The 101 Things to Do in 1001 Days Project

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).

Start date: March 22, 2009 End date: December 18, 2011

  1. Plant a vegetable garden
  2. Re-build the screened porch (Done! 07.22.09)
  3. Laugh more often
  4. Learn ballroom dancing
  5. Make the upstairs room an art and music studio
  6. Have an artist’s date every week
  7. Play the guitar for at least 15 minutes every day
  8. Fall in love
  9. Learn to play a new instrument
  10. Take a road trip to a place I have never been (Done! 03.24.10-03.28.10, Pawleys Island, South Carolina with CES)
  11. Write a gluten-free vegan cookbook
  12. Travel to Iceland
  13. Create a butterfly habitat in my backyard
  14. Kiss somebody in the rain
  15. Run a 5k race
  16. Pay off my debt
  17. Travel to Costa Rica
  18. Write monthly letters to Grandmother
    19. (R.I.P. GBJ)
  19. Send a work of writing to be considered for publication
  20. Learn a new Italian phrase every week to keep practicing the language
  21. Write thank you letters to everyone who has encouraged or supported my creativity
  22. Take a nap in a hammock in the sun
    23. (Done! 08.31.10)
  23. Learn a new craft
  24. Take at least one photograph a day
  25. Send flowers to someone - just because
  26. Write morning pages at least five days a week
  27. Record mom’s stories in audio
  28. Perform songs at a public concert- solo or in a group
  29. Embrace change and appreciate the familiar
  30. Host a monthly dinner party
  31. Remember that there is a divine plan of goodness for me
  32. Take a bike ride at least once a week
  33. Plant an edible flower garden
  34. Plant an herb garden
  35. Send a secret to postsecret.com
  36. Let go
  37. Take a walk at least once a week
  38. Take a walk with someone else at least once a month
  39. Get a massage (Done! 05.01.09)
  40. Read at least one book a month from the library
  41. Learn how to can fruits and vegetables
  42. Make something for the Snuggles Project
  43. Make something for Warm-Up America!
  44. Teach a cooking class at least twice a year for the community food pantry (2/5) #1, “Vegan Baking Basics,” 04.28.09, #2 “Vegan Baking Basics,” 03.23.10
  45. Start an Etsy shop
  46. Eat a meal with another person at least once a week
  47. Eat solo meals at the table, not standing in the kitchen or watching TV or at the computer
  48. Make a short film
  49. Go to the local speedway to see a race
  50. See a play at a community theater (Done! Summer 2009)
  51. Sleep on a beach
  52. Buy from locally-owned businesses and artists whenever possible
  53. Learn how to make good gluten-free bread
  54. Finish a painting
    55. (Done! April 2010)
  55. Learn how to -at the very least- kindly tolerate small talk
  56. Build, plant, and hang flower boxes on the front porch
  57. Host a bonfire party to which everyone brings an instrument to play
  58. Find people who want to play bocce ball, disc golf, Skip-Bo, backgammon and Master Mind
  59. Build another cat tree for Fergus and Fiona
  60. Save up money for and buy a Mac (Done! August 2009)
  61. Write a song a month
  62. Accept the things I cannot change
  63. Plant poppies in the backyard
    64. (Done! April 2010)
  64. Disappear for a weekend -leaving all technology behind
  65. Make something on a pottery wheel
  66. Make a better compost bin and move it to a better place
  67. Finish siding the shed (Done! April 2010)
  68. Finish rooms in house (repair, paint)
  69. Be better friends with my house
  70. Host craft night once a month
  71. Go to a psychic for a reading
    72. (Done! 11.14.09)
  72. Complete and show one documentary photography project
  73. Meet five new friends (4/5)
  74. Remember it is better to be kind than right
  75. Make a family tree of my friends
  76. Make a quilt out of all of the t-shirts I can’t part with but never wear
  77. Ride a horse
    78. (Done! 10.16.10)
  78. Host a frock swap
  79. Earn another belt in tae kwon do
  80. Do not touch savings account
  81. Renew passport
    82. (Done! 02.22.10)
  82. Hike on the Pacific Crest Trail
  83. Visit the states I have never been to: Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Wyoming, North Dakota, Vermont, Delaware, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Louisiana…oh, I forgot Alaska and Hawaii…those, too
  84. Create a guest room for out of town guests
  85. Go to the symphony (Done! 07.12.09)
  86. Forgive the things I haven’t
  87. Fast once every six months (0/5)
  88. Read the local newspaper at least once a week
  89. Find the courage to pursue and plan Dream Job
  90. Learn how to make good alterations to clothing
  91. Make my own dressform
  92. Go on a date (Done! 07.22.09)
  93. Do twenty push-ups every morning for a week
  94. Travel to another country at Christmas
  95. See a movie at a drive-in
  96. Rent a pontoon boat with friends for a day (Done! 07.03.09)
  97. Wear no black for one week, not even underwear, socks or shoes
  98. Volunteer at a farm sanctuary
  99. Fix-up Griffin’s memorial garden and plant one for Liddle Sav
  100. Visit Lookout Mountain again