Thursday, April 10, 2008

101 Challenges 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.

Why do this as a couple? We are looking forward to providing each other with challenges as well as with support. This list should be a wonderful guide to how we want to push ourselves & move closer to our mutual goals.

When are we starting? Thursday, April 10th, 2008

When will our 1001 days be up? January 6, 2011

Where can we see updates? Go to the main page of the blog here, and see what we're working on ... and what we've accomplished! Items in blue are in progress, currently! Red items are DONE!

What if we want to join you & create our own list? Please do!! You can go to the original website to get more ideas & support, too!

1 Eat a vegetable with every dinner for a month
2 Avoid deep fat fried foods for 1 month
3 Have a crab dinner
4 Dine out, just the 2 of us, once every 2 weeks for 2 months
5 Get out some cookbooks and magazines and review recipes
6 Create a meal together once a week for 3 weeks
7 Buy a DVD, come home, and make popcorn
8 Visit every public area in the Magic Kingdom
9 Go on a cruise
10 Visit Hershey, PA
11 Visit Yellowstone
12 make caramel corn with Aunt Mary Ann
13 visit Mary Lou & do some painting
14 find a roadside fruit or vegetable seller & make a purchase
15 go to Starved Rock
16 visit the Art Institute
17 spend 20 minutes a day, just playing with & petting our cats, for 2 weeks
18 extend a loan on kiva.org
19 sign up to play secret Santa for 4 kids with Chicago Sun Times' Season of Sharing
20 Make a $50 donation to globalgiving.com
21 fix sword anchor in wall & fill holes
22 have house powerwashed
23 inflate exercise ball to proper size
24 clean gutters
25 Go an entire week without swearing or cursing
26 Make a Chinese banquet for friends and family
27 Make homemade ice cream
28 Plan a treasure hunt
29 No fast food for one month
30 Find a new restaurant worthy of becoming a new favorite
31 Find one bread recipe to make regularly
32 Pay off a credit card
33 make cinnamon rolls from scratch
34 Read three books of the Bible.
35 See a Cirque de Soleil show.
36 Go to Adler Panetarium
37 Go to the Shedd Aqauarium
38 Go to the Art Museum in Milwaukee
39 Stay at a B&B in Madison, Wisconsin
40 Donate 1,000,000 grains of rice through freerice.com (99,350/1,000,000, started 4/10/08)
41 Reevaluate 10 foods/drinks we claim not to like
42 Don't say anything negative for 1 day
43 Support a charity walk/run (4/26/08, sponsored Lauren, walking in the March for Babies)
44 Grow basil and make pesto with it
45 Look for additional blades for Cuisinart
46 Take a class at Brookfield Zoo
47 Visit Yosemite
48 See the Northern Lights
49 Go for a picnic in a secluded spot
50 Go to Kohler Waters new Spa
51 Lose 15 pounds each
52 Spend every Tuesday (changed to SATURDAY) night without computers or TV for 3 months
53 Spend a whole day in jammies, with no outside communication (phones, computers)
54 Take a dancing lesson (we actually took 3!)
55 Go one week without soda
56 Visit Field Museum
57 Eat only food we create from scratch for 2 weeks
58 Walk for 1 hour a week, for 6 weeks (4/10/08-5/20/08)
59 Pay for the person behind us in line
60 Donate $5 to charity for every item not completed on this list by the due date = $80 for the 16 items left uncompleted. We've got a couple of places we're considering donating this. We'll update in our final post.
61 Take a cooking class
62 Get 8 hours of sleep every night for 2 weeks
63 Go to an adoption seminar (completed 4/27/08)
64 grow something (tomato, oregano, zinnias, summer 2008)
65 Visit Wales
66 See Hadrian's Wall
67 Visit Caneel Bay
68 Limit computer usage to 1 hour per weekday for 2 weeks
69 Sit on porch or in living room for 30 minutes every day for 1 month
70 fix driveway
71 install new mailbox (started 4/11/08, completed 4/14/08)
72 put $1,000 into savings
73 add 1% more into 401k for 1 calendar year (started 4/16/08)
74 use no credit cards for 6 months, barring travel expenses or bonafide emergencies
75 Go to Morton Arboretum at least once per month for 1 year
76 Buy new car
77 Buy new bookshelves for living room
78 Buy new glasses for DH
79 Take treats to work for no reason at all 5 times (5/5)
80 use up soapmaking supplies (4/29/08, 5 bars of honey oatmeal soap, 5/1/08 4 bars rainforest glycerin soap, 5/10/08 10 small bars jasmine glycerin soap, 12/11/08 3 bars coconut cream soap)
81 use all body lotion, body wash, soap, shower gel, and body scrub before buying more
82 fix or replace paper shredder
83 Make a crock-pot meal once a week for one month
84 Make ravioli from scratch
85 Send 4 random care packages (4/4)
86 Buy produce at farmers market 10 times
87 Go 3 times to a place where DH will feel comfortable wearing his snazzy shoes (1/3)
88 vaccuum both cars & wipe down all other components with Armor-All
89 Search for a banjo class & sign up, if DH can find one
90 Locate a nearby Teavana store & patronize it at least once
91 Replace all burnt out halogen bulbs in kitchen
92 put house numbers on house
93 get recycling bin for kitchen
94 fix master bedroom closet door
95 stay within holiday shopping budget for 2008, 2009, and 2010
96 Watch the sunset from the top a mountain
97 buy new winter coats
98 Have a candlelit dinner
99 Visit 30 new local restaurants: Noodles & Company (4/22/08), Champps (05/03/08), Cebu (05/10/08), Islamorada Fish Company (6/2/08), Carrabbas (6/10/08), Walter Payton's Roundhouse (08/07/08), Pappadeaux (08/21/08), Boudin SF (9/2/08), Sarpino's (10/6/08), Redstone (10/19/08), Go Roma (10/26/08), The Yardhouse (11/7/08), LaBriola (1/3/09), Ra (1/17/09), Dmitri's Pancake House (2/7/09), Cosi (2/14/09), Amber Cafe (2/14/09), Glen Prairie (2/28/09), Honey Cafe (7/3/09) Petterinos' 9/5/09, Elephant and Castle 9/6/09, South Water Kitchen 9/7/09, Five Guys 10/27/09, Pompei 01/16/10, Wow Bao 2/13/10, Park Grill 2/13/10, Cooper's Hawk Winery 2/15/10, Flat Top Grill 03/5/10, Weber Grill 03/13/10, The Patio 3/20/10) (30/30)
100 get a new compact digital camera
101 Clean out clothes closets. Sort into Keep, Sell, Throw Away, and Donate.

