101 in 1001 Challenge

101 IN 1001 CHALLENGE

5/15/2015

I’ve been in a rut. An ugly old college rut. After being a college student for five years, I’ve gotten very comfortable having little to no responsibilities. These past five years have been the ‘me’ years. I indulged in every opportunity to sleep in, watch Netflix, go on a Taco Bell run, procrastinate homework, play video games until 4 in the morning, and skip class. I figured out how to be super lazy and still get good grades (minus my bumpy freshman year). Maybe that’s why I’ve been having such adulthood anxiety lately; I know the extra freedom I've been so lucky to have is inevitably coming to an end. Today is the first day of my life post-graduation. It’s an exciting and optimistic feeling, and I can't wait to prove myself. But I’m still sort of mourning the demise of my collegehood (aka childhood but without your parents). Once I nail down a job, I’m going to be accountable to show up from 9-5, every day of the week. I can’t get the notes from someone the next day. It’s going to be a drastic lifestyle change for me, and I need something to kick me in the ass and get me in gear for it.

My friend Colleen started her own blog a few months ago called Operation Twenties. She and I are both finding an outlet through writing to cope with the massive life changes we’re experiencing, and it's been awesome to share that. One of her segments is centered around this challenge she heard about called 101 in 1001. The idea is to create a list of 101 goals you want to accomplish in the next 1001 days (or 2.75 years). It caught my curiosity and I decided that I would make a list of my own and start it the day I graduate from college, which was yesterday! I think having this list will help keep me on track in my new adult lifestyle. And, since I have a friend doing it with me, we’ll be able to help motivate each other along the way.

Colleen's list gave me a lot of good ideas, and I'm sure you'll hear more about her as I blog my way through my list. I also checked out a blog called Design Darling. The author Mackenzie Horan has a great style to her site and I love her organization! I followed Colleen’s format and broke the goals down into different categories; send good vibes, personal, fitness & health, travel, financial, fun, family & friends, blogging & writing, learn, and buy & shop. I’m ready to start taking on every challenge I’ve set for myself, and with making my list, I've found this exhilarating drive to succeed as a person. Check out my list of 101 goals below, and if I've talked you into taking this challenge with me, leave a me a comment!

Completed will be bolded. In Progress will be italicized. Incomplete items will stay normal.

Start date: May 15, 2015
End date: February 9, 2018
{29 COMPLETE, 72 TO GO}

SEND GOOD VIBES: {6/8}

Inspire at least 5 people to do this list at well! {5/5}
Donate blood (It freaks me out, but I’m gonna do it).
Volunteer for a good cause. {Camp Nerd Fitness}
Don’t complain about anything for a week.
Donate to someone’s GoFundMe. {Mr. Morrow’s Classroom}
Do at least 20 random acts of kindness. {20/20}
Find an opportunity to do some public speaking.
Have a conversation with 20 strangers. {26/20}

PERSONAL: {2/10}

Write a letter to myself to be opened on my 30th birthday.
Do at least 10 new watercolor paintings. {8/10}
Try 15 new recipes from my Food Faves board. {2/15} [Mexican Corn Dip], [Steak and Spinach Quesadilla], [Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry]
Start collecting something new.
Get a double ear piercing.
Get tattoo piece started.
Read for a half hour every night before bed for 2 weeks.
Go to bed at 10 p.m. every night for two weeks.
Wake up at 5 a.m. every morning for two weeks.
Unplug completely for 24 hours (no internet, TV, radio, phone, etc.).

HEALTH & FITNESS: {1/12}

Get a gym membership.
Run 3 5Ks. {1/3} Extraterrestrial 5K - [8.13.16]
Run 500 miles. {15.5/500}
Swim 3,000 laps (42 miles). {84/3,000}
Don’t skip a workout for a month (with rest days built in).
Do a cleanse.
No fast food for a month.
Hike 3 new trails. {3/3} SweetWater Creek Park [6.19.16], Garden of the Gods [8.1.16], Red Rocks [8.2.16].
Go to five different kinds of fitness classes. {1/5}
Do 10 new circuits from my Gym Things board.
Get back into tennis, find a friend to play T2 with and do a whole season.
Break my habit of having bad posture.

TRAVEL: {4/9}

See the Rocky Mountains.
Go back to New England.
Go on a cruise.
Go to a new country.
See the northern lights.
Visit 3 new states. {3/3} Texas, Louisiana, Colorado
Take an unplanned, spur-of-the-moment trip.
Visit the grave/monument dedicated to a cultural icon.
Take a trip to California dedicated to seeing music landmarks (LA for the Chili Peppers, San Francisco for Bassnectar and Oakland for Green Day).

FINANCIAL: {2/5}

Invest in a stock for three months.
Put $10 in savings for every goal I cross off this list. {$290/$1,010}
Get a credit card.
Pay back my student loans (at least start to!).
Start a 401k (and figure out what that really is).

