An Important Date Has Passed.....

This post is almost a month late. On one hand, I was so excited about it that I'm surprised I missed it. However, it makes sense that I was too busy to notice. You know what it is?

My 101 in 1001 deadline was September 21, 2015! Two and a half years ago, I was bored with life and thought some goal-setting might help get me out of my rut. And now, today, I'm so busy with my exciting life that I accidentally missed the day I meant to write about the experience. I guess that means it worked...??

So let's take a look at the list and see how I did.




List/Blog related:

I did really well in this section. It's funny to think back to when "Get up the courage to actually tell others about my blog" was a big goal. I was too embarrassed about my dorky hobby to tell anyone. No wonder I didn't have any readers for a long time!

1. Come up with 101 things.
2. Start a blog and don't over think it.
3. Inspire someone to start a list of her own. Check out Kirsten's list here and Ash's list here.
4. Organize this list by topic.
5. Get up the courage to actually tell others about my blog.
6. Think of a better name for my blog.
7. Start leaving at least one daily blog comment on one of the many blogs I read each day.

Experiences:

I got a lot done in this section as well. Obviously, moving to a new city was a big one. My bicycle still has two flat tires, and a lot of the Best Picture winners aren't on Netflix, so I was too lazy to hunt them down elsewhere. I moved away from Springfield before ever going to a Friday night Art Walk, and I didn't watch the Star Wars movies. That doesn't really sound that appealing to me, actually. But still, look at all those accomplishments!

8. Move to a beautiful new city. Proof here.
9. Run errands on my bicycle. I've been running errands on my scooter instead, and I like that better.
10. Go skydiving. I just don't want to do this anymore. I want to live.

11. Take a trip by myself. Proof here.

12. Make one new friend.

13. Teach a spin class. No, thanks. I don't want to do this one anymore.

14. Plant a little vegetable garden and eat something I grow.
15. Get a tattoo. Proof here.
16. Travel by myself.

17. Watch at least 10 films that have been awarded the Oscar for Best Picture. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

18. Take a ballroom dance class with Rand.

19. Watch all the Star Wars movies, just to figure out what the big deal is.
20. Attend a Friday night Art Walk.  On time for once.

21. Go to an estate auction.

22. Open a flea market booth.

23. Build my own record collection. Proof here.

24. Put new tires on my bicycle and put a basket on the front.

25. Find five new (to me) musicians/bands I really like. (1, 2 /5)
26. See a live musical.

Look at all those cats! That was a great day.

Fitness/Health:

This is another section that doesn't have a whole lot crossed off, but since making this list, I have run several 10k's and TWO HALF MARATHONS. So in my opinion, that counts for a lot. Doesn't my face in that photo tell the story?

27. Run a half-marathon. Completed 5/25/13 in 2:17:18.  Read about it here.

28. Complete a Tough Mudder.

29. Run a 10k. Completed 3/23/13 in 56:21.

30. Run a 5k in less than 25 minutes.

31. Run a marathon.
32. Try a Crossfit class.

Financial:

This is awkward to talk about, but I didn't accomplish too many of my financial goals. We did increase our savings account, only to use most of it up moving to Seattle. We're working on getting that built back up. We weren't able to sell our house, but we are happy to announce that it is rented out, and we are breaking even each month while getting our mortgage paid for a few more years. I feel like that's a good think. Our debt is not completely gone, but it is almost gone, so that's progress!

33. Increase our savings account.

34. Get our house ready to sell.

35. Sell our house.

36. Pay off my credit card debt.

37. Pay off Rand's student loan.

38. Save up and buy Photoshop.

I still only speak one language and can't make music.

Learning:

Mkay, this section was very ambitious. Making sushi? Speaking a foreign language and playing a musical instrument? I didn't even come close. I have done absolutely nothing to get closer to those goals, which tells me how truly important to me they must be. Not very. But I am a well-read minimalist vegetarian now, and still ticklish. 

39. Take a sushi making class.

40. Gradually purge some belongings and learn to live with less. Proof here.

41. Take a foreign language class/buy software/get a book/something to get started learning another language.

42. Purchase a musical instrument. And begin learning to play it.

43. Read 20 new books. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)

44. Learn five healthy recipes and get good at making them, so that we don't eat out just because the dining hall is closed.

45. Learn how to bake chocolate chip cookies.

46. Learn how to develop life-long healthy eating habits (see #44).

47. Learn how to use my sewing machine properly and for something other than making pillow cases. I lost interest in this one and got rid of my sewing machine. :)

48. Have Rand teach me how to play chess.

49. Take a photography class.

50. Try some Starbucks drinks other than the caramel latte and find my favorite.

51. Research and learn techniques to make myself less ticklish.  If it works, get a pedicure. I'm convinced that nothing can be done about this.
52. Find out what is actually in my favorite sushi rolls, so that I can order anywhere and get something I like.

I thought a photo of me on the beach wrapped in a blanket belonged in the section title "Vanity."

Vanity: 

OF COURSE the "vanity" section is completed. My hair is the longest it's been since student teaching, and I'm kind of liking the way I look these days. Score!

53. Find the perfect, flattering one-piece swimsuit, and buy it.

54. Grow my hair out past that point just beyond my shoulders where I usually get frustrated and cut it all off.

55. Learn three new ways to style my hair.

56. Learn how to correctly put on make-up, and find the right make-up for my face.

57. Invest in some quality skin-care products that actually work for me.

58. Buy those glasses I love from Warby Parker.  Who cares if I don't have a prescription?  I like them.

Our garden we left behind in Missouri. We ate some of our crop first, though!

Creativity:

This section is looking pretty good, too. I haven't given up on the Minolta dream, although it is much harder than I thought it would be. 

59. Buy a nice DSLR camera. Proof here.

60. Learn to macrame that giant wall net I want so badly.

61. Figure out how to use my dad's Minolta correctly, take some great pictures with it, and frame some of those photographs to give to him.

62. Start wearing hats more.

63. Take some beautiful pictures of my house before I move.

64. Attend one of those "paint and sip" wine workshops.

65. Finish rebuilding the ottoman I took apart. No longer interested. :)

66. Hire someone to design a custom logo for my Etsy shop. Proof here.
67. Turn that logo into a stamp for item tags, and decide on a unique and pretty way to package tapestries for shipping.

68. Try refashioning that stack of slightly too-short pants into skinny dress pants I could wear to work.
69. DIY some ombre curtains. Eh, I don't think so. :)
70. Do something with my grandfather's WWII foot locker/trunk. Proof here.

Cleaning/Organization:

Another section that's looking pretty good. Except for #72, because I have no idea where the old computer is. 

71.Clean out my kitchen and get rid of anything I don't really use.
72. Retrieve the files from our old computer and back-up our new computer.
73.Clean out all the binders in my classroom and organize my teaching materials into monthly bins.
74.Organize and clean out the photos on my iphone.
75.Clean out and organize my desk at home.
76.Go through those plastic containers in the closet and get rid of anything I can part with.  Find a way to fit the rest into fewer containers.
77. Clean out the old, old desktop computer, keep anything from it that I want, and then get rid of it.

Career:

I kind of have to laugh at myself when I look at all these great goals I reached, and then I look at the one I didn't achieve. Couldn't manage to do that in 2.5 years....

78. Teach a different grade level.
79. Go through my classroom stuff and get rid of anything I don't actually use to teach.
80. Get my classroom blog pretty and up and running. Proof here.

81. Find a larger tank for our class gecko.

82. Get a great new job in my city of future residence. Proof here.

83. Overcome my fear of public speaking and speak at a professional development workshop. (I didn't speak, but I spoke up, and that felt challenging enough.)

84. Get up with my first alarm (without hitting snooze or resetting the alarm) every day for one week.

Giving:

Hmmm...I need to work on my generosity. Rand hasn't graduated yet, so that gets me off the hook a little, but I really want to send a big fat check to UNICEF. But I volunteered at the C.A.R.E. shelter and it was amazing. 

85. *Secret gift idea.*
86. Volunteer.
87. Throw a party for Rand when he graduates with his master's degree.

88.*Secret gift idea.*

89. Make a generous donation to UNICEF.

90. Make handmade Christmas gifts for everyone in my family one year.

My new neighborhood.

Home decor:

Look at all these home decor goals I met! This is silly because I sold most of this stuff and moved out of my home into an goofy looking little rented apartment. But still. I get a pat on the back. :)

91. Have a home of mine featured in an online magazine or a blog. Proof here.
92. Photograph someone else's home.
93. Buy a new sofa. Proof here.

94. Take some e-courses and attend some workshops on design and photography to improve my skills.

95. Add five new plants to my home with starts from my mom's garden.

96. Locate a pair of beautiful mid-century chairs for my living room.
97. Expand my pottery collection.

98. Find a frame for my Jacksons poster and hang it in my home.

99.  Finish re-finishing that shell chair, and recover the cushion.

100. Paint and decorate my dressing room.

101. Buy a new bedding set. See it here.

So there it is. My 2.5 year project is finished. So now what? Should I just sit back and enjoy the life my list has motivated me to create? Should I start a new list and set a new deadline? I don't know if I could even come up with 101 new things. I'll have to think that over... 

Either way, making this list and being proactive about goal setting has helped me build a life I love. I recommend it!