The Mission

Hello world!

Welcome to my new blog. I must admit, I have long been a member of the anti-blog community, and see most blogs as a self-indulgent and self-impressed outlet for self-indulgent and self-impressed people. But internet, let me please offer this one small explanation: my intention for this blog is to document a very specific mission that I am about to undertake, and my hope is that by documenting my efforts towards reaching my goal that I may perhaps hold myself accountable and improve my chances of success.

I stumbled across this idea a few weeks ago, and its various details and associated opportunities have been rambling around in my mind ever since. I have always been excited by the idea of resolutions, and the ability to make significant changes to our lives by sheer will power and determination. I have found great amounts of fulfillment in making small steps towards a more purposeful life; purposeful in the sense of choosing to follow through on any number of small commitments to yourself. Choosing to go to the gym more often, choosing to change the cat's litter box more often, choosing to actually floss as often as you tell the dentist you do. In the past, I have spent more time thinking about how much I would like to accomplish these goals than the amount of time it would actually take to complete them.

Recognizing this about myself has made me more determined to spend less time daydreaming about how nice my life would be if I actually did these things, and more time actually doing them. That's why this particular idea appealed to me: a framework and established system for achieving the goals I have for myself over the longterm. Achieving this list of 'to-dos' over the next 1001 days will not make my life perfect; but seeing them into completion will bring me closer towards being the kind of person I want to be with the kind of life experiences I want to have.

Internet, I introduce you to the '101 things in a 1001 days' project:

The Mission:
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 my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. 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 or outdoor activities.


My project will begin on January 1st, meaning my 1001 days will be completed on September 28th, 2011. My intention is to photograph as many of my completed tasks as possible, and post them here for anyone who's interested to see.

Wish me luck!