16 comments:

paintergirl said...

I love this as a couples project. I know my list is started on my birthday but it most definitely involves my husband and son. I think my husband said- I want to learn GO and that was that.

Marni said...

What a truly fantastic list! Thanks for stopping by my blog. Best wishes on completing your list. :)

Relyn Lawson said...

I love the items in your list and your idea for doing it as a couple. I know you will have so much fun and grow on your 1001 day adventure. Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see you again. I'll be checking in with you to see how you are doing, too.

scrapperjen said...

WOW!!!! What a fabulous list! I'll have to see if I can talk my significant other into this....

ragity ann said...

You guys have an awesome list! Best of luck! I agree with you too--the more peoples lists i see, the more ideas I get!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your comment on my blog. It's wonderful that you and your husband are doing this together.

Best of luck to you!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for commenting on my list. I think it's great that you're doing it as a couple. Best of luck!

Anonymous said...

I love the banjo idea- really cool. Making ravioli is one of mine too! Also, I work at the Art Institute- it's a great school!

Good luck!

Gail T. said...

hi, thanks for the visit! doing this as a couple activity is a great idea.

i'm thinking of doing #18 -kiva.org for my next list, and maybe even earlier. :D i'd love to hear your own experience as you complete this task.

good luck!

Allison said...

Thanks for commenting on my blog, because it prompted me to check out yours. I LOVE that you are doing this as a couple! My DH is NOT a list maker, but he is doing 4 baby goals a week: one spiritual, one physical, one financial, and one mental. So we are moving forward together, too!

Good luck!

Anonymous said...

I stumbled in here through scrapperjen's blog. I must be behind the blogging times having never heard of the 101 in 1001 concept but I love it.

Great great idea and list!

Anonymous said...

Awesome list! You're doing a great job so far =D Goodluck.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for commenting on my 27 @ 27 list - I'ms so glad I came to look at yours - it's so inspiring! If you are still looking for a good bread recipe I can recommend this one: http://suzannemcminn.com/blog/2007/12/16/crusty-french-bread-and-more/ (I make the soft chewy Italian and add rosemary fresh from our garden and garlic flavoured rice bran oil - delicious!)
and we have grown our own basil and have a great recipe for pesto so let me know if you want me to send it through to you!
Have added your blog to my Google Reader so I can see how you go with all the items on your list!
Cheers, Katie

carola said...

Good luck with your list! we have some common goals!

Eric Weis said...

Keep it up!
I'm on my own list and looking for ideas for my next list. It's early, but its always exciting trying to find new things to add. Keep going strong!
ericsrunningjourney.blogspot.com
Eric

Anonymous said...

OMG I want to visit Hershey SO BADLY! Let me know how it is when you go! =)