101 things in 1001 days

June 22, 2015

I stumbled across 101 Things in 1001 Days several years ago – 7 or 8 or something because I’ve done it twice with gaps in between. The thing I like about it is that it helps me remember priorities outside my immediate day to day.

I set small goals and I set big goals and I set this-is-never-going-to-happen-but-wouldn’t-it-be-awesome-if-it-did goals. I even chose not to do one of those goals because it’s also important to reevaluate and adapt rather than hold slavishly to a list.

I found myself listless today. And not in the sense of: without a list. But more in the literal definition of being without spirit or motivation. Because it’s not that I don’t have a list. My days are filled with things that have to get done – consumed by the mundane and the fantastic things in my to do list.

But it’s not enough.

I’m bored of even the really cool things on my list (except my fairy tale legacy posts – those I like). I’m super bored of the less cool things that just aren’t finished yet. And I’m bored of my entire life being about the work to do list and the personal to do list and nothing in between.

Which is why it makes no sense that the answer is another list. Except that it does.

Because 101 Things in 1001 Days, for me, isn’t a to do list. It’s a dream-board in a list. It’s the small things that will move my life forward and the big things that the small things build up to. It’s a sense of accomplishment when I’m doing something entirely off my unending to do list.

This isn’t Remember the Milk (which I love and use frequently). This is Pinterest in words (and maybe pins – I don’t know yet). It’s dreaming in an organized fashion and then getting to see them come into reality. It’s letting go of the jumbled ideas in my head and letting them live in words written down so they’re always there when I need them and therefore don’t have to try so hard to remember them.

And it’s fun. My new day is March 21, 2018. Which seems a long way away. Will the world still be here in 2018? There’s something about this century where every year feels unreal – a step closer to the end of the world and that the next year might not actually come. I think that’s a result of so many sci-fi stories set in 20-something that were so advanced in their technology it made those years just seem unreal. But that’s a different blog post.

In the meantime, I’ve got 101 Things do in the next 1001 Days.


What about you? What do you dream of doing in the next 1001 days?
~ Does it make a difference if a list is things you have to do rather than get to do?

Posted in: Life ~

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6 responses to “101 Things

  1. Ahh, I love this concept! It’s a lot like setting life goals, only much more creative. And I like your list, too, I wish you lots of luck with crossing items off it!

  2. Ohhh, that is a LONG TIME. 1001 days?! I probably couldn’t make a commitment that long, but lists? I love me some lists. I have lots of lists of things I want to write and read and books I want to buy and songs I need to listen to and movies to watch. I like those lists. they’re not pressure-filled, they’re just when I get a moment sort of lists. ^-^ But lists are life.

    • Annie

      I know – just under 3 years! I don’t think of it as a long term commitment but as space, room to take my time and not feel pressure to get things done now. Just like your lists of songs and movies and books and… lists are awesome!

  3. I don’t think I’ve ever actually looked into this concept before, but it sounds fun. I think my biggest problem is that there are so many small things that I “have” to do on my to do list, that the big things that I “want” to do always get pushed to the side. Having a set deadline to work towards would probably be really helpful in getting me to break the habit of pushing some of my to do’s back all the time, and it would also add some fun variety to my lists. I’m off to go check out your 101 things now, and who knows, maybe I’ll start my own! 😀

    • Annie

      If you do start your own, I’d love to see what you put on it 🙂 It is such a balance between the little things that have to get done every day and the big, or even smaller fun things you *want* to do. After posting this that became such an apparent thing to me – the difference between *have* to do and *get* to do. I saw Jamie Lee Curtis talk about it in an interview years ago. She said her life changed radically when she changed those have to dos into get to dos (like picking her kids up from school). It’s amazing the difference that change in perspective can make.