project zero

I am prone to making lists; of groceries, of goals, of things to do around the house. They help me stay focused, they remind me of what's crucial in my life, and the act of writing them down somehow makes them more important, more concrete. And of course, last but certainly not least, is the intense pleasure derived once the task is completed and I get to check or cross it off the list...

I came across Day Zero on a random blog the other day and was intrigued. I had just written a list of life goals in my journal, things I want to work on and work towards, and I was struck by how many people had been inspired to do the same. The idea is to set yourself a number of specific tasks to be completed, 101 tasks to be exact, and to complete them in just under three years, 1001 days.


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.


I did some good soul-searching, trying to figure out what changes I want to make, what I want to strive for in the next few years, what specific actions will shape my character for the better. I officially started my quest yesterday, July 6, 2009 and will officially finish 1001 days later on Monday, April 2, 2012, just before the rest of my family will (hopefully) be coming to France for the summer to celebrate my mother's 50th birthday.

The goals are meant to be challenging but realistic. They are meant to help push me out of my comfort zone, to try new activities, expand my knowledge and circle of friends. And lucky for you, I will be blogging much more often in order to document my accomplishments. The 101 tasks will be to the right of my entries, and I will update daily with my progress.

I greatly appreciate the love and support I receive from all of you on a regular basis and would greatly appreciate your support with this endeavor as well! Wish me luck!!!


the official list, to be completed on monday, april 2, 2012:


HEALTH / BEAUTY
1 complete "40 days to personal revolution"
2 go to a yoga retreat
3 get certified as a yoga instructor
4 start & end each day with meditation
5 get a massage every month
6 drink 64oz. of water every day for six months
7 complete a ten-day fast
8 chop all my hair off

THINGS TO LEARN
9 learn spanish (well enough to travel in spanish-speaking countries & only communicate in spanish)
10 learn every region of france & its capital city
11 learn every department of france & its capital city
12 learn to place every country on a map
13 learn the capital city of every country
14 learn how to develop my own film
15 learn how to rock climb
16 learn a martial art
17 buy an eisel and learn how to paint
18 really learn how to play the guitar
19 learn to recognize ten main constellations in the sky

ACTIVITIES / RECREATION
20 start the divine beings project
21 run a half marathon
22 run a marathon
23 take a dance class
24 finish knitting the patchwork quilt
25 knit a sweater
26 go kayaking/canoeing
27 jump off a waterfall
28 find or create a group that slacklines regularly/recreationally
29 be in a play
30 go skinny dipping
31 ride in a hot air balloon
32 see the tour de france live
33 go to the opera
34 see a concert of an artist i've never heard of
35 go to a rugby match
36 sing karaoke
37 sleep under the stars
38 throw a potluck
39 make my own paper
40 unplug for the weekend (don't use any electricity)
41 go to a museum
42 go to an amusement park & try all the scary rides
43 do twenty puzzles

ONCE A...
44 spruce up the apartment with flowers once a month
45 go on "photo shoots" once a month
46 write at least one letter each week
47 blog once a week for 12 weeks
48 go swimming at the pool once a month for one year
49 start hosting a "game night" once a month for one year

FOR ONE MONTH
50 journal every day for one month
51 record my dreams every day for one month
52 be vegan for one month
53 no alcohol for one month
54 wake up before 8am every day for one month
55 go to bed before 10pm every night for one month

TRAVEL
56 return to taiwan
57 visit a national park in france
58 hike in the alps
59 go to italy
60 touch a new continent (africa!!)
61 go on another two week bike trip
62 have visited (not just passed through) every region in mainland france
63 visit amsterdam
64 visit vulcania

READING / WRITING / RESEARCH
65 read 52 books in 52 weeks, no cheating (half in french, a quarter non-fiction)
66 watch ten foreign films (not in english or french) in the original language
67 finish research & complete "the yoga journals"
68 read the most important works of each major religion (the tripitaka, the qur'an, the old & new testaments, the rgveda/yajurveda/samaveda/atharvaveda, the guru granth sahib/dasam granth, & the kitab-i-aqdas)
69 join a bookclub
70 research & buy a real camera
71 study phytotherapy/ayurvedic medicine/healing with plants (and plant my favs in the garden)
72 subscribe to a newspaper
73 write a short story

FOOD
74 check out cookbooks & try 1 new recipe per week for 12 weeks
75 buy produce at the famer's market at least once a month
76 go wine tasting
77 learn when fruits & veggies are in season and try to eat accordingly
78 no more meat
79 eat out at ten local restaurants
80 try a new kind of tea every month
81 try ten new foods i've never tried and/or heard of
82 make my own soy milk
83 make my own jam
84 make my own wine
85 make homemade bread
86 make my own tofu

GOOD WILL
87 volunteer & donate
88 give blood three times
89 go on "trash walks" once a month
90 donate my hair to locks for love
91 donate 100,000 grains of rice at freerice.com
92 plant a tree

LOVE
93 go on a date with rémy twice a month
94 give rémy a massage once a month
95 go on a date alone

CAREER / FINANCE
96 only accept a job that is doing something that i believe in/love/where i am making a difference
97 put aside $1000 each year and don't touch it

MISCELLANEOUS
98 make a new friend
99 calculate my carbon footprint & try to reduce it every six months
100 buy a nice guitar
101 spend five days (not necessarily consecutive) not speaking


ALTERNATES
> see a significant astronomical event
> learn ten new card tricks
> collect wild mushrooms
> make homemade pasta
> go fishing
> buy a lottery ticket
> buy a piece of artwork
> go to the sziget music festival in budapest
> go to the festival of lights in lyon
> make & fly a kite that works
> bury a time capsule
> go ice skating
> expand my vocabulary