Update on my 101 things...

Almost 4 months have passed since I made my "101 Things in 1001 Days" list, so it's time for an update:
1. Read the Bible or have a private devotion at least 4 days a week.
Yup! I manage to read the Bible almost every morning.
4. Read the Bible cover to cover.
If I remember correctly, by finishing Jeremiah earlier this year, I managed that. And if not, then I definitely will have by the time this year is up, as I'm currently working my way through the OT and I KNOW I've read all of the NT before.
6. Establish my evening routine.
More or less... I have a pretty decent routine, and manage to go through it most days, which means that the dishes are almost always done! :-)
7. Establish my morning routine.
Am getting there...
15. Get on the waiting list for a storage room.
Done - we have it now :)
17. Paint the bedroom.
Done
19. Use 30-60 minutes in the zone each week.
I manage this about once a month
21. Plan menus
Ditto
32. Find a working solution/compromise regarding a problem my DH and I have.
Done, done and DONE! :-D
34. Go on proper dates with my DH at least 4 times a year.
35. Have regular date-nights at home.
36. [Private Entry].
We're working on all three things
45. Spend at least 15 minutes a day exercising .
I have a 20 mins bikeride to work, so done ;)
63. Keep in regular touch with Tine
We hang out on a regular basis :)
66. Get a job.
Done
69. Finish "Antique Bears"
DONE!
77. Read 70 books I've never read before (20 of these must be non-fiction).
Am working on it... so far I've read 20 books I've never read before, but I only think 1 was non-fiction.
80. Finish my book-database.
I'm not sure what I want to do with this... I've entered all my books in an online database on www.bibliophil.org
81. Get juggling balls back from Mads.
Done
89. Give blood.
I do this every 3 months or so.
90. Sign up as a bone-marrow donor.
Done

Feb 1st, 2006

Last night I spent 30 minutes decluttering the living room. I only did the top of our low bookshelves and the window sill, but it looks so good now. I've found my shining sink of the living room :-) It happened by osmosis... I cleared out two shelves for Lars to use for his stuff, and then wanted to wipe them down. While I stood with the cloth in hand, I thought I might as well do the top of the book shelves as well... only I couldn't, because there was too much clutter on them, so I started removing the things that didn't make me smile... one of those things was a candle still wrapped. I thought that would look good on the window sill, and it did, but it showed too clearly all the clutter around it, so I removed that as well, and voila! Two new clutter-free areas in my living room :-) It felt SO good going to bed, knowing I'd wake up to that in the morning. The top of the high book shelves is up next :-)

Evening:

• Cook dinner
• Do dishes
• Tidy up after dinner
• Wipe down
• 5 minute hot spot prevention
• Shine sink
• Floss
• Put out clothes for tomorrow

Morning:

• Make my side of the bed.
• Hair, face, jewellery?
• Swish toilet
• Read Bible.
• 2 minute fire drill.

101 Things in 1001 Days

Awhile back the "101 Things in 1001 Days" 'idea' popped up. I'm not all that sure it's a good idea for me to try to follow through with it - it seems so overwhelming. First of all I have NO clue what my life will look like in almost 3 years' time (which is when the 1001 days are up), secondly, won't it just be another thing I can't do and disappoint myself over?

Still, I thought it would be interesting to see which things would make the list, so I'm trying to make the list without having the least bit expectation that it'll have any influence on my every-day life ... unless of course the simple act of striking things out is enough motivation for me ;)

Most of these are routines I want to establish rather than one-time goals.

Starting Friday, January 27th, 2006 - Ending Friday, October 24th, 2008
I will be 29 year old.

Strike through means completed
Bold means in progress
Italic means habit forming

For my spirit:
1. Read the Bible or have a private devotion at least 4 days a week.
2. Write 33 entries in 'my life story' (that's only one a month! I should be able to get that done!)
3. Visit churches of other denominations.
4. Read the Bible cover to cover.
5. Fast for 24 hours

For my house:
6. Establish my evening routine.
7. Establish my morning routine.
8. Get extra shelves put up in living room.
9. Redo bathroom.
10. Finish decluttering the 'library'.
11. Finish decluttering the bedroom.
12. Finish decluttering the living room.
13. Finish decluttering the kitchen.
14. Limit my clothes so they actually fit on the shelves.
15. Get on the waiting list for a storage room.
16. Actually USE the storage room.
17. Paint the bedroom.
18. Paint the bathroom.
19. Use 30-60 minutes in the zone each week. (I accidentally wrote year first - now THAT would be easy!)
20. Get my DH to finish sorting through his old video tapes (we don't know what's on half of them).
21. Plan menus and shop from those rather than have to go shopping every day, figuring out what's for dinner 1 hour before I make it.
22. Draw up a budget and stick to it.
23. Get a Christmas tree.
24. Bless others with the books I know I'll never reread.
25. Try two new recipes a month.26. Organize and bind all my loose leaf recipes.
27. Go through recipe books and see if there are any I can fling.
28. Use my gift certificate from Magasin before it expires (2008)
29. Buy a bathmat for the bathroom.
30. Bake a loaf of bread.
31. Plan and cook a gourmet dinner

For my family:
32. Find a working solution/compromise regarding a problem my DH and I have.
33. Call Nina at least once a month.
34. Go on proper dates with my DH at least 4 times a year.
35. Have regular date-nights at home.
36. [Private Entry].
37. Visit Farmor regularly.
38. Visit Nina and Christian regularly.
39. Lay off the pill.
40. Get pregnant.
41. Send at least an e-card, preferably a paper card, to the people whose birthdays are in our family calendar.

For myself:
42. File all old bank papers.
43. File all new bank papers as they come in.
44. Maintain a weight between 55-65kg (the upper limit will be easy to keep, but I tend to loose weight when I'm stressed).
45. Spend at least 15 minutes a day exercising (biking counts).
46. Drink 1 liter of water a day.
47. Make junk food an occasinal treat rather than a part of my regular diet.
48. Find a hairstyle I like.
49. Eat enough fiber.
50. Eat enough fresh vegetables.
51. Finish "Harry Potter und der Stein der Weises".
52. Continue to work on my German.
53. Give myself a makeover day.
54. Watch a movie in the theater by myself.
55. Watch a play at a theater that I really want to see.
56. Go to a stand-up show.
57. Memorize the books of the Bible in order (the names, not the entire books ;) )
58. Iceskate outside (I did this all the time as a child. SO MUCH FUN!)
59. Go tomboggoning.
60. Keep in regular touch with Liz
61. Keep in regular touch with Lauren
62. Keep in regular touch with Marie
63. Keep in regular touch with Tine
64. Find the missing chapter of my NaNoWriMo2004 novel (SO annoyed it's gone missing!)
65. Finish my NaNoWriMo2004 novel (don't hold your breath... it'd be fun though.)

For work:
66. Get a job.
67. Get a promotion. (or rather, deserve a promotion, as the actual 'getting' isn't up to me)
For fun:
68. Learn at least one new piece for the piano.
69. Finish "Antique Bears" (the embroidery I'm currently working on)
70. Finish "Frederick the Literate" (an embroidery I received for Christmas and am dying to start)
71. Finish "Cats on Skates" (an embroidery I've been working on for 4 years or so - it's not that big, I just found other projects I'd rather do.)
72. Finish the sweater I'm knitting (was originally a Christmas pressie for Isabella - now I just want to finish it.)
73. Empty my 'never-read' shelf (I own FAR too many books I've never read. I should either read them or fling them)
74. Frame my finished embroideries.
75. Practice the piano at least once a week.
76. