101 IN 1001 LIST UPDATE

I officially have less than a year remaining on my list of 101 things to do in 1001 days (read my current list here and my original list here) and there is still so much I want to accomplish! 61 down, 40 to go. On my first 101 in 1001 round, I managed to cross off 79 things so, even if I can’t get to the full 101, I’d definitely like to try to beat that number. Here are a few things I’ve crossed off recently and a list of the goals I’m most focused on tackling next!

#goals notebook

*#goals notebook available here

Recently completed goals and/or recent progress:

3. Reconnect with my gymnastics coaches. I was a competitive gymnast until age 16 and my coaches and teammates were truly an extension of my family. I really regret losing touch with several of them and finally sat down to write two of my coaches a heartfelt thank you for the role they played in shaping the person I’ve become. I did something similar for #2 on my list (reconnect with my favorite high school teacher) and both experiences were really cathartic for me. If there’s someone from your past with whom you’ve lost contact, I really recommend adding this task to your list!

16. Read at least thirty books (16/30). Okay, so I still have a long way to go on this one, but I just have to share a new approach that’s getting me to read way more than I have in years past: Audible. It’s a $14.95/month audio book program where you can download books straight to your iPhone and listen to them without wifi (in the car or on the subway!) and where you earn monthly credits for free downloads. It’s not the same as holding a hard copy in your hands but it’s hard to argue with results: it took me (an admittedly pathetic) two years to read eleven books (one of which I counted for #9 on my list) and since I started using Audible, I’ve read six books in three months. Reading more often is really something I want to make time for (and it’s something I see repeatedly on a lot of other people’s 101 in 1001 lists) and Audible has been just the push I needed to make it happen.

25. Donate to a Kickstarter campaign I believe in. This campaign for refugee aid wasn’t a traditional Kickstarter but was definitely a cause that tugged at my heartstrings.

37. Host an event in the Design Darling office. Our first shopping night was a big success (despite crazy rain that evening!) and we’re planning a daytime shopping event for December 5 for those of you in Dallas. More details to follow!

40. Design and manufacture my own product. You see those here, here, and here. Hopefully more to come! 🙂

46. Make five recipes from my grandfather’s cookbook (2/5). I typed up my grandfather’s recipes and had them bound into a book to gift to family members as part of my first 101 in 1001 list and it’s pretty cool to see a hard copy in our new kitchen! So far we’ve made shrimp scampi and asparagus Hollandaise (my favorite) so we need to get back on the cooking train once I survive the holiday season!

personalized gingham notepad

*gingham notepad available here

Upcoming goals:

44. Mail care packages to each of my siblings (1/3). My youngest brother Camden is a freshman at Miami of Ohio and will be receiving a Chipotle gift card, lots of candy, and this very overdue birthday present in the next couple days. Now what to send my brother Grayson and sister Reilly…?

66. Have a real Christmas tree in our house. We’re headed to Maine for Christmas but there’s no reason not to feel festive in the weeks leading up to the main event!

68. Have a room in our house professionally photographed. Hello, what better excuse than the One Room Challenge?! Check back in on Wednesday!

94. Have a housewarming party in our new house. Because we’ve only been here six months… 😉

How are you progressing on your 101 in 1001 list? (And if you don’t have one yet, what are you waiting for? Email me or tweet me your list and I’ll add you to the 150+ people at the bottom of my list who have been inspired to write their own. And if the idea of coming up with 101 goals is a little daunting, you can refer to all their lists for inspiration — seriously, I do it all the time!) Reading your lists and seeing what you’re up to is one of the highlights of blogging for me so pretty please keep them coming! xoxo