When I was in college I kept a list of my “major” accomplishments and it always felt really good to look back and reflect on these old times. Some of these feats include eating an insect (it was earth day), jumping off a bridge (I almost died in Slyvenia) and learning how to flip while dancing (I almost died in Oklahoma, but tried this one again and mastered it. Unlike bridge jumping, which I will NEVER do again).
When I saw this idea of making a list of 101 things you want to do in 1,001 days, the idea really intrigued me. 101 ideas turns out to be a lot more than it seems like it would. I was rolling, really rolling, on the first few. Then I did the math and realized that in order to actually complete the list you have to do 10 things every day. So, if you so choose to read this list, it might start off seeming like a bucket list and then toward the end it might seem more like a….to-do list. But I like to keep it real.
- 1. Be an attendant in a wedding
- 2. Be a mentor for a child through Big Brothers Big Sisters
- 3. Attend a Letterpress class
- 4. Get Wes an awesome present (he always outshines me for gift giving!)
- 5. Visit my sister in Japan
- 6. Backpack through Europe with Wes
- 7. Find a church home in Dallas
- 8. Get a pet (and not a fish!)
- 9. Attend a photography workshop
- 10. Photograph my first pastor’s family
- 11. Organize/print/store my personal photos
- 12. Go on a trip with my 2 best girl friends
- 13. Pay off my student loans
- 14. Work out 3 times a week for 2 months in a row (it’s a start, right?)
- 15. Learn how to drive Wes’ car
- 16. Buy a legitimate bed frame
- 17. Read 3 books about business
- 18. While in a foreign country, take a portrait of someone who lives there
- 19. Design and print my personal wedding album
- 20. Have a professional graphic designer brand my business
- 21. Try to cook meat besides fish (I’m always scared I’ll give everyone E-coli…seriously)
- 22. 2nd shoot a wedding for another Dallas/DFW area photographer
- 23. Finish photographing my grandmother’s house
- 24. Add photo galleries to my blog-site
- 25. Send Christmas presents to all my clients in the year
- 26. Restructure workflow to get wedding photos to clients 2-3 weeks after wedding
- 27. Watch “Father of the Bride”
- 28. Get rid of 20 more clothing items (I already ditched so much when I got married, but I still need to let go of a few things that I’m, ahem, too “strong” for now…or that are outdated. Who knew all graphic tees don’t stand the test of time?).
- 29. Try 5 of the recipes given to me at wedding showers (1/5)
- 30. Hold a fun contest on my blog
- 31. Buy a new camera bag or Shootsac
- 32. Join a married people small group in church once we find one
- 33. Take beautiful portraits of my two best girl friends and my sister
- 34. Make a new girlfriend in Dallas (a good enough friend that I could tell her she fulfilled this goal and not weird her out)
- 35. Actually live off our Dave Ramsey cash budget for an entire month without any cheating
- 36. Do a sunrise photoshoot
- 37. Take photos with the medium format film camera I inherited from my Grandpa
- 38. Change my address for everything, and close old bank accounts
- 39. Increase my blog viewers every month for 4 months in a row
- 40. Go to a DFW Photographers’ Meet-Up
- 41. Host a shower for a friend
- 42. Organize my computer files (nightmare…)
- 43. Take a dance class with Wes (One of my FAVORITE activities – maybe it will become one of his?)
- 43. Bring our canvas grocery bags to the grocery store at least….once
- 44. Shoot a boudoir session for a bride or wife
- 45. Make the bed every day for a month
- 46. Buy an L series prime lens
- 47. Run/Walk (but maybe hopefully mostly run) a 10k (Have I ever done a 5k? No, but don’t worry about it).
- 48. Subscribe to Real Simple (because, let’s face it, I’m going to buy it every month anyway)
- 49. Start a regular blog feature with a catchy name
- 50. Read another complete book of the Bible
- 51. Try 5 new restaurants in Dallas with my husband
- 52. Make an Etsy shop for my invitation/business card designs: see “pretty in print”
- 53. Play Spades with others who are competitive about it (Emphasis on competitive)
- 54. Lose ten pounds (can any girl make a goal list and not include this?)
- 55. Organize our last two junk drawers
- 56. Create a work day structure and follow it every day for a month (and hopefully longer)
- 57. Learn more about off camera flash
- 58. Leave a comment on every blog I read for a week (I love comments, so shouldn’t I comment more?)
- 59. Go to a marketing/SEO convention, workshop or speaker
- 60. Go on a weekend retreat of some kind with Wes
- 61. Unsubscribe to all the annoying junk e-mail I don’t like getting
- 62. Read another one of the C.S. Lewis books I bought in high school (this would bring me to 2 of 9)
- 63. Try a new artisan cheese (with red wine pairing, of course).
- 64. Take my “real” camera to more personal events, and use it
- 65. Print branded greeting cards
- 66. Take and post pictures of our apartment so our family can see where we live!
- 67. Get a desk lamp
- 68. Take Wes to a concert in Deep Ellum
- 69. Go kayaking again
- 70. Go to a vineyard
- 71. Go to a museum I haven’t been to in DFW
- 72. Get another “Brazilian Blowout.” My hairdresser gave me one as a wedding present and it was AMAZING and reality-defying. I’m going to be so sad when it wears out, unless I immediately complete this goal.
- 73. See “Spring Awakening” when it comes to Fort Worth
- 74. Go to a fitness class
- 75. Sew something on my sewing machine (no promises on what that “something” will be).
- 76. Float the river for the first time
- 77. Make a post in the photography forum I read
- 78. Organize my e-mail inbox
- 79. Shoot, edit and burn a disc of a session in 24 hours (is it possible?)
- 80. Try a new form of advertising
- 81. Make a meal from only things bought at the Farmer’s Market (Dallas’ is AMAZING)
- 82. Call or visit a friend I haven’t seen in at least a year
- 83. Volunteer at the Mission Arlington Christmas store again
- 84. Kiss in the rain (sidenote: I always thought this was so romantic in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” But then I read the book. Have you read the book?)
- 85. Get our tickets to Charleston for Brad/Brennan’s wedding
- 86. Watch the last episodes of Oprah and Tyra (I think I’ll miss you the most, TyTy)…even though we don’t have TV service
- 87. Write 101 reasons why I love Wes (although 101 goals is seaming like A LOT, but that should be easier, right?)
- 88. Try eyebrow threading
- 89. Send a secret to Post Secret
- 90. Open a Health Savings Account
- 91. Find a good Lebanese restaurant in Dallas (it seems like all there is is Mexican restaurants…)
- 92. Spend a non-vacation weekend without using the computer or internet (my body just got tense with fear. I went back to delete this goal, but that’s probably a sign I should leave it on)
- 93. Have a photo shoot of just myself
- 94. Go to the dentist once a year….oh gosh….
- 95. Put some music on my iPhone
- 96. Use the iPod running plug-in thing I bought….last Christmas
- 97. Send a “real” Facebook message or e-mail to a friend that doesn’t live close once a week
- 98. Go on a “couples trip” with friends
- 99. Make it to a decade without drinking a soda (which will be summer 2011 – wow!)
- 100. Watch Conan O’Brien’s first TBS show (Again, the problem of not having a TV service)
- 101. See Conan O’Brien (OK, this one is a cheat – I already did this before I made the list. But I had wanted to see him since 6th grade, so I think it counts as a respectable accomplishment. And I wanted to cross something off the list.
If you decide to make a 101 in 1001 be sure to post it in the comments section! Looking back on this list, it would take some pretty serious dedication to complete all of these. I’ll keep you updated on the adventure!
by Amanda
11 comments