101 Things in 1001 Days: The Official List (with pink yarn)
Hello! I am feeling super pleased with myself as I've finished my 101 things list and have started the project (by purchasing some art on Etsy, what a way to start!). At one point it was the 110 things list but after much editing I got it to the correct number.
I decided to post the list after all as well as working on it in a journal as I think it could make for some interesting blog posts and I'm going to be babbling about it enough anyway, I may as well have something to refer to! So I apologise in advance for the gimungo post.
And the list is illustrated by my newest handspun, aka The Pink Yarn, which was spun from some lovely batts that I got from loop (contact her for international shipping). I got four different batts, they are delicious! I can't wait to spin the other three up. I also felted the other one of this colourway - more on that later!
This handspun is a mixture of alpaca, merino, recycled sari and tussah silk and glitz...mmm. =)
Anyhoo! On to the list (and here's the last post about it if you missed it)...
Meshell's 101 Things in 1001 days:
The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days (2.75 years).
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 your 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 organising and timing some tasks such as overseas
trips or outdoor activities.
Start date: 07/07/07 (spooky!)
End Date: 03/04/2010 (my parents wedding anniversary! Double spooky)
Experiences.
1. Go on another holiday with Mr M.
2. Go to the zoo with Mr M.
3. Go on a holiday with my family.
4. Go on a picnic.
5. Go to Melbourne, visit galleries, craft stores, shows, markets & restaurants.
6. Have a day in the city and go to AGWA, PICA & the Museum.
7. Take Mr M to the Atrium at Burswood for a buffet dinner.
8. Eat at five restaurants other than the Atrium. (0/5)
9. Go to La Premier at Hoyts and Gold Class at Greater Union and see 2 movies that I want to see. (0/2)
10. Go to Rottnest Island for a holiday.
Personal Improvement, Health & Body.
11. Drink at least eight glasses of water each day.
12. Take my assorted vitamins every day & continue using natural remedies such as peppermint tea & heat therapy for my stomach and peppermint/lavender essential oils for headaches and insomnia.
13. Do 170 exercise sessions within this period (not including walking places or using stairs at work). (1/170)
14. Look after myself: Take makeup off every night, follow skin regime, do hair & face treatments fortnightly and exfoliate weekly. Continue using natural/etsy/homemade products.
15. Plan and follow a schedule for cleaning and organisation including tidying, cleaning bathroom, vacuuming, washing, bedding. Include waking up at 7am one day per week on one of my days off.
16. Get a manicure.
17. Only buy food from the vending machine at work once per week.
18. Take my old yoga class again or go swimming in the evening at the rec centre.
19. Have a pap smear.
20. Decide about my name & do all the legal stuff if need be.
Creativity & Things to Make.
21. Make three quilts, hand quilt one of them. (0/3)
22. Make three hand bound journals. (0/3)
23. The ‘Things I’ve Made’ Project in three parts. Find a way to print my blog and bind it into a book, create a journal from all the things I’ve made including images, fabric swatches and text. Create an online portfolio. (0/3)
24. Take one photograph a day for 40 days (doesn’t have to be consecutive, but end up with one quality, edited image per day, and not a project or product shot). (0/40)
25. Make a Christmas quilt.
26. Create some repeat patterns and screenprint onto fabric for use within projects.
27. Make the dogs a bed and the cat a little beanbag. (0/2)
28. Make a Babette Blanket.
29. Finish 5 WIPs - Branching Out scarf, Felted/embroidered wall art, sew the two cushions closed, Ripple blanket, The Big Book of Pretty. (0/5)
30. Finish my 2d sewn/embroidered attic bedroom for the CrustStation dollshouse book project.
31. Make 3 things from my knit/crochet pattern file. (0/3)
32. Figure out what to do with my little collections of ‘stuff’ ie. Photographs, souvenirs, collections from specific events, holidays and school. Scrapbooks, photo albums, journals?
Things to Purchase & Own.
33. Get a new DSLR camera with macro lense etc. Do research on the one I want to get and then learn to use all the features it has when I get it.
34. Get my broken top teeth fixed, & maybe teeth whitening.
35. Buy five lotto tickets. (0/5)
36. acquire 25 new books for my library. (0/25)
37. Find the perfect cup and saucer for my tea.
38. Buy ten original artworks that I absolutely love. (5/10)
39. Buy a weaving loom.
Things to Learn; Knowledge & Skills.
