On January 1st 2008 I embarked on a challenge to complete 101 Things in 1001 Days.
Yesterday it all came to an end!
This project has been one of the most fulfilling projects I have ever undertaken. I am known to be a little evangelical on this topic if given the chance, but only because it has had such an incredible impact on my life. This project has helped me to put some shape to the things that matter most to me, and granted me several much needed butt-kickings along the way!
The end result has been 2.75 years of growth and experiences that I may not have otherwise gotten around to tackling. I was able to complete 94 goals from my original list of 101 (with a few modifications along the way), and a few “works in progress” that just missed the deadline.
Here’s the breakdown:
The 5 tasks that I couldn’t complete in time:
002 – Weight loss goal #2
017 – Set a savings target, meet it, and maintain it for 6 months.
027 – Learn the names of every country, and identify them on a map
057 – Finish the last “Harry Potter” book
101 – Plan and execute an online crafty collaboration, swap or competition
Despite not finishing these 5 tasks, I consider each of them an achievement because of the time already invested in them during my 1001 days. I have made a good dent in all five incomplete goals, so I feel like I am well on my way!
And of course, the end of my 101 in 1001 project is no reason to just stop working on them. I guess it was just a race against the clock in the last few weeks, and these were the ones that I had to let go.
The 2 tasks I never started
003 – Weight loss goal #3
099 – Participate in mailart.org
My third weight loss goal couldn’t be started until I successfully finished my second, and I didn’t quite make it!
The mailart.org task became impossible when the website disappeared at some point during the past couple of years. I had always intended to replace it with something similar but simply ran out of time.
I am beginning my post with the items that I didn’t complete so that I can finish with the good stuff! I expected to feel a bit disappointed in myself if I didn’t hit all 101 goals, but one of the things I learned about myself during the project is that I have had some serious issues with perfectionism in the past. There were times when I found myself not beginning a task because I was worried I wouldn’t do it in the best possible way, and that’s just dumb! I really had to learn some strategies to get me doing instead of just thinking about it, and over time I’ve really developed some perspective.
After all, the only person I have to answer to is myself!
You can see my full list over here, with all of the details of my itemized tasks. Rather than recreating it here, I thought I might explain in real terms the ways in which those tasks have had an impact during the past couple of years.
I travelled.
I travelled to Tasmania, and indulged in some incredible seafood.
I went to Phillip Island, and made vegemite chocolate at Panny’s Chocolate Factory
I experienced the Great Ocean Road, and saw the Apostles
I saw snow on Lake Mountain, and made a very stylish snowman.
I visited 50 Melbourne suburbs
I walked to the city and back 8 times in one month
I have planned my travel to New York and New England in September 2011!
I improved myself.
I learned to run 5km comfortably
I learned 15 new vegetarian recipes
I learned to cook a recipe from 30 countries
I have improved my health and fitness by riding my bike more and joining a gym
I challenged myself to a fortnight without meat
I challenged myself to a month without chocolate (and survived!)
I have found full-time employment which challenges and fulfils me (preceded by another job that didn’t)
I taught myself to use Excel (and am now completing a Cert IV which expands what I have learned)
I read the dictionary from beginning to end
I have learned to spot 5 constellations in the sky
I kept a swear jar for 2 weeks (and raised enough cash to sustain a small village!)
I learned a lot about wine, and the different regions on the East coast and Clare Valley
I learned all the US state capitals
I learned to sign the alphabet
I made a Will
I improved my lifestyle.
I have learned to budget, and set up joint savings/spendings accounts with Tim
I have donated, sold and thrown away hundreds of material items
I organised my filing cabinet
I bought a new computer and scanner
I organised and backed up all my photos with a new hard drive, and streamlined my workflow
I organised all of my music, and fixed up all the tagging
I grew a herb garden
I bought a BBQ, a new microwave and some beautiful Global knives
I bought a spare bed and a new coffee table
I bought a car (ok, Tim helped!)
I had my guitar fixed
I expanded my photography equipment with new lenses
I have had my couches dry-cleaned
I had my pup’s teeth cleaned (yes, that improves my life too!)
I have walked my dog more regularly
I helped other people.
