About 101 in 1001 Days

The Basics:

You have 1001 days (about 2.75 years) to complete a list of 101 goals that you designate. Because of the time limit, you are more likely to go about achieving your goals. Instead of, "I'll get to it someday". Goals should be clearly worded, realistic, and represent the things that are important to you. Day Zero Project.com (the original website of the challenge) says the goals should also be stretching or “represent some amount of work on your part”. A few of my goals don’t require much work. For example, I don’t think jumping in puddles is particularly stretching, so it’s okay to have a few easy goals as well.

There are other challenges on the website. If you’re not willing to commit to such a long time frame, you can try the 52 Things in 52 Weeks or if you’re in your 20’s, you may want to try the 30 Things by 30. You can even design your own.

Choosing Good Goals:
Clearly Worded Goals: Your goals need to be measurable and specific. “Become more outgoing” is not measurable. Make three new friends, ask coworkers to meet for dinner, or speak to five strangers are more specific and are all measurable.

Realistic: It is possible to achieve big goals, but not every goal. Think about where you want to be in life. Going back to school, starting a family, and traveling the world may not be achievable in 2.75 years, but any of those goals by itself is realistic.

Importance: Make sure the goals you choose are important to you. Don’t choose to “Read 100 Books” if you hate to read. You are unlikely to achieve a goal if you are uninterested in the subject. Think about the things you’ve always wanted to try or things you’ve just been meaning to do (clean out the garage or find a new job).

If you find that you no longer want to achieve one of your goals, change it! You are in charge of your list and your life.

Writing your list

Big Goals and First Things that come to mind



These goals should come easy and off the top of your head. Set a timer or just come up with ideas until you get stuck. What are you already planning to accomplish? For example, I hope to graduate from college, get a job as an RN, buy a house, and start graduate school. These are goals I had in place before the list.

Then, there are smaller goals I had before the start of the list. I want to lose twenty pounds, donate blood, and participate in a charity walk.

Ask yourself: Where do I want to be in three years? What do I want to do that I keep putting off?

Categories



The closer you get to completing your list, the harder it becomes to come up with goals. You can always revise, you don’t have to complete your list in one day, and you can start whenever you’d like. Below are examples to help you come up with goals for your list.

Places: Specific countries, states, or islands. Visit all 50 states in the US, visit one new state, or visit one new country. Explore your own town. Go to the beach or the mountains. See the Northern Lights. Go on a road trip

Books: Read X amount of books. Read all the books on your shelf currently. Read a book in one day. Read all the books by a specific author.

Fashion/Body: Own a little black dress. Dye your hair. Get a tattoo. Donate old clothing.

Food and Drink: Give up drinking for one month. Cook 10 new recipes. Bake a cake from scratch. Take a cooking class. Try five new foods

Hobbies and Skills: Take an art class. Set up a space for art. Build a kitchen table. Learn to identify 10 constellations. Learn to drive. Take flying lessons. Learn to speak a new language. Learn to say I love you in three other languages.

Go to… A food festival. Warped tour. A professional football game. A film festival. An art gallery.

Health and Fitness: Have a physical. Lose 20 pounds. Take a yoga/zumba/kickboxing class. Run a marathon. Get certified in CPR

Money: Get out of credit card debt. Save X amount of dollars. Save $5 for every goal accomplished. Start a savings account

Movies: Watch the top 10 movies ever made based on any list. Attend a midnight premiere. See every Harry Potter movie. Have a movie marathon.

Music: Learn to play an instrument. Discover 10 new bands you love. Write a song. Attend a concert. List to music from genres you’ve never tried.

Good Deeds: Donate blood. Volunteer. Adopt a child. Participate in a charity event. Donate X amount of dollars for every goal accomplished. Give someone a gift just because

Outdoors: Go skiing, horseback riding, sky diving, rockclimbing, or hiking. Try geocaching.

Just for Fun: Dress up for Halloween. Participate in a flash mob. Enter a contest. Spend the whole day in bed

Spiritual: Read the bible from cover to cover. Find a new church to attend. Study other religions. Meditate.

More Resources

My List
Day Zero Project-The original home of the project. You can make your own list, and they have plenty of ideas to add to your list
Mission 101-a livejournal community where may people share their progress on their 101 projects.
Scarlet Words-A blog with more tips and ideas for the project. She has many good ideas!