the 101 tasks in 1001 days finale
Start date: January 1, 2005.
End date: September 29, 2007.
The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (i.e. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (i.e. represent some amount of work on my part).
lose 10.1 lbs by Feb 1 2005* updated 2/6/05 and lose 101 lbs by the end of the 1001 days.drink a gallon of water a day. * updated 9/29/07 I can/have done this, but this is an ongoing WIP.get at least 6 hours of sleep a night, every night for 30 days* updated 4/8/05- get my belly pierced This one just doesn't need to happen. Ever. LOL.
get my GPA above 3.5.* updated 9/29/07 Yeah, it's there for good ;-)- exercise, 3X/week. for 2 months. This hasn't happened, although it REALLY needs to. New target = post graduation (Dec '07)
take a vacation, sans resident vagrants* updated 9/29/07 You did see the posts about Rio, right?get a passport, and a stamp in it * updated 9/29/07 See above.practice punctuality for 30 days* updated 10/11/05practice celibacy until I get into a serious relationship.* updated 4/8/05foster & forge relationships with normal women* updated 10/11/05buy a house* updated 9/29/07 done Dec '05. And I love my house...lol.- buy a dog. after i buy the house. Not gonna happen. My house is already like having another mouth to feed...lol.
host a clothes swap* updated 10/11/05take my new, tagged clothes to the consignment shop* updated 10/11/05- get my own personal closet space down to 1 walk-in closet, incl. shoes Whew, this isn't going to happen either...lol.
get everyone else's shyt out of my house. * updated 9/29/07 And can I just say it felt good as SHYT to accomplish this one?- get Hammy into a better after-school program I opted to try and make the after-school program better. It's a WIP.
workout some kind of visitation schedule with Hammy's sperm donor.* updated 10/11/05- go fishing on a fishing boat Pass - I think the helicopter ride trumped this though.
end this JC business once and for all. * updated 9/29/07 Done. More on this in the next post.- send thank you's to: all my godmothers: real, fake & spiritual I still need to do this.
- design AND sew myself one fabulous, to die for outfit No time. Again, post-graduation.
- re-learn to knit & crochet. make one wearable item for someone else See above.
- get porcelain veneers for my front teeth. and some whitening. and caps. See above.
emote my inner diva with: full makeup, "done" hair, and fake eyelashes. * updated 9/29/07 Done, and it was Nice...contribute to my 401K plan* updated 2/6/05take advantage of the company discounted stock purchase plan* updated 2/6/05- diversify my portfolio Not done. I'm opting for an exit strategy instead.
- create a budget every month - and stick to it WIP
- plan all my purchases, even the so-called 'impulse' buys I could lie, but this needs work. Badly.
brownbag my lunch for 30 days straight* updated 2/6/05take a trip to NY * updated 9/29/07 This has been done a few times. I love & miss NY.mend the ties that bind my family to the sperm donor's family* updated 2/6/05- reestablish relationships with the:PR Princess, orig. Nerd & G-hetto family Not done. I'm opting not to do it.
- spend < 1 hr daily farting around on the web, outside of work & school related stuff.* updated 10/11/05
register my own friggin domain* updated 2/6/05- quit the safe, stable full-time gig, and do some risky, yet more profitable consulting work WIP
routinely volunteer 8 hrs/month to various worthy causes * updated 9/29/07 and this was well worth the lack of sleep, etc. I learned that being socially conscious is very important to me.- get a tribal tattoo. from my tribe. and know exactly what it means. Pass. Too old for this.
- figure out what tribe I'm from, if I even have one. the human tribe. Next.
- have semi-regular (bimonthly) dinner parties, and invite my closest friends Whew, I blew this one big-time. I've gotten rid of most of the closest friends I was referring to. Don't feel bad though...it was a good thing.
buy some real dinnerware & flatware that I like * updated 9/29/07 Done.- take a series of colonics & cleanse my colon (I know, TMI) Still need-to-do.
purge myself of my sugar & chocolate addictions* updated 10/11/05take up a healthy vice, like social drinking * updated 9/29/07 and I think it's travel.. Me likee to travel much.make a hair commitment, either nappy or non-nappy, and stick with it.* updated 2/6/05- get in touch with the brother that I don't know Pass.
- visit the remnants of family I have left Pass.