40. Research Japan, its history, art and traditions (eg Geisha, zen garden, tea ceremony).
41. Continue researching The Victorian Era and its women/society, afternoon tea ceremony, royal family.
42. Learn about the French way of living & Joy De Vivre.
43. Learn 5 new crochet stitches and include each in a project. (0/5)
44. Research and copy down natural remedies & recipes using herbs, essential oils and natural products (for beauty, relief from illness, cleaning etc.).
45. Watch 25 new films (Including Marie Antionette, the new Harry Potter and two documentaries. Also watch the entire Studio Ghibli box set to count as one). (0/25)
46. Find out about the history of spinning, sewing, quilting, weaving etc. including novels and fiction.
47. Learn to play my acoustic guitar.
48. Research Australian history, Indigenous history, History of Perth, Rottnest Island, Down South etc.
49. Research and gather info on places to stay in WA for future holidays.
The Good Stuff; Things to do for other people.
50. Have a big blog giveaway.
51. Make a quilt for Mr M.
52. Research the RSPCA, donate a days pay and see if there is anything else I can do.
53. Finish the portrait for G&G.
54. Make up two parcels, for a boy and a girl, to go under one of the charity Christmas trees this year.
55. Comment on at least 3 Flickr photos and 3 blog posts every day that I’m on the computer.
56. Figure out what to do with my old sewing machine and my old camera.
57. Try to donate blood if I am eligible this time.
58. Get my First Aid Certificate.
59. Visit Rita’s garden memorial.
60. Do five random acts of kindness, including one for my parents. (0/5)
The Future; Career, Finances & Schooling.
61. Move out of home or have the means to.
62. Create a successful indie handmade business.
63. Figure out how to do all that grown up stuff, tax returns, loans, health insurance etc.
64. Limit personal computer time, come up with a schedule and stick with it, including having one week offline two times. (0/2)
65. Graduate from university & have a great degree show.
66. Take one year off after my degree and then decide if further study is for me. Research librarianship and the course, how it would effect my current job and openings/places of work.
67. In the last semester of uni, go to class, manage time and anxiety, do all work including workshop. Go to seminars and the forum, make the most of it for the last time ever and don’t make myself sick!
68. Pay off my credit card debt and then start and stick to already planned ‘My Budget’.
69. Keep records of all income & spending in the program I downloaded.
70. Re-read all work manuals, all our websites, catalogues & online databases and the Knowit database to be more knowledgable and helpful to clients and in my position.
My Handmade Business.
71. Extensive research of international and national postage rates and keeping costs down. Buy my own scale, up to date AusPost fees booklet and letter measure. Also investigate bulk packaging.
72. Create cohesive ‘brand’ and then business cards, Moo cards, tags and labels, banner, logo and packaging.
73. Investigate places to sell online and offline, including Etsy, Mintd, lovli, dawanda, markets, local stores.
74. Investigate pricing methods & legal business info, ABN, taxes and keeping books etc.
75. Read all the interesting tidbits I’ve saved about running your own handmade business, Etsy threads, wiki, emails, The Switchboards, articles etc.
76. Work on my profile, shop announcement, listings, shop policies, customer service etc. Work out product shots and listing method, make everything streamlined and cohesive.
77. Start creating products and have fun!
Declutter/Organise/Sustainable Living.
78. Research sustainable and simple living and environmentalism, figure out what I can incorporate into my way of life and do it.
79. Have the clothes declutter to end all clothes declutters. Be ABSOLUTELY RUTHLESS. Include ALL clothes, shoes, accessories, underwear, sleepwear. Take into account work, weather and matching outfits. Cut any interesting decluttered into useable pieces of fabric and donate the rest. After this, do a stock take and with a list go and purchase staples, sensible, needed, quality pieces to complete to the wardrobe (within a yet to be decided budget).
80. Sort through all artworks, art supplies & research from my Bachelor of Arts (separate from craft supplies). Clean, bin, donate, reuse, frame, put into storage etc.
81. Organise my ENTIRE computer. All photographs, files, documents, favourites, blog, flickr account, passwords, desktop, emails, any other online accounts and backup/burn EVERYTHING.
