Saturday, January 17, 2009

101 in 1001. Yes, ME.

I'm the kind of girl who scoffs at New Year's Resolutions: "Psh. I'm not weak. If I want to change, I'll do it, not wait for January 1st to change."

Then, I came across this fantastic post from one of my favorite bloggers, Angela.

And it was like a smack in the face (a wonderful smack in the face from a wonderful friend, of course!). Duh. I say I'll change if I want to, but I never do.

I am twenty-four. I must choose how my life will play out, instead of merely being and letting whatever happens happens. A great deal of simply being is important, but if I want to live my ideal life - I make it happen. Me.

And I never really set goals or resolutions. So, I decided to set some goals. Big ones, little ones. Lots of them. 101, in fact.

Here is my list of 101 things to do in the next 1001 days. The end date? October 14, 2011. My 27th birthday, coincidentally.

::Blogging::

Get a favicon.
Buy a domain.
Redesign my website.
Go to a BlogHer conference.
Blog about as many as these as possible
Tell three real-life friends about my website. (3/3)
Meet at least two blogging BFFs in person. (12/2)

::Designing::

Learn Flash.
Learn vector.
Build a website. (April 2010)
Make a portfolio. (April 2010)
Sell invitations that I design. (May 2009)
Design and print business cards. (May 2009)
Get a certificate in Graphic Design.
Win 5 Alchemy bids on Etsy. (1/5)
Take a class on InDesign.
Take a class on Illustrator.
Take a class on Photoshop.

::Creating::

Sew a skirt.
Get a DSLR (purchased 7/9/09)
Sew an apron.
Do a craft show.
Learn how to emboss.
Get paid for my writing.
Learn how to make soap.
Take a photography course.
Get paid for my photography.(3/09/2009)
Enter a writing or photography contest.

::Cooking::

Make baked Alaska.
Bake granola (from scratch.) (2/7/09)
Make yogurt (from scratch.) (2/12/09)
Bake croissants (from scratch.)
Learn how to make a mean latte.
Make soymilk or almond milk (from scratch.)

::Organizing::

Save $10,000.
Review my resume.
Clean out the closets. (1/25/09)
Organize my photos.
Pay off student loans.
Clear out my email inbox. (6/8/09)
Create a business/life plan.
Donate the rotting car in our garage. (6/29/09)
Clean out and organize my Google Reader.
Get rid of one thing a day for three months (0/31, 0/3)

::Living::

Go sledding.
Go see a play. (3/17/09, Bye Bye Birdie - El Paso, Texas)
Drink espresso. (November 2010)
Chop my hair off.
Get my nose pierced. (7/2/09)
Read 50 books (16/50- My {So Called} Freelance Life, Plain Truth, My Sister's Keeper, The Boss of You, Tenth Circle, Still Alice, Keeping Faith, Salem Falls, The Birth Book, Birthing from Within, June Bug, Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way, No Cry Sleep Solution, Happiest Baby on the Block, The Help, The Joy of Less)
Go to a drive-in movie.
Be vegan for a month. (Lent 2010)
Visit Seattle or Portland.
Get a new passport. Use it. (3/17/09)
Get a therapeutic massage. (July 2010)
Go on at least one road trip.
Watch a movie with subtitles. (Amelie, July 2010)
Go on a trip with my sister(s).
Try ten new restaurants. (10/10- Moosewood, ABC Cafe, Dewitt Cafe, Inn on Coventry, Blue Nile, NorthStar Cafe, Tejas Cafe, Percolator, Burritos, Mint Cafe)
Go to museums five times. (4/5 - Cornell's Art Museum, Chicago Art Institute, Toledo Art Museum, Akron Art Museum)
Stop working full-time in an office. (November 2010)
Go backpacking. And don’t complain.
Go on a three vacations with Mike. (2/3)
Write a “if anything happens to me” letter.
Encourage one person to try vegetarianism.(Lent 2009)
Go to a church/religious service of another religion/denomination. (6/6/09)
Go for three months without shaving my legs. (Girl power! Or laziness.) (1/16-4/12/09)

::Bettering::

Run a 5K.
Run a 10K.
Be able to do a split.
Teach Sunday school.
Donate $200 to charity. (70/200)
Make a list of 100 things I like to do.
Do five random acts of kindness. (0/5)
Find a devotional I like and complete it.
Don’t complain for seven straight days.
Bring flowers to my grandmother’s grave.
Write a list of 16 things I love about winter. (1.21.09)
Go one whole week without internet (voluntarily).
Write down five good things a day for a month. (2/28/09)
Go for three months without watching television (1/3)
Don’t complain about the weather for a whole two weeks in winter. (2/25-3/10/09)

::Relationships::

Make a new friend.
Host a dinner party.
Make a dear friend.
Send Christmas cards. (1/4/09)
Write ten letters. (0/10)
Bake a cake for someone.
Send college sister a care package. (12/14/09)
Plan three surprise dates for Mike. (1/3)
Smile at every single person I see for 6 days.
Take Emmie out for an entire day with just me.
Visit all my grandparents (without my parents!). (1/2)
Call someone once a week for a month just to catch up. (1/4)
Invite people over to dinner once a month for six months. (4/6)

::Tree-hugging::

Grow vegetables. (July 2010)
Do “Buy Nothing Month” for three months. (1/3)
Only buy thrifted clothing for four months straight. (4/4)
Don’t buy anything with plastic for an entire month.
Find two natural beauty products that I love and that WORK. (2/2-Organics mascara & coconut oil)
Recycle all my old electronics lying around. (7/6/09)

Here goes. Eeep? What if I fail? And I just told the Internet I'll do these things!?