- fulfill my romantic ballgown, chignon & waltzing in moonlight fantasy. definitely PASS.
raise my performance eval. score at the current gig by at least 10% w/in 1 year.* updated 10/11/05- familiarize myself with wines & their proper use WIP.
practice diversity at work * updated 9/29/07 Done, but I prefer being k-solo. I'd rather remain an enigma.- learn the art of networking from either EJ or E (the masters) Pass.
- obtain a big screen tv (notice I didn't say buy...) Pass.
- wear a 2-piece swimsuit HA! Definitely pass.
pay off 1 department store charge, and 1 credit card* udpated 4/8/05get the other cards below 40% of their available credit limit* udpated 4/8/05go 7 days without any road rage incidents: no tailgating, flashing my brights, cutting people off, or driving > 80MPH. And get rid of the traffic-induced Turrette's syndrome - I'm inadvertently teaching Hammy how to curse * updated 9/29/07 Music soothes the savage beast.- teach Hammy to ride a bike WIP
get Hammy out of any form of Pull-up, Goodnight or training pants * updated 9/29/07 this was a beautimous thing.- practice random acts of kindness routinely WIP
be more forthrightly honest - I must either keep phonies outta the inner circle, or keep it real.* udpated 4/8/05purge the evil bytch from my heart. Yes, this is measurable and defined.* udpated 4/8/05have my apartment repainted.incorporate monthly trips tobath & body worksCVS (I can find decent knock offs) into the budget * updated 9/29/07- buy a new hard drive WIP
- organize & backup all my music files WIP
- learn to play golf Pass.
- take a voice lesson, and put my inner Jill Scott to rest Temporarily pass.
- nurture houseplants at home, not just at work Pass - my thumb's too brown.
take a dip in a jacuzzi * updated 9/29/07- get over my aversion to seafood WIP
- give up pork completely WIP
- minmize other meats to once a day, then 2-3X/week, then occasionally WIP - I love Beef :-(
- normalize my iron & cholesterol levels thru nutrition, no supplements WIP
- get rid of my home phone, retaining my high-speed access & cell. WIP
- gather my home office space WIP
- listen to another genre of music foreign to me, like bluegrass, world music, country, etc. Pass - I still love hip-hop, neo-soul, reggae and R & B way too much to cheat on ...them (lol).
expand my music library to really embrace hip-hop, r&b, and house. * updated 9/29/07 Thanks to Sirius, OkayPlayer, AllHipHop, SOHH, etc, etc....- learn to merengue, and take my final in a lowcut salsa dress WIP, although I did a mean samba in south america.
- use the Twinz to solicit free drinks at Hairston's or the Tanqueray Pass - I'm over this.
- learn Spanish via instructional audio tapes WIP
attend just 1 nat'l Blk-focused vacation event:Black Ski Summit, Essence Festival, etc. * updated 9/29/07 Does a Michael Baisden event count? Ok, how about the PhD Project conference? hm.....I'm counting it!- take a continuing ed. photography class, blow up the best result & hang it in my house WIP
- regain my dancer's grace - take ballet lessons, again WIP
find one relatively challenging but low impact home improvement project, and finish it, sans testosterone * updated 9/29/07 Now that I have a house, I've had a few, but painting was my favorite.- institute self stress-relieving techniques for 30 days WIP
- take piano lessons WIP
- learn to play the guitar Pass.
- clip coupons & shop sales for everyday items & groceries for 3 months WIP
- learn to play spades confidently WIP
sip mint juleps or mojitos on my porch * updated 9/29/07 But I opted for caiprnhas instead.- make love on a beach at the edge of an ocean Pass.
- get a second job or sideline hustle WIP
- take a gambling trip Pass - this is so ova.
figure out a way to get my domain/blog to make money* updated 10/11/05- participate in the political campaign for a candidate I truly believe in Pass - I don't believe in any.
- attend a ball Pass.
- go horseback riding Have I done this? Let's make it a WIP - I'd like to do it again.
- learn to water ski WIP :-( I really wanted to do this one.
43% !!!!!!!!!!!! I'm really proud that I accomplished as many tasks as I did, since I thought when I made this list that a lot of the tasks were ambitious, and some were unreachable. The cool part IMHO, is that tasks that I thought were impossible (the passport and travel) were actually very much possible.
Funny, how writing something down and committing to it can make a task so much more achievable. Time to start a new list..but this one's for my use only ;-)