82. Do a huge room cleanout and declutter and keep it tidy. Buy more storage if necessary.
83. Answer all emails within two days (I'm going to suck at this one!).
84. Figure out what to do with my postcards & finish scanning the rest.
85. Sort out all my music. Sort through all my CDs and computer files, update my mp3 player and keep it charged, buy 10 new CDs (including RatPack Christmas, Regina Spektor, Kaya), donate any I don’t want to keep. (0/10)
Food, Drink & Nourish.
86. Hand-bind a Recipe book and Christmas Cookbook (both with tea dyed pages), and transfer all my favourites into them, including mum and grandma’s recipes. (0/2)
87. Gather new recipes that use my favourite ingredients and go through every single cookbook in our house to find more.
88. Roast marshmallows.
89. Cook from ten new recipes and 10 favourite recipes.( 0/10, 0/10)
90. Learn how to make mums red lentil soup, and also make my own recipe. (0/2)
91. Bake bread and pizza dough. (0/2)
92. Try five fruit that I haven’t had before. (0/5)
93. Grow something.
Read & Write.
94. Finish reading the Lemony Snicket series, I need to collect and read the last four books. (0/4)
95. Read the three Jennifer Chiaverini books that I haven’t read yet. (0/3)
96. Read 70 of the 110 books on my 110 Books To Read list within the 1001 days. Keep a hand written book diary whilst doing this (author, title, date read, plot, review, stars). Become more of a critical thinker. (0/70)
97. Read the non-fiction books that are in my bookshelf.
98. Continue with my first Nano novel and the children’s story.
99. Do Nano two times and try and get a better score each time. (0/2)
100. Read the last Harry Potter book (hopefully before I find out who dies!).
101. Do various writing exercises - Find a good book about writing and follow it, journal a month in my life, write five descriptions of rooms and the goings on within them, write five descriptions of the lives of inanimate objects, go through old diaries and use them for something and/or burn them!
And there you have it =) That's all you're gonna hear about for the next 2.75 years! =P
Now to figure out how to stick this in my sidebar. Thanks for reading and wish me luck! If any of you finish your lists and post them too, let me know, I would love to see. x
*EDIT! - Okay, I after a quick dust off of my HTML 'skillz', le list is installed in the sidebar on the left! I'll be doing strikethrough and tally updates there along with posts =) Also, I nabbed a blog search button and put it in under 'Bits and Bobs' on the right (I'll probably be the only one who needs to use it!). So if you type in 'yarn' and press go, you'll get all the posts I've written including the word 'yarn' and etc. =)
Yay, I'm getting a random act of kindness - is it a cup of tea every day for the 2.75 years? That would be good. :-)
Posted by: Your mother | July 11, 2007 at 11:02 AM
I have been a lurker of your blog for a while. Thanks for sharing your list! What a neat idea, and you have clearly thought this through. I am inspired. I think you want to bind your own blog book, but if not, here is an interesting link. http://www.blurb.com/book/blogbook
Posted by: Breanna | July 11, 2007 at 11:08 AM
Hello, ducks! What a fantastic list! I am intrigued by number 20 - is that to do with M? I really love how your list combines a lot of very grown up goals (learning how to do taxes, etc.) with more innocent things (go on a picnic). Great list!
Posted by: Claudia | July 11, 2007 at 01:50 PM
Here, I can help you with #23 - a way to print and bind your blog: http://www.blurb.com I've always wanted to do that with my blog.
Good luck with your list!
Posted by: Lisa | July 11, 2007 at 05:03 PM
Whoops, looks like someone beat me to it, sorry for the redundant commenting!
Posted by: Lisa | July 11, 2007 at 05:04 PM
Aw, you're going to grow something. You're going to do 100 other things too, but I thought I would comment on that because growing things is so near to my heart right now.
Posted by: Elizabeth | July 11, 2007 at 06:03 PM
Hi, great list! very inspirational.
love your work..can't wait to see your successful indie handmade business.
Posted by: Julia | July 11, 2007 at 06:43 PM
Wow, this is a great list! I'm always making lists and losing or ignoring them but I may have a think about this and consider doing it :p Good luck Meshell, I really hope you do well with this :) x
Posted by: SmurfPop | July 11, 2007 at 07:48 PM
Wow! Good luck with your list!!
Posted by: Emma | July 12, 2007 at 12:34 AM
wow! if I wasn't already having a cup of tea I would need one after that, my goodness.
