3 posts tagged “101 in 1001”
I just finished Tess of the d’Urbervilles. I didn’t particularly enjoy it despite staying up late to finish it. I had hoped it would at least distract me from thoughts I’d rather not dwell on alone in the dark. Since it didn’t, I’m reluctant to go to sleep just yet. I was meaning to write this blog today anyway so here goes. One thirty in the morning seems a good frame of mind for it anyway.
Last night I looked through my June 2008 and 2007 posts. I was curious to see what was on my mind back then, to see if I have progressed based on the goals I made during the Junes past. Appropriately and amusingly I found that today is the one year milestone of my 101 in 1001 list. I know that’s not really irony, but it’s at least what everyone likes to call irony.
The short version is that on June 9th, 2009 I decided to make my life better. I took an idea from a friend’s Vox and created a list of 101 things I wanted to accomplish in 1001 days. I picked things I knew I would do, things I knew I needed to do, and things I never would think to do but just might if it meant crossing a number off the list. It was just an idea, a promise that nobody could hold me to. But it was progress for me. I was hopeful.
Then a month later everything fell apart and the list was no longer important.
I didn’t give up on it completely. It just wasn’t something I cared to consider at the time. Up until this early morning, when I took out the original pen on paper list, I had forgotten why I really put aside the list. There’s an item #102. It’s not really a part of the list but an inside joke. I had written the list while talking to a friend. I realize now a good many of the items were thought of because it was something we could do together. It’s too late now. But not for me. I’m still here. These were things that were important to me before, to say I don’t’ care about them anymore would be to say I don’t care about who I am. I’ll finish it.
Here’s the list, with items that I’ve completed or half completed marked out with a line. The rest of the week I’ll blog about the ones with lines. I won’t talk about the others, because I’d just be making excuses. At the bottom of the list I’ll write the completion percentage. I have until March 06, 2011 to finish. Think I can do it?
1. Find my path
2.
Read every book I own
3. Pay off credit card
4. Get a full-time job
5. Create an organizational method for computer/paperwork
6.
Come to terms with all regrets
7. Start cooking on a regular basis
8. Get down to 180
9. Beat every game you own.
10. Finish writing Outlaw of the Heart series
11. Own only clothes that fit
12. Move out of the house
13.
Get a driver’s license.
14. Establish an exercise routine
15. Become a better speller
16. Learn a programming language
17. Learn how to use Flash
18. Bike ride Mt. Charleston
19.
Take a self-portrait jumping into water
20.
Fill up three Moleskines
21. Graduate from NSC
22. Graduate from grad school
23. Take up archery
24. Visit the strip just before sunrise and take pictures
25. Go on a completely unplanned road trip to another state with a friend
26.
Record all home movies to dvd
27. Make a portfolio website
28. Relearn math
29. Relearn chemistry/other sciences
30. Try a new hairstyle
31.
Run the marathon in Arizona
32. Learn how to fix my car
33. Submit a design to Threadless
34. Start playing the saxophone again
35. Learn to play the harmonica
36.
Get to expert on Guitar Hero
37. Make this list into a book
38.
Yoga?
39. Build a computer
40. Go on a date
41. Start gardening
42. Win a poker game
43. Watch every Lost episode in one summer
44. Look suave for one night
45. Film “tape drop 3”
46. Bike ride around town
47. Steal Rick’s hat
48. Sell a design and/or picture
49. Wake up early every day
50. Play kick the can
51. Make a wind chime
52.
Fill bottle with pencil shavings
53. Buy a new bike
54. Draw “When Seth was a kid” comic
55. Go shopping at Ikea
56.
Create an art/computer workstation
57. Learn massage…stuff
58. Rate iTunes songs
59. See the ocean
60. Walk the tunnels at Lake Mead to the end
61. Duel with Ty
62. Compose a song
63. Learn to play guitar
64.
Take a ballroom dancing class
65. Sleep on the roof
66. Read Moby Dick
67. Start going to church again
68. Go to Florida
69.
See Amber
70. Cary Grant marathon
71. See three shows on the strip
72. Go to an art gallery
73.
Learn self-control
74.
Buy a pair of running shoes that fit
75.
Learn how to use an SLR camera
76. Help people without being asked
77. Create a typeface
78.
Practice better water use
79. Animate Birdish-Dragonthing full version
80. Beat dad at Risk
81.
Learn more about Bartter syndrome
82.
Go kayaking
83. Play Croquet and eXtreme Croquet
84. Get a kick-a airbrush tattoo
85. Have someone drop me off in a random spot in town and find my way back home
86. Re-season cast iron
87. Completely watch LotR extended editions (WITH all commentary tracks)
88. Go to five concerts
89.
Wander
90. Join/Invite a near stranger for lunch
91. Roundhouse kick!
92. Get a suit like Creepy Thin Man’s
93. Travel out of the country
94.
Paint room
95. Go into isolation for a day
96. Free space
97. Bring back rope boarding
98. Do a hand stand
99. Drive on the coast
100. Save a girl from the rain
101.Take a break
Alright let’s see how my math is at 2 AM. I’ve completed 12/101 things. It’s been a year so 1001-365 is 636 days.
That means 10% of the list has been completed in …wait 63% of the time? That’s over half. That can’t be right. NO! Duh. That’s how much time is left. So 10% of the list done in 36% of the time allotted. I’m 20% behind if you forget all sorts of mathematical rules.
Yeah. I can do this.
Life keeps getting worse, or so it seems. It's come to a point that I fell I've lost any enthusiasm for future goals and achievement. That's kind of scary. In an effort to kick start my motivation, I'm going to review my 101 in 1001 list and see what I've done. I already have goals, I just need to want to do them. By all rights each of these should have their own Vox, but I'll get to that later.
What I've Done
#19: Take a self-portrait jumping into water- It actually came out pretty good, just have to scan it.
#26: Record all home movies to DVD- I did this a while ago and forgot it was even on the list.
#38: Yoga?- Yeah I did yoga. It feels good if it doesn't hurt. I really should do some more this week.
#64: Take a ballroom dancing class- I already mentioned this one in a previous Vox post. It didn't turn out so well.
#81 Learn more about Bartter's syndrome- Not much to know, really.
#82 Go kayaking- this was done in Massachusetts. I had some awesome pictures but they were lost due to the dumbness of the waterproof camera software.
So that's about 06% of my list and I have....I think about until March 08, 2011. Which is 848 days. Which means I've done 6 things in 153 days, which is 15% of the overall time available.
I gotta pick up the pace!
Yup, just started today. So technically, I fulfilled the requirement already. But I'll wait until the five weeks are up to cross it off the list.
And how did it go? It went..wellish. I made the mistake of telling the instructor my stiff timing was a habit from marching band. Now she calls me "marching band". Seriously. It's not entirely fair, really. Marching band was forced upon me so that I could take jazz band, after all. Moving on.
Today my partner was my sister. We work so-so together. Much better, at least, than my poor boss Kenna. She was supposed to be my partner tonight, with my sister lacking a second, when shortly before the class started some older, bald, tattooed (and apparently smelling heavily of smoke) biker dude came in. My sister, being a coward (you heard me) suddenly decided that I was her partner. On reflection I wonder that I didn't grab her before. What happened to being the protective brother? At least the guy seemed to take it seriously. Afterward we hear from Kenna he took it a little too seriously. We're currently plotting to find another guy to bring. Strange that they can't think of anyone, sad that I can't. When did all my friends become girls or dating/married men?
Next class is next Thursday. In the meantime I'll get my Gershwin and Sinatra cds out and practice my counting. 1, 4, 7 and 8...
