Why You Should Make a "101 Things in 1001 Days" List
We all want to accomplish things in life - learn a new skill, read more books, travel to a new country, finally organize that closet, and so on. Getting around to doing those things can be tricky. Life has a way of getting in the way of doing anything. You know that phrase life is just a series of obstacles preventing me from reading my book. Yup, so true.
Then there's the fact that my brain, anyway, seems to be going 100 miles an hour with all the things I need to get done, and the things I want to get to, the sides to the main course, get neglected, and somehow in that I still don't feel fulfilled.
A "101 Things in 1001 Days" list comes in here.
The concept is simple - you list 101 goals you want to achieve in a 1001-day period (about 2 years and 9 months). The timeline gives you enough time to tackle more significant, ambitious goals but not so much time that you lose momentum. Momentum is everything.
Here are a few reasons why making one of these lists can be so powerful:
It gives you focus. When you have 101 specific things written down that you want to accomplish, it's a lot easier to stay on track and make progress. Instead of just having vague goals in your head, you have a clear roadmap to follow.
It pushes you out of your comfort zone. Coming up with 101 unique goals forces you to think beyond your everyday routine and consider new experiences and challenges you'd like to take on. It encourages you to dream big and not just stick to the straightforward, obvious stuff.
It creates a sense of accountability. Putting your goals in writing and committing to a timeline makes you more likely to follow through. You'll feel responsible for yourself and anyone you share your list with.
It's satisfying to cross things off. There's just something immensely satisfying about physically checking off or crossing out an item on your list as you complete it. It provides a tangible sense of progress and achievement.
It helps you live more intentionally. Rather than just drifting through your days, a 101 in 1001 list encourages you to be more purposeful about how you spend your time. You constantly evaluate whether your daily activities move you closer to your goals.
I won't lie, but these things are not at the forefront of why I wanted to do this. My baby, my little girl, is growing up, and in those 2 years and 9 months from when I'm writing this, she will be a senior in high school. There is something about mentally preparing to leave behind childhood and embark on what it looks like in the future. After having a little one at home, past school events, and life as we've known it for the last 18 years. This list reads like a celebration of childhood and a testament to what is coming next.
I started by outlining the categories of each thing I wanted to do. My categories are:
Personal Mountains (things I want to do for me)
Desires ( stuff I want, more on that in a sec)
Travel (places to visit)
Family (things I want to do as a family unit)
Carry On Britt (blog, travel agency, all the business goals)
Finances (where our financial future lies)
Health (objectives to be better overall)
Everything else (literally a catch-all for everything that doesn't fit in one of the categories)
My plan is every time I knock a couple of things off every other category outside of desires, I will allow myself a small gift from the desires list. Vain, sure, but special edition Disney Dooney and Burke's cost, and I have financial goals too (LOL:))
Of course, making the list is just the first step. The real work comes in chipping away at those 101 things over the next 1001 days. But if you can stay motivated and committed, it can be an incredibly rewarding process that leaves you feeling accomplished and energized.
