Well over a year ago (August 15th, 2009 to be exact) I decided that I would pilfer an idea from one Dr. Beth. That idea being the creation of a list of things that I wanted to complete. The concept of making a list certainly spoke to me; especially to that part of me that likes making lists. Anyway, to be more specific, the list was supposed to be a compilation of 101 things that I would attempt to complete within 1001 days. The items could be simple (i.e., read a book that I’ve been meaning to read for some time), or more complex (i.e., travel to base camp at Mt. Everest). Making the list was easy. Completing all the tasks, there’s the challenge.
Being the dork that I am, I was not satisfied with a single list to cover 101 items in just 1001 days. I realized after chatting with friends, and listening to their stories, I was compelled to add to my list. The dilemma – to remove older, lesser, possibly non-awesome items to make room for newer, better, possibly more awesome ideas. The answer was to simply make my list longer, and make the end date activity specific. So if I add an item today, I have 1001 days from today in which to complete the activity.
Being the nerd that I am; the type of nerd that likes lists but also loves numbers and statistics, I created a spreadsheet to track all things related to my list. As of right now, my list (which is currently 165 166 items long) has 37.5837.95% of the activities checked off. The bulk of my activities are classified as Health or Travel related. And (for the original list of 101 items), 51.9552.25% of the time to complete them has elapsed.
Anyway, this is the current incarnation of my list. It will change. I will update this as activities are completed, and will likely blog about a few of these items. Some are more bloggable than others; I’m sure no one cares about my attempt to develop abs, or whether or not I watch Battlestar Galactica.
| Complete by | Description | Date Completed |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 3. Publish 3 articles in 1 year | |
| 12-May-12 | 4. Publish 5 articles in 1 year | |
| 12-May-12 | 5. Publish 10 articles in 1 year | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 10. Bungee Jump | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 12. Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and go on Safari | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-13 | 14. Hang Glide | |
| 12-May-12 | 15. Insane 10K race with Matt | |
| 12-May-13 | 16. Niagara wine tour | |
| 12-May-13 | 17. Not Since Moses Race (Nova Scotia) | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 20. Zip line (again) | |
| 12-May-13 | ||
| 12-May-13 | ||
| 12-May-13 | ||
| 28-Sep-13 | 24. No pants subway ride | |
| 28-Sep-13 | 25. La tomatina (tomato fight), Brunal, Spain | |
| 28-Sep-13 | 26. Cage dive with sharks | |
| 28-Sep-13 | 27. Go to a shooting range | |
| 12-May-12 | 28. Raise over $1000 for BBBS bowlathon | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 32. See an Opera | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 34. See Stevie Wonder in concert (with Gerarda) | |
| 12-May-12 | 35. See Tori Amos in concert | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 37. Invest $20000 | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 39. Save $500 in change | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 45. Have a tequila tasting night | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 47. Have the rents over for a home cooked meal | |
| 12-May-12 | 48. Learn to cook a good fish dish | |
| 12-May-12 | 49. Learn to cook coque-au-vin | |
| 12-May-12 | 50. Learn to cook Goulash | |
| 12-May-12 | 51. Learn to cook lamb medalions | |
| 12-May-12 | 52. Learn to cook lamb vindaloo (and make it comparable to the Diana) | |
| 12-May-12 | 53. Learn to make chocolate tofu cheesecake (a la The Cornerstone) | |
| 12-May-12 | 54. Learn to make dairy free banana bread | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 28-Sep-13 | 56. Learn to make 2 types of bread | |
| 28-Sep-13 | 57. Learn to make pasta from scratch | |
| 28-Sep-13 | 58. Try 30 new wines (see Wines for details) | |
| 12-May-12 | 59. Buy a $100+ bottle of port and drink it with Gerarda & Alan | |
| 12-May-12 | 60. Buy a new camera | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 62. Buy a new road bike | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 64. Buy an indoor bike attachment for winter biking | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 68. Learn Linux | |
| 12-May-12 | 69. Learn more Spanish | |
| 12-May-13 | 70. Polar bear swim | |
| 12-May-12 | 71. Read Oryx and Crake | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-13 | 75. Run, 30k Around the Bay | |
| 12-May-12 | 76. Bike 160K | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 80. Bike 60k | |
| 12-May-12 | 81. Bike 80K | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 83. Complete 100 push ups in a row | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 85. Complete 140 sit ups in a row | |
| 12-May-12 | 86. Complete 200 sit ups in a row | |
| 12-May-12 | 87. Complete 4 consecutive sets of 10 chin ups | |
