101 Things in 1001 Days

61 / 101 goals. 61% done!

101 things in 1001 days is a new internet phenomenon slowly making its way around. In a world of failed New Years Resolutions and lackluster lists, someone came up with a much more manageable way for people to try and get things accomplished that either need to get done or they want to do.

You write down 101 goals that you want to accomplish over the next 1001 days (roughly 2.75 years). The goals should be specific - nothing generic like "I want to get organized." Instead you could write "buy a calendar" or "write my appointments in my agenda every day for a month. You track the goals you achieve, and many people also write about their adventures along the way. There are even online communities in which you can see other people's goals and what they are getting done.

A couple of my friends (from completely different friend circles) have created their own lists, and one good, long time friend invited me to join a small group she is starting. The headings are my own creations, and were written down after I had half my goals laid out. Really, it's just a way for me to organize my thoughts (and help me come up with more - 101 is a lot!) Each heading is a personal characteristic I am hoping to develop further.

Some goals are fairly every day, some are much more personal. This is a personal journey for me. Feel free to comment and follow along, but please try to be supportive and uplifting in your comments. There is a link in the right column that says "101 things in 1001 days", and if you click on that you'll find yourself back at this list. then, if you click on a goal that is highlighted in green, you'll come to a blog entry about how I accomplished the goal.

And so, without further ado, my 101 things in 1001 days.


Spiritual Giant
1. Have more meaningful prayer, once a day, during naptime for a month.
2. Memorize 25 bible verses. (4/25)
3. Complete all the reading for my Women's bible study class for one semester. (Nov 20, 2008)
4. Have morning devotional with the boys every day for a month. (April 30, 2009)
5. Complete 100% visiting teaching for 4 months in a row. (October 2010)
6. Create 3 CDs of General Conference talks on 3 different subjects and listen to them.
7. Complete the "21 Days Closer to Christ" challenge. (November 2010)


Loving Wife and Mother
8. Go on a winter outing with my family and don't complain about the cold. (February 20, 2010)
9. Have a date night once a month for one year (September 2009)
10. Create an art station for the kids. (October 2010)
11. Play with Colin during Caleb's morning nap every week for a month. (October 2008)
12. Finish decorating the master bedroom.
13. Take Colin to the Zoo. (June 2010)
14. Hold Family Night every Monday night for a month (November 17, 2008)
15. Get baby portraits done with Caleb. (March 20, 2009)
16. Play a board game with James once a week for a month. (September 2010)
17. Collect Colin's letter artwork from Nursery school each week and put into a book for him. (June 16, 2009)
18. Do Kindergarten prep with Caleb. (February 2010)
19. Order 10 books from Scholastic Book Order. (November 5, 2008)
20. Decide on a family motto and create a way to display our family motto in the house. (October 2010)
21. Make the majority of the boys' Christmas presents myself. (December 2008)

Happy Homemaker
22. Create a memory box for each member of my family and sort our keepsakes into each one. (April 2010)
23. Finish building my fence. (October 18, 2008)
24. Have a three-month Food Storage. (March 31, 2009)
25. Set up my sewing machine in my bedroom. (October 4, 2008)
26. Learn how to use more features in Quicken and create a proper budget and financial tracking system for 2009. (March 1, 2009)
27. Stay on top of budgeting in Quicken, by falling no more than 2 weeks behind for 6 months.
28. Purge my clothes twice a year, getting rid of things I didn't wear at all in the last 6 months. (August 2, 2009)
29. Clean all the windows in our house.
30. Find a side table for the living room. (October 14, 2008)
31. Build a shelf under the kitchen sink.
32. Find two more shelves for our food storage. (November 1, 2008)
33. Clean all the boxes out of the garage. (October 30, 2008)
34. Refinish our bedroom dresser.
35. Back up the computer.
36. Organize our photos, including printed copies and CD backups. (Jan 2011)
37. Hem 5 pairs of pants. (5/5) (March 2010)
38. Set up a cleaning schedule. (February 23, 2009)
39. De-clutter the master bedroom (top of dresser, closet basket, sewing table top) (February 9, 2009)
40. Make a piece of art for our home. (December 2009)
41. Put a car emergency kit in the car. (February 16, 2009)
42. Gather copies of all important documents and keep a copy here and one at my parents'.
43. Do a load of laundry each night instead of stockpiling it for one day. Do this for two weeks. (January 22, 2009)
44. Choose a room in the house and work one month on keeping that room tidy.
45. Don't buy myself any clothing for 3 months.