I have sponsored a child through World Vision for the past 2 years
I did an anonymous favour
I did an anonymous prank (it was harmless and positive!)
I donated blood, and renewed my Senior First Aid certificate
I have identified (and put into practice) 5 ways in which I can reduce my impact on the environment
I donated books
I secretly flew into Brisbane to surprise Mum for her birthday
I had new experiences.
I have taken a beautiful ride in a hot air balloon
I have been horseriding on the beach
I watched 25 of Tim’s favourite movies
I read 10 novels by Melbourne authors
I have visited 5 different Melbourne markets
I ate at 25 different local restaurants (actually, it was more like 40!)
I went to Werribee Zoo
I visited to Luna Park
I went to a ghost tour at Old Melbourne Gaol
I went for a cruise down the Yarra River
I have experienced my first AFL games (at Etihad Stadium, and the MCG)
I visited 10 Australian art galleries
I ate on the Restaurant Tram
I have, with a healthy amount of embarrassment, been on the Neighbours tour
I have seen a Gold Class movie for the first time
I saw an outdoor movie (at the Rooftop Cinema, then at the Moonlight Cinema)
I slept under the stars
I watched the sun rise from the beach
I have been part of a live TV audience
I have watched every episode of Lost (and loved every second)
I have blown a stack of cash on a serious haircut and colour (and decided that it was overrated)
I built myself a time capsule
I carved a pumpkin for Halloween
I created.
I built a portfolio of my photography
I rebuilt my recipe blog
I sold a little of my photography
I took 100 snapshots, and turned them into a little book
I photographed a day in my life
I made some jewellery
I recorded a song for guitar, piano & voice
I drew 5 hands & 10 people
I drew every day for a month
I drew everything I ate for one week
I completed a course in art journaling
I have sewn a sock monkey and a doll
I have bought (and used) a flower press
I have created a list of 100 things that make me happy!
My list was created at a time when I was new to Melbourne, looking for work, and figuring out what to do with myself at the end of a career path. I remember wanting to turn my new city into “home” by discovering as much as possible about it, and to develop the sides of me that had been neglected while I pursued my career in music.
I didn’t have much money in the bank when I wrote my list, and so there are no grand round-the-world trips. I didn’t go overseas or write a novel. Instead, my list was created to build upon the areas of my life that needed a little more structure, and a time limit!
The end result is a set of goals that is very “me”. And since I am such a massive procrasinator I can confidently say that most of those goals would still be sitting in the one day basket if not for my deadline!
This simple idea has done so much to enrich my life, and some of my new experience have given me memories I will treasure forever. Naturally, my next 101 list is already in the planning stages!
I have so many tips for people who want to embark on this project, and so I will be writing a bit of a guide later which outlines the strategies that worked for me. Most of it comes back to the writing of the list itself, as this entire project is pointless if your list isn’t completely authentic and specific.
For the time being, however, I am going to bask in my goal-lessness of “Day 1002″! It is already off to a cracking start, with the delivery of this beautiful orchid to work yesterday:
How good is that? I had no idea I had managed to program the date into somebody else’s head!
It goes without saying that I have had tremendous support throughout this project, but I’ll say it anyway! Massive thankyous go to:
Tim, who arranged our beautiful hot air balloon ride on my 30th birthday, brainstormed with me for “100 snapshots”, watched 25 movies with me, donated blood with me, helped us to afford a new car and computer, carried our new coffee table home on the tram and performed countless other acts of kindness to put me in the path of my goals over the past 2.75 years
Sally, who helped me tick off a stack of items in two separate trips to Melbourne (Ghost tour, Neighbours tour, Yarra cruise, trip to the Apostles, some international recipes… and she bought me a Will Kit!)
April, Tim, Sally & Janelle who contributed a letter to “future me” for my time capsule
Foodie friends who helped me to find recipes for my ’15 vegetarian recipes’ and ’30 recipes from 30 countries’ goals (or helped me eat the finished product!)
Olivia & Laura for answering my call and buying some of my photography from my RedBubble store
YOU GUYS, for listening to my little achievements whenever I reported in, and giving me encouragement to keep going!
Whew! What a ride. And what a post! Give yourself a pat on the back (and an extra glass of vino) if you managed to read this far!