FUN: {5/14}

Go to two new music festivals. {10/2} CounterPoint [5.22.15], Camp Bisco [7.15-19.15], Hulaween [10.30-11.1.15], Euphoria [4.9.16], SweetWater 420 Festival [4.22.16], JazzFest [4.24.16], Shaky Beats [5.21-22.16], Bonnaroo [6.9-12.16], Bass Center [7.29-30-16] Music Midtown [9.17.16]
Go to at least 10 concerts. {21/10} Modest Mouse [10.28.15], Minnesota [11.14.15], Dopapod [12.5.15], Basslights [12.19.15], Bassnectar NYE 360 [12.31.15], Wick-It the Instigator [1.16.16], Excision [2.20.16], Infected Mushroom [3.25.16], Zomboy [4.1.16], LUZCID [6.30.16], STS9 [8.26.16-8.27.16] Neon Indian [10.4.16], Pretty Lights [10.7.16-10.8.16], GRiZ [10.22.16], Bassnectar Halloween [10.31.16], Safe In Sound [11.19.16], Wick-It the Instigator [12.23.16], GJones [12.30.16], Bassnectar NYE 360 [12.31.16]
Try 15 new restaurants. {22/15} The Mill Kitchen and Bar [5.17.15], Vuu Asian Bistro [5.28.15], Sushi Nami [6.12.15], Paizanos [8.20.15], The Real Fix [9.17.15], Burger Republic [11.28.15], Moxie Burger [12.22.15], First Watch Cafe [12.24.15] Five [1.1.16], Hop Alley [1.14.16], Fritti [1.30.16], Desta [2.13.16], Local Taco [3.19.16], Table & Main [4.2.16], Ladybird [4.6.16], The Highlander [4.15.16], Deanie’s [4.23.16], The Ugly Biscuit [5.14.16], Blue Sushi [8.2.16], Farm Burger [8.8.16], PM Cafe [10.6.16], Porch Light [11.11.16]
Visit 3 new breweries. {5/3} Jekyll Brewing, Alpharetta GA [6.12.15], Wicked Weed Brewing, Asheville NC [8.2.15], Burnt Hickory Brewery, Kennesaw GA [1.8.16], Monday Night Brewing, Atlanta GA [2.13.16], Gate City Brewing [4.2.16]
Listen to 10 classic rock albums all the way through. {4/10} [Rumours - Fleetwood Mac (1977)], [Presence - Led Zeppelin (1976)], [Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd (1973)], [Are You Experienced? - Jimi Hendrix (1967)]
Do an extreme sport (bungee jumping? Sky diving?).
Beat a video game, 100%.
Build a really awesome sandcastle.
See an NFL game. [11.22.15]
Go to three new ballparks. {1/3} Coors Field [8.1.16]
Go on a picnic at the river.
Watch 10 classic movies that I haven’t seen before. {5/10} Top Gun, Good Will Hunting, Armageddon, The Big Lebowski, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
See live stand-up from a favorite comedian.
Complete 10 crafts from my Crafty Things board.

FAMILY & FRIENDS: {3/10}

Send my siblings care packages just because.
Send Mom flowers just because she’s amazing.
Do something just me and Dad.
Help my parents clean out the basement and host a yard sale.
Apologize to a friend I've hurt in the past.
Send birthday/christmas cards to all of my family members.
Go to Birmingham to visit Kyla and Will.
Host a board games night with friends.
Reconnect with 5 friends I don’t talk to often enough. {5/5}
Send The Sentinel staff pizza one random Monday.

BLOGGING & WRITING: {2/7}

Publish 100 posts on my blog. {51/100} 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 62, 63, 64
Get five guest authors to write on my blog. {1/5}
Submit at least 10 articles for publication somewhere else. {3/10} 6 Eye-Opening Realizations You Have When Changing Your Lifestyle (Thought Catalog), Bass It Forward (Bassnectar Tour Blog), Safe in Sound Fest Lands in Atlanta (GoodMusicAllDay)
Get 50 people to subscribe to my blog. {26/50}
Comment on 50 different blogs. {4/50}
Make my blog its own domain.
Launch a new blog post series. {Musical Commotion}

LEARN: {1/8}

Re-learn how to read music.
Learn 15 new songs on bass guitar. {1/15}
Take a night class with my friend Lindsey.
Read 5 classics.
Read 5 biographies.
Learn how to make my own pasta.
Learn how to do custom lettering & hand typography.
Learn 5 new ways to style my hair. {2/5}

BUY & SHOP: {3/8}

Gamble in a casino.
Add 20 records to my vinyl collection. {18/20} Into The Sun - Bassnectar (2015), Divergent Spectrum - Bassnectar (2011), another eternity - Purity Ring (2015), Physical Graffiti - Led Zeppelin (1975), Blood Sugar Sex Magik - Red Hot Chili Peppers (1991), Californication - Red Hot Chili Peppers (1999), Songs You Know By Heart - Jimmy Buffett (1985), Led Zeppelin III - Led Zeppelin (1970), Houses of the Holy - Led Zeppelin (1973), Love, Death, Immortality - The Glitch Mob (2014), Vava Voom - Bassnectar (2012), Rumours - Fleetwood Mac (1977), A Color Map of the Sun - Pretty Lights (2013), But Seriously, Folks… - Joe Walsh (1978), The Getaway - Red Hot Chili Peppers (2016) Insomniac - Green Day (1995), Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty - Big Boi (2010), Unlimited - Bassnectar (2016)
Buy new running shoes.
Buy the corgi puppy I’ve always wanted.
Invest in some really good porch furniture.
Buy my mom and I a spa day (massage, facial, the works!).
Buy a lottery ticket for a crazy jackpot.
Buy 10 things just for me {10/10}

Ask you can tell, I have my work cut out for me. I'm mostly looking forward to completing my financial goals, and my blog goals. I haven't blogged a lot lately, and I sort of fell off the map in April. I don't want that to happen again, and I know my goal of writing 100 blog posts is going to keep me focused. I also have ambitious travel goals, but I really feel like I'll be able to do it all. I have a crazy 2.75 years ahead of me. Ready? Set. Go!