32 comments:

  1. such amazing goals! i can't wait to read about you accomplishing them all, i have no doubt you will! :)

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  2. I giggled when I saw the title of your tree hugging section, a lot.

    I think you'll be able to make these happen, no question. I especially like the smile at people one- I used to do this when I was in a really sad place, because it shocked me how many people smiled back and could really turn my day around. Even something as small as that can do much more good for someone than you think.

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  3. Ashley these are awesome goals! You'll do great.

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  4. I am seriously digging this idea of 101 in 1001.

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  5. Great list! Some of those are definitely things I'd like to try out :)

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  6. Aw, good luck with all of it! Sometimes highlighting the things you really want to do are exsctly what you need to make them happen.

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  7. I like all of the different sections (tree-hugging - hehehe!). I wish you luck!

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  8. Ashley,
    These are awesome! It can be tough sometimes to set goals like that, but depending on the season of life you are in, it can be a perfect catalyst for forward movement and growth. Very exciting! I hope you can check every one off of your list by 2011. :)

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  9. Very inspiring. So much better than a resolution every new year. Some of them I should really try, like not complaining or whining.

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  10. I love the 101 in 1001 days, I jumped on the bandwagon back in November. It's fun and we can do it!!!

    Although might sound morbid, I loved the "if something happens to me" letter only because I think it is so important to not leave that up to our families to have to make that decision.

    good luck and I love the list!!!

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  11. hurray friend, i am so glad you're doing one too! i'm going to add you to my 101 in 1001 friends list ;) good luck!

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  12. your goals are awesome!! so admirable!! and some are oh so funny :D
    i've been wanting to do one of these lists since i came across my first one and i think i really should now! i have so many goals i want to accomplish and to have them all organized in one spot would be so stellar :) ANNNND there's the motivating incentive that you've just let your goals be known on the WORLD WIDE web, hehe!! love it. GO ASHLEY!

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  13. I love lists like this. First, it's an exercise in thinking about what you want to do with yourself in the next few years. And even if you don't do EVERYTHING on this list, it at least serves as a barometer for accomplishment, big and small. So often, we overlook the small things we do!

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  14. These are such incredible goals, Ashley! I'm excited for you, and I know it's going to be a good thing. Seeing you and so many other people doing this makes me want to give it a shot. Hrm.

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  15. Come over and we'll make homemade granola together! Two birds with one stone (or whatever...)

    !!!

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  16. Your list looks great! And my idea for not completing all of my goals? Donating X number of dollars for each one I didn't do. I figure it's a win/win situation.

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  17. I love all of the wonderful goals you chose for your list! As well as all of the delightful sections! 1001 lists totally intimidate me - not only accomplishing the list but being able to choose such awesome goals. See, that's the first step and you totally get a gold star for that! Can't wait to hear all about your journey of crossing off the goals on your list!

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  18. Hehe, did you confirm with Mike about not shaving your legs for 3 months? ;-)

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  19. this was such an AWESOME list!! you are such an amazing girl!!! I haven't been sledding in ages and i too would love to go!!!!

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  20. What awesome goals!! I am seriously inspired by your list! Can't wait to follow your progress! =)

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  21. sooo you may have inspired me to make my own google doc and start making my own list. I love all your sections! So great!

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  22. Wow, those are some good goals. I am sure you will be able to complete them all. I like how you broke them down in categories. Good luck!

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  23. I love this idea! What great goals.

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  24. it's good to make short term goals b/c in the longrun, you will reach your destination without realizing it.

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  25. You can DO IT!!! And I definitely think you should visit Seattle or Portland in the next 300 days and that we should get a coffee together. I promise to bring my reusable mug! Oh, and hey, that would help you fulfill a second goal of meeting a blogger too. Win, win, win... win ;)

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  26. These are all great goals! I don't think I could manage 101. I think all of your goals are completely attainable -except maybe cleaning out Google Reader. Can ANYONE do that? :)

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  27. This is the greatest, most well-thought-out list ever. Dude, I can't believe you're 24.

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  28. One of the first things people say about setting goals is that you have to be specific. You definitely have and having them written down will definitely go a long way in achieving them!

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  29. Great list.. and it makes it tangible now that you have blogged about it...
    Good luck!

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  30. You definitely set some great goals. Good luck to you! I'm really enjoying working on crossing things off my 101 in 1001.

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