In 2004, or thereabout, I started doing the 101 in 1001 project, that is making a list of 101 things to accomplish in 1001 days. I preferred this to the ever popular Bucket List because there is a deadline. Bucket Lists involve "some time before I die", which is akin to saying whenever. I lived that way before. I put things off in floods of excuses and watched my goals get washed away in the resulting tide. After nearly dying in a foolish accident, my heart resolved to attempt, experience, do and yes, even fail, at more by giving myself deadlines. 1001 days. Approximately 33 months. 2 years and 9 months.
At first coming up with 101 things was difficult. I won't lie. It's easy to fill a list with grandiose ideas that we can't even imagine where to begin, and it's easy to come up with small things that we do every day. These were not the goals I wished to capture, so time was spent soul searching.
Once my list was complete, I set it aside and promptly forgot about it. A year passed before I pulled it back out and got to work. A list. Of 101 things.
It was daunting.
So I picked those things I really wanted most, and I figured out a way. I traveled. I crafted. I wrote and did art. I spent time doing inane things with loved ones and adored every minute. I got mundane things I'd been postponing done.
I accomplished, and the more I accomplished the more motivated I felt. At the end of my 1001 days I had crossed 70 items off my list.
So I added 70 more.
And I included a very important lesson. I did not beat myself up over those things I didn't get to. I reevaluated them and those I wanted to keep, I rolled over onto the new list.
The snowball effect was glorious and I've never looked back. Every year I revisit my list, and it continues to grow and change just as I do. Every time I cross something off, I add to it.
Since then I've shared this concept with dozens of people, some of whom have become just as enthusiastic as I am over it, others who nod and smile while commenting that it seems overwhelming. Having had that same feeling initially, I get it and I admitted the truth of it.
That is where the idea of creating categories (home, health, friends and family, hobbies, etc) then breaking it down into further numbers came into being and Life By Numbers was born.
Since taking a job in a wellness office a few months ago, I've had the opportunity to share this concept with more people, as well as sitting and talking with friends. A few years ago I thought to blog about my experiences, but lost momentum as I became absorbed in day-to-day life and I came to realize how overwhelming it could be.
Until a friend recently encouraged me to pick it up again, to help encourage others to try it, and to keep with it.
So here I am. Introducing you to my Life By Numbers. If you care to try it, I look forward to sharing progress and stories with you. If you don't, perhaps you'll follow along and find inspiration somewhere.
The Numbers:
101 broken down- not only is it 101 things, but I have broken them down into areas that are important to me:
Friends and Family
Career/Business (for when I owned my own business, this is currently under reevaluation)
Recreation/Hobby
Writing
Health/Personal
Spiritual
Financial
Bedlem (our home)/Food
Travel/Adventure
Material
Education
*** Please customize these to your own life
365- Something small to do every day
52- Something to do once a week
30- Based on Morgan Sperlock's 30 Days, I choose something and try it every day for 30 days. This changes each month.
12- Something to accomplish once per month
4- Something to accomplish once per quarter year, every 3 months.
Amend, adapt, change and please, above all, share with me what you'll be doing! You never know when we can help each other along!
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