101 in 1001: Part Deux

The Background:

Three years ago, on January 1, 2010, I wrote a 101 in 1001 post on my blog. A recent transplant to San Francisco, I was depressed, lonely, and worried that my writing was an empty dream. I’ve always failed at New Year’s Resolutions, but the Day Zero Project appealed to me. The idea is to complete 101 tasks in 1001 days – kind of like a short-term bucket list. The challenge ended for me in September of this year and, to be completely honest, I hadn’t peeked at my list in some months. In fact, many of my goals had changed so much that some tasks on my list were no longer appealing or applicable to my life. Others (like the one where I challenged myself to talk to my dad before it was too late) were somewhat bittersweet seeing as how my dad passed away in 2011 before I’d made good on that task.

But, at the end of the day, I finished 37 of my tasks and half-started another 15. If you’re a math person, that means I didn’t even make it through half my list. Still, as I read through those goals, I felt this great sense of accomplishment for what I’ve achieved. Do you know what a few of my biggest tasks were?

Get an agent.
Write a second book.
Write a third book.
Get a book published.

When I wrote those goals down, those items seemed so lofty and unattainable, but I decided to put them down in writing anyway, declaring my intention to the world and – more importantly – to myself. And now, every single one of those tasks is checked off my list. How awesome is that? As for those things I didn’t accomplish, I’m okay with that, too. A person changes in 1001 days, and that’s exactly what happened. My desires changed, and in some ways, I outgrew my bucket list.

Still, putting my goals in writing worked out for me so well, I’ve decided to do another 101 in 1001 challenge.

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.

Start Date: Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Deadline: September 29, 2015

My List over at Day Zero Project.

My 101 in 1001 List

Writing/Reading

1. Write a fourth book

2. Write a fifth book

3. Write a sixth book

4. Organize a writer’s retreat

5. Teach a writer’s workshop or class

6. Get on a bestseller’s list

7. Do a Spalding Alumni trip

8. Plan an East Coast book tour

9. Make it into Amazon’s Top 100 books

10. Memorize a favorite poem

11. Finish NaNoWriMo

12. Read 150 books

13. Beta read for ten people

14. Write something that scares me

15. Apply for a grant

16. Read 10 nonfiction books

17. Ask friends to suggest 10 books to read and read them all

18. Submit to crit group regularly

19. Plan a local author event

20. Go to the RT Conference

Cooking/Food

21. Learn to make macarons

22. Bake whoopie pies for Kari

23. Cook an Indian meal from scratch

24. Try ten restaurants I’ve never been to before

25. Have drinks at the Top of the Mark

26. Do an Off the Grid dinner night

27. Do a Gift Card Relay Dinner with Friends – Appetizers/Dinner/Dessert at 3 different restaurants

28. Try the Lemon cookie ice cream at Three Twins Ice Cream

29. Eat an exotic donut at Dynamo Donuts

30. Have a girl’s night at The Dessert Bar

31. Have dinner at the Toast Eatery

32. Learn how to cook a new dish each month

T ravel/Playing Tourist

33. Travel to Ireland for a writer’s retreat

34. Ride in a cable car

35. Go to Alcatraz

36. Visit Oregon, Maine, or North Carolina

37. Ride in a hot air balloon

38.  See the Northern lights

39. See a Shakespeare in the Presidio show

40. Go to a professional football game

41. Go to a Giants game

42. Take a road trip

43. See the Grand Canyon

44. Visit Yosemite National Park

45. Go to Comic Con

46. See the parrots on Telegraph Hill

47. Slide down the Seward Street Slide

48. Drive down one of the steepest streets in town – either 22nd between Vicksburg and Church (Noe Valley) or Filbert between Leavenworth and Hyde (Russian Hill). Both have a 31.5% grade

49. Visit Grace Cathedral’s labyrinth

50. Go to a sing-a-long at the Castro Theatre with friends

51. Do a crit group movie night

52. See the Chinese New Year Parade in Chinatown

53. Go bowling at the Presidio Bowl

54. Do a weekend trip to Sonoma

55. Travel to Washington DC to see the sites in IF I LIE

Home

56. Pay off my car

57. Clean out my closet and dresser

58. Clean house at least once a week

59. Draft a living will

60. Organize filing cabinet

61. Spray paint my fan to make it look vintage

62. Get curtains for the living room

63. Get a new bed skirt

64. Make a peek-a-boo lamp shade

65. Purge belongings and do a Goodwill trip

Health

66. Start Weight Watchers

67. Take vitamins every day

68. Get to my goal weight

69. Work out 3x a week

70. Get laser eye surgery

71. Drink 8 glasses of fluids every day for at least one month (to get into habit)

72. Be asthma-free for six months

Personal Growth/For the Fun of It

73. Do a 30 day photo challenge (Pinterest)

74. Go to a concert

75. Decorate dishes with Sharpies

76. Decorate a Christmas tree

77. Carve a pumpkin

78. Get a tattoo

79. Fall in love

80. Let an injustice go

81. Learn to play the “Cups” song

82. Grow my hair out

83. Sing karaoke at a bar

84. Learn to knit

85. Invite friends for a slumber party

86. Learn French

87. Interview someone for the Veterans History Project

88. Read the entire Bible

89. Learn to play a song on my guitar

90. Take a free online class

91. Send flowers anonymously to a friend in need

92. Take a photography class

93. Go to a midnight showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show

94. Make 5 crafty things

Pay it Forward

95. Buy coffee or a meal for a stranger 5x

96. Do 3 random acts of kindness

97. Release 5 books into the wild with inspirational messages inside

98. Pay it forward on the Bay Bridge

99. Send books to soldiers or veterans

100. Start a new 101 in 1001 list when this one is completed

101. Plus one secret goal. Nope, I’m not telling.