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 organising 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 Focussed. 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.

1. Write a novel

2. Write a screenplay

3. Complete 101 recipes in 1001 days (3/101)

4. Read 10 classic novels. As in, proper classics. i.e. Austen, Tolstoy, Bronte, whatnot. (4/10)

5. Go overseas. Somewhere. Anywhere.

6. Swim with Dolphins

7. Kiss in the rain

8. Read The Lord of the Rings. (1/3)

9. Actually get around to watching the following films: Pulp Fiction, Gladiator , Sin City, Jaws, There Will Be Blood, Alien, Aliens, Kill Bill 1 & 2 , Lawrence of Arabia, Silence of the Lambs, The Shawshank Redemption, Godfather 1 & 2, Terminator 2, Some Like It Hot, Die Hard, Saving Private Ryan, Citizen Kane and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. (5/20)

10. Attend a musical (preferably a decent one I know all the words to).

11. Attend a music festival

12. Stay up all night just to see the sun rise

13. Road trip!

14. Have a horror movie marathon with Dylan (because there's no way I'm watching them alone!)

15. Beat Dylan at Tennis. :P

16. Have a board games night.

17. Make someone a mixed CD

18. Attempt to get written book published.

19. Attempt to get screen play produced.

20. Climb a mountain

21. Have a girl's night out/in.

22. Clean out my wardrobe

23. Buy a random CD, from an artist I haven't heard of before

24. Find a bookcrossing book

25. Cosplay at a convention

26. Catch a decent sized fish

27. Leave 12 notes in library books (0/12)

28. Hold a koala

29. Visit a zoo

30. Spend more time outside

31. Buy something for a stranger off their wishlist at amazon.com

32. Pay for the car behind me, as well as my own, when driving through the drive thru

33. Get a bear from build a bear.

34. Buy a new pair of heels

35. Own more dresses/skirts (3/3, at least)

36. Go zorbing

37. Do laser skirmish

38. Do paintball

39. See a favourite comedian live

40. Visit Melbourne

41. Buy something from IKEA and assemble it. (Good luck to me!)

42. Have a picnic

43. Attend a sporting event in a stadium

44. Get a new (used) car.

45. Get a passport

46. Clean my room in entirety.

47. Kiss at midnight on new years.

48. Learn a classic dance

49. Go to a circus

50. Have sex outdoors

51. Attend a writer's festival

52. Don't eat fast food for a month

53. Get a new mobile phone

54. Go to five concerts (5/5) - Birds of Tokyo, Green Day, Cobra Starship, British India, Paul Dempsey

55. Do a 3000+ piece puzzle with Dylan.

56. Go skinny dipping at midnight in the middle of summer. :P

57. See 101 of the 1001 movies you must see before you die during this time (18/101)

58. Eat at 10 (new to me) restaurants. (9/10)

59. Fly a kite

60. Ride in a hot air balloon

61. Clean out the inside of my car, incl. vacuum and clean windows

62. Eat more fruit

63. Take 1001 photos during the 1001 challenge. (121/1001)

64. Do the 5000 question survey. (I keep seeing a lot of people with this, so I'll do it too) (5000/5000)

65. Read 10 books purely for the enjoyment of reading (10/10)

66. Have a big day out with my sister.

67. Actually catch up on Lost, and then see the series through to the end.

68. Ride in a helicopter

69. Send a message in a bottle

70. Take my mother to the movies

71. Go on a cycling trip

72. Compile my own recipe book with the 101 recipes I use (granted they don't end in disaster) (1/101)

73. Receive a love letter

74. Celebrate my 21st in style.

75. Be able to play something of a decent nature on the guitar

76. Complete a video game

77. Donate 100,000 grains of rice at freerice.org (12010/100,000)

78. Take a chance, take my shoes off, dance in the rain

79. Go rock climbing with friends

80. Have a movie marathon with friends - perhaps LOTR extended editions.

81. Go vegetarian for a week.

82. Buy a fancy lingerie set. (More complicated than it sounds)

83. Go horse-riding

84. Donate to the Kmart wishing tree for each Christmas that passes during this project (1/3)

85. Go to the drive-in theatre

86. Receive a bunch of flowers, carefully made from paper cut into squares then folded precisly in the correct manner to form the apperance of a lilly. Then several of these (10 in total) made and put into a bunch using pipe cleaners as stalks. Then given to me on my birthday.

86. Go go-karting

87. Don't spend a cent for a week

88. Read 101 books from the 1001 books you must read before you die (22/101)

89. Participate in Operation Beautiful 10 times (0/10)

90. Participate in BEDA (Blog Ever Day August) for each August that occurs during this project

91. Go Ice-skating

92. Go out of my comfort zone at a restaurant and order something obscure, bonus points if I haven't got a clue what the description of the meal actually means

93. Return a library book with a $20 note in it

94. Go to a restaurant and only order dessert

95. Go 10 pin bowling with friends

96. Go to the beach and build a sand castle of epic proportions

97. Have the trivia team win 3 times (2/3)

98. Walk the dog once a month (at least) during this challenge (5/33)

99. Give $5 to charity for each goal not completed at the end of the 1001 days.

100. Blog often during the 1001 days, with updates on each goal.

101. Put aside $5 for each task completed, hopefully leaving $505 to go shopping with at the end.