Day Zero Project: 101 goals in 1001 days

So here is something I thought would be cool to take part in: the Day Zero Project.

The idea is to skip short-term, easily done things or New Year’s resolutions and complete 101 goals in 1001 days. That’s roughly 10 days to complete every task, whether it’s climbing a mountain or sharpening all the knives in your kitchen.

So here’s the gist

The Challenge: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on your part).

Why 1001 Days? Many people have created lists in the past – frequently simple challenges such as New Year’s resolutions or a ‘Bucket List’. 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, study semesters, or outdoor activities.

Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.
2. Stay Focused. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.
3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.
4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.
5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.

Normal text =  Unfinished

Italicized = working on right now!

Strikethrough = COMPLETED

The official web site for the Day Zero Project isn’t working as I type this, but their Tumbler blog is working OK and has a lot of great ideas to start with.

So here’s my list (just starting it):

1. Watch a sunset
2. Watch a sunrise
3. Keep a “My Day in Six Words” journal for 6 months (new to me, want to try this, probably with Twitter)
4. Walk the UK Hadrian’s Wall Path in one go (1 full week, about 83 miles from Newcastle past Carlisle) – I did this once but had to stop after 4 days and go back to finish; will cost about £300 (food, travel, 6 B&B nights)
5. Walk the UK Coast to Coast Path (2 full weeks in total, easily split up into 2 1-week trips); will cost about £300 for each week (food, travel, 6 B&B nights)
6. Wild camp in the Scottish Highlands
7. Camp on the beach
8. Listen to the dawn chorus
9. Grill fish I’ve just caught myself
10. See the Aurora Borealis (the Northern Lights)
11. Get down to 84kg/185 lbs/13.2 stone (plan to do this by July 2010)
12. STAY under 85kg/190 lbs, give or take 2kg/5 lbs
13. Read 100 books (that’s 10 days per book) – 0/100
14. Read the prize winners & best sellers from the year I was born (1973)
15. Watch the Oscar-nominated movies from the year I was born (1973)
16. Write 5 short stories – 0/5
17. Get the podcast I do to 100+ episodes
18. Get sponsorship for the podcast (through ratings on iTunes and Podcast Alley)
19. Get videos on YouTube (the original inspiration for the podcast)
20. Get sponsorship for the videos (through viewer numbers)
21. Run an organized 5K
22. Run an organized 10K
23. Run a half-marathon
24. Run a marathon
25. Get a UK driving licence
26. Save up 1 full month’s of salary
27. Save up 3 months’ of salary
28. Save up 6 month’s of salary
29. Run a new tabletop adventure game (D&D, GURPS, whatever)
30. Make full eye contact with anyone I’m having a conversation with for 1 week
31. Read a good photographic course book
32. Fill a sketch book with drawings (or finish filling the sketchbook I’ve had for 10+ years)
33. Take dancing classes
34. Take krav maga classes
35. Meditate every day for a month
36. Become proficient in sewing (I have a sewing machine sitting around doing nothing)
37. Make a chain mail shirt
38. Make a scabbard or four for my swords
39. Make something out of wood (I have a couple of ideas already! like a sword rack) [made a cat tower from pallet timbers and MDF board]
40. Listen to Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
41. Learn how to play a Beatles song on the guitar (or ukulele)
42. See a live band
43. See a major live band in a stadium/arena
44. Take twice as long to think before I speak (or type, if online!) for 1 week
45. Donate blood
46. Grow a full Movember moustache (did this in 2010, this is a follow-up) done for 2011
47. Plant a window box herb garden growing in the kitchen of the new place
48. Plant, and maintain a container garden (have tried this 3 years in a row and lost interest each time!)
49. Plant a tree on Earth Day
50. Grow a bonsai tree from seed
51. Roll sushi
52. Host a dinner party
53. Brew my own beer got a kit for Christmas 2011, and will be making more beer and even wine!
54. Bake a cake, completely homemade
55. Bake some cookies from scratch
56. Grill some brisket
57. Eat completely vegan for a week
58. Write a message in a public bathroom (not graffiti, something poignant and touching)
59. Write a list of 50 things I like about myself
60. Write a personal mission statement
61. Write letters to myself to be read in 5, 10 and 20 years (using futureme.org)
62. Write a love letter
63. Don’t complain about anything for a week
64. Don’t swear for a week
65. Don’t eat sweets for a month did this for January 2011
66. Not buy anything made in China for 1 month
67. Not buy anything other than food/fuel/bills for 1 month did this for February 2011
68. Completely pay off my 2 (smallish) credit card bills
69. Learn to surf
70. Swim in the ocean
71. Build a bicycle from frame + parts (old or new)
72. Cycle to work every day for a month
73. Learn how to wheelie on a bicycle
74. Learn how to ride without hands on a bicycle
75. Learn how to bunny-hop on a bicycle
76. Learn how to ollie on a skateboard
77. Snowboard down a hill without freezing or falling
78. Learn how to body-pop dance (kinda like this guy)
79. Learn how to moonwalk propely
80. Learn how to backspin (leads to the next goal)
81. Learn how to windmill (OG breakdance move!)
82. Learn how to backflip
83. Learn how to DJ – on proper twin decks
84. Visit the Parisian sewers
85. Have a beer. In Munich. During Oktoberfest. While speaking German.
86. See a horse race in Ireland
87. Have Cheddar cheese in Cheddar Gorge
88. Learn a second language (probably German)
89. Learn the alphabet in sign language
90. Organize another secret gift exchange did this for the Something Awful Formula 1 fans in 2011 again
91. Don’t bite or chew my cuticles for a month
92. Volunteer at an animal shelter for a day
93. Learn SSH and VNC and install on my computer
94. See the Le Mans 24hr race from a campsite overlooking the track
95. Drive around the Nurburgring Nordschliefe (the original track)
96. Watch a Formula 1 Race at Spa-Francochamps
97. Build a self-replicating 3D printing machiney
98. Go skydiving
99. Re-wax and repair my Barbour waxed cotton jacket
100. Build or rebuild a project car

Start date: Thursday, January 13, 2011
Due date: Thursday, October 10, 2013 (my 40th birthday)
(according to Wolfram Alpha)

Time to get started!