| 12-May-12 | 88. Complete 4 consecutive sets of 10 pull ups | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 90. Complete 4 consecutive sets of 4 pull ups | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 92. Complete 4 consecutive sets of 6 pull ups | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 94. Complete 4 consecutive sets of 8 pull ups | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 96. Complete 60 push ups in a row | |
| 12-May-12 | 97. Complete 80 push ups in a row | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 99. Develop abs (clearly subjective) | |
| 12-May-13 | 100. Run a 1/2 marathon, Vancouver or Toronto (again) | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 103. Run 5k in under 22 minutes | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-13 | 105. Run a marathon | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 28-Sep-13 | 109. Do another 30 day hot yoga challenge | |
| 12-May-12 | 110. Buy new energy saving appliances (all 5) | |
| 12-May-12 | 111. Paint a wall with chalkboard paint (or set up a plexiglass wall), and use it | |
| 12-May-12 | 112. Paint my guest bedroom | |
| 12-May-12 | 113. Paint the kitchen | |
| 12-May-12 | 114. Paint the main bathroom | |
| 12-May-12 | 115. Replace the carpet in the bedrooms with hardwood | |
| 12-May-12 | 116. Replace the carpet in the living room with hardwood | |
| 12-May-12 | 117. Stretch carpet in the upstairs hall | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 28-Sep-13 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 123. Travel to Asia | |
| 12-May-12 | 124. Travel to at least 1 Canadian Territory | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 127. Travel to BC | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 129. Travel to Chigaco to visit Ben (again) | |
| 12-May-12 | 130. Travel to visit Arlene | |
| 12-May-12 | 131. Travel to Iceland, the UK, Ireland or Scotland | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 134. Travel to New Brunswick | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 136. Travel to Nova Scotia | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | 138. Travel to PEI | |
| 12-May-12 | 139. Travel to Portugal, Spain or Andorra | |
| 12-May-12 | 140. Travel to Quebec City (again) | |
| 12-May-12 | 141. Travel to Saskatchewan | |
| 12-May-12 | 142. Travel to South or Central America (again) | |
| 12-May-12 | 143. Travel to the Caribbean (again) | |
| 12-May-12 | 144. Travel to Vancouver to visit Beth (again) | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 28-Sep-13 | 149. Attend Carnival in Brazil | |
| 28-Sep-13 | 150. Travel to the Galapagos | |
| 28-Sep-13 | 151. Travel to Mt. Everest base camp | |
| 28-Sep-13 | 152. Travel the Great Wall of China | |
| 28-Sep-13 | 153. Travel to the Taj Mahal | |
| 28-Sep-13 | 154. Travel to Angor Watt | |
| 28-Sep-13 | 155. Travel to Germany (again) for Oktoberfest | |
| 28-Sep-13 | 156. Travel to Kruger National Park for Safari | |
| 28-Sep-13 | 157. Travel to Las Vegas | |
| 28-Sep-13 | 158. Travel to Petra | |
| 28-Sep-13 | 159. Travel to Christ the Redeemer | |
| 23-Sep-14 | 160. Travel to the World Cup in 2014 | |
| 12-May-12 | 161. Watch Battlestar Galactica Season 1 | |
| 12-May-12 | 162. Watch missing shows from Dexter Season 3 | |
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 12-May-12 | ||
| 28-Sep-13 | 165. Watch 150 movies on IMDB top 250 (already viewed movies count) | |
| 28-Sep-13 | 166. Learn to do a hand stand (without ending up with stitches) | |
consumedbywanderlust 
I love your list long time. I’m delighted to recognize a few items from my 101 list and I see a few that I will steal for my next list (which I’ve already started compiling, given that I’m sticking to 101 things rather than a rolling list). Also, I CANNOT believe that I didn’t think to set mine up in a spreadsheet. I put *everything* into spreadsheets. While, everything except my list, clearly. Beth FAIL.
Also, I must give props to Dave, on whose blog I original saw the 101 list and from whom I stole some of my items.
I laughed when I saw “try yoga” on your list, given that you are such a devoted yogi now! And I squeeed with delight to see that visiting me made the list! (Clearly, “delight” is the word of the day for me today).
Also, I request a photo of you in your tailor-made suit.
I shall see what I can do about the photo request 🙂
Awesome! Similar to mine, with the notable exceptions of fancy cooking activities & that no-pants subway ride business. Stealing your glacier walk & lava field hike. I’ll let you know if the Princess Half is worthy of a place on your most excellent list in about a month. You can borrow my tutu.
I will definitely borrow your tutu if the run is worth it. How goes the training? Do you use RunKeeper at all?
Running is good. It’s keeping me sane (sane-ish). I need to do more speed work, though. I have RunKeeper but I haven’t been using it. The GPS isn’t all that accurate downtown & I haven’t found a decent armband for the iPhone. I do like the app, though.
I definitely want to join you for #45 on your list
Sure thing. I’ll keep you posted on when it occurs.
I’m making it my mission to find you an amazing dairy free banana bread.
And it will be my mission to learn how to make, and eat, said dairy free banana bread 🙂