the premise, per triplux (a fine source for tips, scripts, and links to other lists):
The Mission:
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 my part).
Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as new year's resolutions. 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 organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.
start date: 19 august 2005
end date: 16 may 2008
items completed: 036
items remaining: 065
items completed have bracketed numbers; i'll alter stats and supply completion details as appropriate. without further ado and in no particular order...
the list
001 write (publish) 3 'letters to the editor'
002 publish in 3 new (to me) literary journals
003 take trapeze lessons
004 visit iceland
[005] sell handmade (by me) goods at a craft show [see 08.26.05, 12.06.05]
006 crochet or hand-quilt a blanket [see 10.09.05]
[007] go vegan for at least 1 month [completed 02.01.06 - see 01.03.06, 01.10.06, 01.23.06, 02.01.06]
008 volunteer at an animal shelter for at least 1 month
[009] attend a taping of the late show with david letterman [see 10.19.05]
[010] attend a taping of (jon stewart's) the daily show [see 03.13.08]
[011] watch all of krzysztof kieslowski's dekalog [completed 01.27.08]
[012] write (publish) a mcsweeney's list [see 03.23.06]
[013] donate platelets at least 12 times [completed 03.26.08]
014 read gravity's rainbow (thomas pynchon)
[015] drink a pint of ale in oxford for my grandfather [see 08.20.06]
016 make felt out of cat hair
[017] work out at a gym at least 100 times [completed 03.30.08]
018 swim with the coney island polar bear club
[019] leave a casino with more money than i had when i entered [see 12.27.05]
020 take a road trip long enough to require a motel
021 take a foreign language class
[022] read the catcher in the rye (j.d. salinger) [see 10.04.05]
[023] read the grapes of wrath (john steinbeck) [see 10.20.05]
[024] grow kitchen-worthy herbs from seeds [photo set]
025 become certified to perform CPR
[026] quit smoking [last cigarette: 11.23.07]
027 sponsor an endangered animal
028 attend shabbat service at a synagogue
[029] visit jen and tom in chicago [photo set]
030 open a long-term savings account and reach a balance of at least $1000 [opened account 08.22.05] [current balance: $243]
[031] visit the cloisters [see 08.27.05]
032 read the book of mormon
033 read dianetics (l. ron hubbard)
034 learn to make swanky candles
035 see elvis costello in concert
[036] have a meal at a 'raw food' restaurant [see 10.16.06]
037 go one week without wearing black (including accessories and underwear)
[038] participate in a charity walk [see 03.09.08]
039 visit an acupuncturist
[040] have my palm read in a psychic's parlor [see 05.15.08]
[041] watch das kabinett des doktor caligari
[042] watch the terror of tiny town
043 sew an article of clothing
044 wear said article of clothing to the office
[045] earn (and get) a raise at work [see 04.12.06]
046 buy an apartment
047 get my initials on the galaga high scores list at crif dogs
048 contribute work to a gallery show
[049] get my damn wisdom tooth removed [see 01.07.08]
[050] complete at least 3 more learning to love you more assignments [completed 03.27.07]
[051] watch the godfather (parts I-III)
052 pet a skunk
053 visit a nudist colony
054 write a decent short story
[055] walk through a corn maze [see 09.16.07]
056 develop a kick-ass tofu recipe
057 get my name printed in the new york times
058 play 18 holes of golf
[059] score at least 3 bylines in national magazines (mine counts) [see 09.22.06, 02.07.07]
060 learn to drive stick
061 visit at least 3 cemeteries in the new york area
062 visit jake at penn state
063 attend mass at st. patrick's cathedral
064 participate in a parade
[065] (re)visit 221b baker street [see 03.23.06]
066 write in wet concrete
[067] find, purchase, and wear a decent pair of sunglasses [completed 04.17.08]
068 read a book assigned by paul [tristram shandy, laurence sterne]
069 take a computer-related class
070 clean the apartment within an inch of its life without help from joe
071 go to a fetish club
072 participate in a political campaign
073 visit utah for the sundance film festival
[074] tour the winchester mystery house [see 04.22.08]
075 spend the day at coney island
076 learn to read music
[077] visit a working farm [photo set]
078 design and print a (non-company) business card
079 learn to make preserves
080 send at least 12 homemade gifts for non-holidays [1/12 as of 09.16.05]
081 tour an abandoned subway tunnel
[082] become an ordained minister [see 08.22.05]
083 go on a hayride
084 submit a crossword puzzle for publication
085 perfect an oxford-worthy pudding recipe
[086] tour arizona mining towns with joe [photo set]
087 win a costume contest
088 volunteer at a community garden
089 frame my college diploma
[090] walk the length of manhattan [see 05.14.07, photo set]
091 play chess with a stranger
092 buy a jaw-dropping gown
[093] attend a lecture at the 92nd street Y [see 09.06.07]
[094] win at least $10 with a lottery ticket [see 12.27.05]
095 learn to identify at least 12 constellations
096 go birdwatching
097 take a martial arts class
098 finish watching all leprechaun movies
099 take joe to disneyland
100 make a rag rug
101 get a 'sister tattoo' with em and jo
do you really want to read the book of mormon do you? i mean, if you think the king james version of the bible is, well, a funny bit of language compared to more modernized version, then the b.o.m. is gonna absolutely crack you up. don't you go converting on me!
ReplyDeleteoh, i've been to tour the winchester mystery house. oh, those family vacations. that lady was weird!
i'd be please to give you music lessons, but that's hard to do over the internet. what instrument to you want to learn to read music on?
nice list!
(wow, all my essay writing is for naught if i don't learn to proof my comments! i think you get the gist though.)
ReplyDeletewait, reading music is specific to individual instruments? this is going to be tricky.
ReplyDeletei just went to the winchester website...i can't believe they sell annual passes!
ReplyDeleteReading music is specific to musical instruments only insofar as they use different clefs. The treble and bass clefs (piano right hand and left hand) are the only ones anybody really uses - there's also an alto clef that's just for viola, and then some totally obscure shit like the countertenor clef. Some wind instruments play in a different key than the music is written, but that's nothing to worry about unless you start arranging for a jazz band.
ReplyDeleteUnless you find this totally disagreeable, I assign you Tristram Shandy.
aye aye, cap'n.
ReplyDeletegood explanation, paul! and more concise than i could think of. though the art of reading music is most point-ful when applied to an instrument or voice, i suppose it could just be read in a theoretical sense. i would like to convince lauren to play the recorder, which is only slightly more challenging than kazoo. emily (chin) was the only one i ever met who made the recorder sound like a bonafide instrument though...
ReplyDeleteif ringers count, the recorder player on belly's "the bees" is spectacular. i could be convinced to learn to do this. i have a background in (cough) the ocarina.
ReplyDeleteBut coming out ahead at the casino? Hmm. Would you have to repeatedly go to a casino if you don't turn the trick the first time? Wouldn't that put you out of biz after a while?
ReplyDeleteNot saying, just saying.
maybe i can team up with you for #73...though "film festival" on my list could be something as local as newport beach...sundance would be much more intriguing...did you change some of these, or is it just me? it seems like some are new/missing
ReplyDeletenope, they're static - i'm going to keep it that way, though i'm kicking myself about shit like 094; that's both random and expensive. then again, that's a fairly good descriptor of my tastes.
ReplyDeleteWow, 1001 days has nearly passed ! Some good goals you have there ^^
ReplyDelete