101 Things in 1001 Days – What exactly is it?

101 Things in 1001 Days – What exactly is it?

After finishing up my first full round of 101 Things in 1001 Days  yesterday, I’ve decided to give this challenge another go. I’m excited to put together a new list and get started! As I go through the process, I thought I would share a little bit about what the challenge entails and how it all works.

The original idea for the 101 Things in 1001 Days challenge comes from the Day Zero Project website. I came across someone doing it while blog-stalking one day and thought it was a really neat idea. While you can make your list and track your goals on the Day Zero site, I much prefer to personalize everything and keep it on my blog instead.

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The explanation that the site gives for the challenge is:

The Challenge: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

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 challenges such as New Year’s resolutions or a ‘Bucket List’. 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 organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips, study semesters, or outdoor activities.

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My new list will actually be my third list. My first version lasted just over a year. I found after having J that life had just changed too much and a lot of my goals didn’t make as much sense anymore. Not to mention, K was included in a lot of them, while J obviously was not. So I retired that list and started fresh. That second list is the one I just finished. As you can see, I only made it to 61/101 goals, though I did stick with it for the full 1001 days. I think not completing everything has just made me more determined to try again and to do a better job!

I’m currently scouring the Day Zero website and other blogs for inspiration for my new list, as well as taking stock of my life and thinking a lot about where I want to be in the next few years. There is SO much out there for inspiration! I like Pinterest best, and you can see my 101 in 1001 Pinterest board here to find ideas.

My book challenge has played a big roll in my 101 in 1001 lists, and it will again this time around. I use Goodreads to keep track of all the books I read – you can see my current list here.

Though I don’t like to get sappy, this challenge was very rewarding for me, from the simple, basic goals to the bigger, more exciting ones. It definitely takes a little bit of “embracing your inner nerd”, especially to share your updates and progress, but I’m OK with that now, and I will continue to share with everyone. I would love to encourage others to join me in my new challenge – whether you post your 101 list online or keep it to yourself, whether you use the Day Zero website, your own blog, Facebook…do it however you like! It’s so much easier to meet your goals if someone else is taking a challenge with you.

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My new list will be up later this week!

Jamie

***This blog post is from 2015. To see my current 101 in 1001 challenge, visit 101 Adventures in 1001 Days.***

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