Might as well face it, I'm addicted to lists.

So....I was reading a friend's blog when I read about the Day Zero project. Immediately, I was intrigued. A to-do list with an expiration date!? Right up my alley. The premise is simple: you have 1001 days to complete 101 tasks. You pick the start date. You pick the tasks. For the past several days, I have compiled my list. I'm already excited about this. In following suit with the theme of 101, I will begin my tasks on October 1st (10.1.09). This means my finish date will be 6.28.12.

I am hoping to use this as an exercise for improvement, in myself, in my relationships. I see it as an opportunity to do some good and have some fun, while forcing myself to step out of my comfort zone (even if only slightly). Wish me luck! And I hope you will join me!

Without further ado...

My List

Completed
In Progress
Not yet started

For the Sake of being a Responsible Adult

1. Get up when Sam gets up for one month.
2. Join a committee at Ben's school.
3. Write my will.
4. Vote in all city and county elections.
5. Take the Professional Engineer Exam.
6. Pass the Professional Engineer Exam.
7. Write a letter to my Congressman.
8. Write a letter to the Editor.
9. Don't let people's beliefs (political, religious, moral) affect the way I feel about them.
10. Be on time for one whole week; to work, church, Mission Friends, and childrens choir.

For the Sake of the House
11. Sod the backyard.
12. Repair or replace the tire on our riding mower.
13. Plant an herb garden.
14. Make my bed every day for two weeks before leaving for work. (15+/14)

For Money's Sake
15. Organize a community/court-wide yard sale.
16. Set up an ING savings account for Ben, Abby, and Sarah.
17. Eat every meal at home and bring my lunch to work everyday for a week.(21/21)
18. Sell something on Ebay.
19. Save more than 50% on a grocery order at Kroger.

For 100% Selfish Reasons
20. Have my teeth whitened.
21. Have my eyebrows waxed.
22. Highlight my hair.
23. Have more confidence in myself.

For Health's Sake
24. Run a 5K.
25. Drink nothing but water for a week.
26. Cook a vegetarian meal.
27. Reach two new "tens-places" in my weight.  (For instance, if I start at 480lbs, I need to get to 460.) (0/2)
28. Complete a 30 Day Challenge on EA Active. (30/30)
29. Convince my mother to schedule her mammogram.
30. Play tennis with Sam at least ten times, no matter how horribly he kicks my tail.(1/10)
31. Take my vitamin every day for a month. (31/31)
32. Convince my kids to eat carrot sticks.
33. Take a mental health day.

For Spiritual Growth
34. Share my faith with at least one person.
35. Read the Bible in 365 days. (Day 1: Jan 3, 2011)
36. Support CBC's Singing Christmas Tree.
37. Make it to Church AND Sunday School for an entire month in a row. (6+/4)
38. Attend a couple's retreat with Sam.
39. Pray with my children. 
40. Begin and maintain a prayer journal.


For Others
41. Send a note of cheer to someone twice a month.  (36/66)
42. Pay for the person behind me at a toll booth.
43. Pay for the person behind me at Dunkin' Donuts.
44. Donate blood at least three times. (0/3)
45. Fit into or give away all of the clothes in my closet.
46. Buy something on Etsy.
47. Take dinner to a friend who has just had a baby.
48. Anonymously do 10 acts of kindness. (7/10)
49. Take treats to the kids' teachers once a month. (33/33)
50. Compliment a stranger once a week.
51. Donate 100,000 grains of rice on freerice.com. (45,790/100,000)

For the Love of Family
52. Make Abby and Sarah matching dresses using my grandmother's sewing machine.
53. Breastfeed Sarah on her 1st birthday.
54. (With Julie's help) Send my parents on a bombin' retirement trip.
55. Read the entire classic works of Dr. Seuss to my children. (63/63)
56. Print my favorite digital photos from April 2009-present.
57. Organize all of my loose photos into albums.
58. Teach Ben to ride his 2-wheeled bike.
59. Play catch with Ben using a real baseball glove and baseball.
60. Teach Abby to swim.
61. Take the family to Hershey Park.
62. Leave the dishes in the sink, the laundry in the hamper, and just spend time with my family.
63. Enroll Abby in dance.
64. Make Callaway Gardens an annual Christmas tradition. (3/3)

For the Sake of Making Things
65. Make my own pizza dough.
66. Make Abby ten new hair bows. (10/10)
67. Make 10 homemade gifts. (2/10)
68. Keep a journal of my favorite quotes.
69. Duplicate a restaurant favorite at home using Copykat.com.
70. Make an advent calendar at Christmas. (3/3)
71. Make homemade play-doh.

For Fun
72. Learn to use my DSLR in manual mode.
73. Host a party at the homestead.
74. Read 10 new ("grown-up") books. (10/10)
75. Come up with an idea for my very own children's book.
76. Travel to a state I've never visited.
77. Patronize the local book store.
78. Plan a surprise party.
79. Learn to use my French press.
80. Eat breakfast with Santa.
81. Sleep outside.
82. Ride a jet-ski.
83. Go kayaking.
84. Grow my own pumpkins.
85. Eat something different from my "usual" at least once each at Carrabba's, Chili's, and Zaxby's. (3/3)
86. Eat at 10 new restaurants. (10/10)
87. Meet at least 2 more WOHMs & 2 more LSMs.  (2/4)
88. Fix something instead of buying a new one.
89. Set up the aquarium for the kids.
90. Get lost in a Maize Maze.
91. Swim in a river.
92. Ride a horse...or at least sit on one.
93. Laugh to the point of tears.
94. Commit 10 jokes to memory. (1/10)
95. Give more hugs.
96. Say "I love you" more often.
97. Learn to hula-hoop...Wii Fit doesn't count.

For the List
98. Donate $5 for every task not completed.
99. Blog about each task as it is completed. (46/101)
100. Write a letter to myself on Day 1 to be opened on Day 1001.
101. Inspire one person to make a list of their own. (1/1)