Chel’s 101 Things in 1001 Days

Years ago, I started a 101 Things list, and I’ve decided to start another one. This list will end on September 29, 2011… the day after Mike’s 40th birthday. The rules are simple…

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.

And so… here’s my list.

Chel’s 101 Things in 1001 Days List

1. Read the Bible through… the whole darned thing, even the difficult and the dry and the dreary par
2. Start a college fund for Griff and Eliza (poor babies better hope they’re smart… I’m thinking scholarships are going to be necessary.)
3. Pay off ALL credit card debt.
4. Join and become active in a church (The actual REALLY final goal for this one is 12/31/09).
5. Take a yoga class.
6. Take a belly-dancing class.
7. Join a book club, if only for one book.
8. Read 100 books. Keep a list on Library Thing. (0/100)
9. Review half of those books on my blog. (0/50)
10. Grow herbs. Don’t kill them.
11. Grow cucumbers. Don’t kill them either.
12. Mail a secret to Post Secret.
13. Tell Mike the secret.
14. Get promoted at work.
15. Take and pass three more insurance classes at work. (0/3)
16. Participate in the 365 Day Challenge. (0/365)
17. Lose 50 pounds. (0/50)
18. Buy handmade products for gifts as often as possible.
19. Submit a book proposal to a publisher.
20. Consider Aleece’s suggestion to blog for pay… or to at least add ads.
21. Take both kids to an art museum.
22. Hold my new niece.
23. Memorize the books of the Bible.
24. Take a weekend trip with Mika and Tara.
25. Lower my cholesterol to 175 or lower and keep it in that range.
26. Institute regular family outdoor activity days. (I hate the outdoors, but the weather here is fabulous & I want the kids to cultivate an active lifestyle.)
27. Take Mike to see the Blue Man Group in Orlando.
28. See a really good ballet.
29. Fly the four of us to Houston to meet Mandy, Josh, and Olivia to see an Astros game.
30. Begin a skip day tradition for me and Eliza like the one Mike has with Griff (Spring Training).
31. Teach Eliza to ride a bike without training wheels.
32. Go on a bicycle trail ride with Mike and the kids.
33. Teach Eliza to swim.
34. Take the kids swimming with the manatees.
35. Take the kids kayaking.
36. Take the kids to the drive-in theatre.
37. Send hand-written thank you cards.
38. Scan my grandmother’s old photos.
39. Take both kids to the Nick Hotel.
40. Donate jewelry to good causes.
41. Give blood.
42. Volunteer to organizations that allow children to assist as well. Instill in the kids a sense of community and of giving.
43. Make the kids work (though we don’t call the tasks ‘chores’… we’re calling them Things You Should Do Because You Live Here).
44. Create a piece of jewelry for my mom from the broken pieces of my late grandmother’s jewelry.
45. Vote.
46. Write a letter to the editor.
47. Write a letter to a government official about a cause I believe is important.
48. Take photos of my messy house. Make a collage of those photos. Mix in photos of my happy kids. Remind myself happy kids are more important than a clean house.
49. Teach Griffin about being a gentleman.
50. Read the Harry Potter books to Eliza (this will be close to the end of the 1001 days).
51. Write a new 100 Wonderful Things About Me list.
52. Get a tattoo (ok, maybe not, but I think about it a lot).
53. Try 100 new recipes. (0/100)
54. Post and review at least half them on my blog. (0/50)
55. Write Tara a short story for her birthday (the current working title is “Tools, Guns, and Pie.”).
56. Serve my family one vegetarian meal a week. (0/143)
57. Wear a pedometer. Average 7-10,000 steps per day.
58. Print photos from Snapfish. All of them. Put them in albums.
59. Tithe. Not necessarily the 10 percent the Old Testament mentions, but enough that we are literally invested in the church.
60. Every July, send flowers to someone for no good reason. (0/3)
61. Have a standing date night with Mike every three months. (0/12)
62. See an old movie at the old theatre here in town.
63. Calculate my carbon footprint.
64. Take specific steps to shrinking my carbon footprint.
65. Begin a vacation fund for a romantic trip with Mike.
66. Give at least one compliment every day. (1/1001)
67. Pray with Mike.
68. Read the Bible with the kids.
69. Thank my kids’ teachers.
70. Buy a Starbucks for the person behind me in line as a surprise.
71. Shop locally.
72. Cook with fresh foods as often as possible.
73. Buy fewer books. Use BookMooch or the library instead.
74. For the books I do buy, use Eco-Libris.
75. Floss. (dammit)
76. Register online as an organ donor.
77. Plant a lime tree in our yard. Or two. Maybe two.
78. Paint the outside of the house a non-icky color.
79. Create a budget.
80. Stick to the budget.
81. Save several thousand dollars in an emergency fund.
82. Go to a women’s spiritual retreat. Convince Stacy to go with me.
83. Spend a weekend at a spa with LeeAnn.
84. Take Aleece to an art museum.
85. Go to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween every year with Mandy, Josh, and Olivia.
86. Start and maintain a scrapbook for our Halloween adventures from #85.
87. Keep a prayer journal.
88. Go to the local Farmer’s Market every couple of months.
89. Color my hair blonde for at least a little while.
90. Surprise the kids with a day trip somewhere fun.
91. Complete the Couch to 5K program.
92. Get “Band of Brothers” from Netflix for Mike and sleep while he watches it.
93. Re-design the back porch so it’s more functional and friendly (to me… the lizards already find it very functional and friendly).
94. Take a family portrait.
95. Take a hot bath at least once a week. (Seriously… I love baths, but I hate trecking across the house to the kids’ bathroom where there’s a tub.) (0/143)
96. Replace the van with a hybrid.
97. Have people who are not related to us to dinner at our house (I used to love to have people over for dinner before we moved!).
98. Have Eliza tested for her allergies.
99. Have Griff tested again for his pet allergies.
100. Rescue a dog from the pound.
101. Set aside one Sunday evening a month to call far-away friends. (0/33)

Eventually, there will be a daycounter here to keep me on track. I, of course, being technically challenged, will have to send my personal webmaster, Aleece, a nice begging note. She’ll post it & all will be well. I should have added “thank Aleece routinely” as my 102nd item.

102. Thank Aleece routinely.

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