84 did you see what Feli did with some postcards?
Best of luck.
Posted by: Miss Dot | July 12, 2007 at 01:19 AM
That's a wonderful list Meshell. I'm looking forward to seeing your progress over the next 1001 days (or is it less than that already!).
Posted by: Lindsay | July 12, 2007 at 03:05 AM
What an inspiring list. I like your The Good Stuff Section the most...and I hope you'll be selling your beautiful handspun yarn when you start up your indie business. The colours are absolutely gorgeous!
Posted by: inkberryblue | July 12, 2007 at 03:15 AM
Wow great list! You have some fantastic goals there. You have inspired me to think about a list for myself. I just might to that. =)
Posted by: Gracie | July 12, 2007 at 03:46 AM
About getting your business sorted out: The WA gov't has free courses on running a small business. Maybe ask Centrelink (I think it's attached to being unemployed, so maybe not for you); or maybe email Keith & Lottie? The chick that own the store did one, I think.
About growing things: Grow something you can eat, then you're living more sustainably too.
Get a recipt when you donate to the RSPCA, and the amount you donate is tax deductible! There, you learnt something about your tax!
Also, not to be a downer, but teeth whitening is sooooo expensive. My dentist quoted something like $1500 for four front top teeth and two bottom front teeth only. I'm just concentrating on fixing the cavities for now.
And I'm really excited about your etsy shop. It's so hard to find something nice to send on international yarn swaps that's Australian/ local.
Posted by: Clare | July 12, 2007 at 07:02 AM
Wow, Meshell, great list! I think I really should be writing my own to get some focus into my life. :P
I do miss something under "Experiences" though, and that is "Go to Europe". ;D
About #20, I have a guess I know what that's about. I like Meshell. ;)
And I'm SO looking forward to you making and selling stuff! It will be absolutely fab.
Posted by: Barbara | July 12, 2007 at 07:52 AM
Wow - great list!! I love the idea of 101 things to do - hmmmm might have to do it myself one of these days!
Posted by: Swirlyarts | July 12, 2007 at 07:19 PM
Great list, I'm glad you decided to post it. Ever since your original entry I've been making my own list and plan to post it soon. We even have a few of the same goals!
Thanks for the inspiration and good luck, I'll be watching!
Posted by: Laurie | July 12, 2007 at 08:59 PM
Great list, I am glad you decided to go ahead and post it. Reading your list is making me consider doing the 101 thing in 1001 days... Although I still am not sure I could come up with that many things! :)
Posted by: Chara Michele | July 13, 2007 at 01:00 PM
Hey again - thanks for the link! I haven't bought a Blurb book myself, but Soule Mama http://soulemama.typepad.com/soulemama/2007/03/documenting.html
did and hers looks beautiful. Best of luck to you!
Posted by: Lisa | July 13, 2007 at 09:38 PM
Yah, this is so inspiring to me. I want to do a ton of these same things and it feels so overwhelming that usually I just put them off. So, thanks for being brave for all of us.
Also, if you visit WA, you must go to the Green Lake neighborhood and take a nice stroll around Green Lake itself. Its about 10 min. from Downtown Seattle and very quaint and beautiful for America.
Posted by: rachel denbowlicious | July 14, 2007 at 01:20 AM
thanks for posting your list! it's a good one. i might have to make my own, too....
Posted by: catpants | July 14, 2007 at 02:02 AM
I really like this idea. I'm pondering what I would put on my own list.
Posted by: Claire | July 19, 2007 at 04:06 PM
this is such a GREAT GREAT THING. I will be sharing this on my blog as well.. may have to put a list togehter for me, thks for the inspiration! hugs to you this nite,
Posted by: Bonnie Rose | July 28, 2007 at 12:02 AM
Thank-you SO very much Meshell - for being such an inspiration, and filling the world, even if only your corner of it, with colour and delight :) You have sent me off on a fabulous adventure writing up my own 101 and I can't WAIT to get cracking - have my journal all prepped and everything ;) So thank-you again, and many warm fuzzies for your list too! =D xo
Posted by: Sasha | August 07, 2007 at 10:06 AM
I like your list.Most of all I like your health and body section.I am taking vitamins and using natural remedies which you prescribed.
Posted by: steven davies | August 15, 2007 at 04:52 PM