In Search of Lost Time
83. Reread War and Peace
84. Reread The Iliad
85. Read The Aenid
86. Read all of the histories of middle-earth and LOTR books
87. Read 200 books I haven’t read before
88. Start a book club
89. Memorize 10 poems
90. Memorize three different speeches from Shakespeare

Self Improvement is Masturbation
91. Lose 50 pounds
92. Get my driver’s license [Done! 06/06/08]
93. Go back to taking my medication like I should [Done! 06/04/08]
94. Take a traditional middle eastern dance class
95. Make a living will

Writing
96. Apply to graduate school
97. Get over my debilitating fear of public readings by (shock) having a public reading
98. Get back to my regular writing schedule
99. Start a writing group
100. Have a chapbook assembled and published
101. Attend 6 different poetry readings