Healthy Woman
46. Grow a vegetable garden. (August 2009)
47. Cook 5 new vegetarian meals.
48. Go skating.
49. Drink a litre of water every day, aside from mealtimes for two weeks.
50. Buy my produce from a local farm each week for a month. (July 2010)
51. Try a new vegetable. (Spaghetti Squash - March 18, 2009)
52. Can my own preserves.
53. Go to the dentist. (November 2010)
54. Make chicken broth from scratch. (October 16, 2008)
55. Make beef broth from scratch.
56. Try the new Japanese restaurant. (November 29, 2008)
57. Ride my bike to do errands.
58. Put nothing on the stair landing for one month - run it immediately up or down the stairs to put it away.


Intelligent Mind
59. Read 3 books about 3 different methods of education. (3/3) (May 2010)
("Weapons of Mass Instruction" - open source learning)
("The Leader in Me" - leadership focused learning)
("Teach Your Own" - unschooling)
60. Watch the rest of the AFI 100 films of all time movies that I haven't seen. (8/35)
61. Join a book club. (October 2, 2008)
62. Write briefly about some goals I accomplish.
63. Watch 10 documentaries. (8/10)
("Expelled")
("The High Cost of Low Prices")
("Jesus Camp"
("Why We Fight")
("Souvenir of Canada")
("Black September")
("Food Inc.)
("The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins")
64. Watch an entire political debate.
65. Read 10 non-fiction books. (August 8, 2009)
("A Simple Path")
("The 100-Mile Diet")
("God Wants a Powerful People")
("The Strong-Willed Child")
("The Purity Code")
("Weapons of Mass Instruction")
("The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis)
("For Women Only")
("Dumbing Us Down")
("Toss the Guilt, Catch the Joy")
66. Read 10 fiction books. (June 17 2009)
("Anne of Green Gables" Series, books 1-8)
("Fishers of Men")
("Come Unto Me")
67. Learn 10 constellations.
68. Read a Shakespeare play I haven't read yet.

Creative Spirit
69. Learn a new instrument (flute) (Started November 2, 2008)
70. Buy a second-hand clarinet and begin playing it again. (March 21, 2009)
71. Sing a solo in church. (October 19, 2008)
72. Write 10 poems. (2/10)
73. Print and bind each year of blogging into a book.
74. Learn and practice 3 new piano songs from the Grade 9 conservatory
75. Sing in a choir. (December 2008)
76. Write a children's book on what I've learned about food. (Started February 1, 2009)

Involved Family Member
77. Send photographs and a letter to all my grandparents 4 times a year. (4/4)
78. Go to Bobcaygeon with the boys to see Nana once a year. (July 2010)
79. Help one of my sisters in a house cleaning project. (June 2010)
80. Create a "welcome basket" for my first niece or nephew (December 2008)
81. Visit my family in Vancouver, BC.

Natural Service
82. Write a letter to my local politician about an issue important to me. (February 17 2009)
83. Cook 3 meals to freeze for a friend who is pregnant.
84. Host a party.
85. Babysit for another mom so she can have time to herself.
86. Follow a friend's goal list and comment on her accomplishments. (October 2008)
87. Donate the toys that aren't favourites. (August 3, 2009)
88. Go to a local sports game. (February 2010)
89. Visit 5 local tourist attractions.
(Downey's Farm)
(Theatre Orangeville)
(Santa Train)
90. Pass my magazine subscriptions on to someone else after reading them. (December 2008)
91. Pay for someone else's purchase behind me in line.
92. Organize my craft stuff and pass on the scrapbook stuff I'll never use.
93. When I feel like buying myself something, buy something for someone else instead.

Time Out For Me
94. Travel to France again.
95. Get my hair cut at least three times a year. (2/3)
96. Go to the movies by myself 3 times. (3/3) (Feb 2011)
97. Go Christmas caroling. (Dec 2010)
98. Visit New York City.
99. Ask for help when I'm overwhelmed instead of trying to handle it by myself. (April 3, 2009)
100. Spend an hour reading in a coffee shop, sipping on a gourmet hot chocolate. (Nov 2010)
101. Go out to dinner with some girlfriends. (February 2009)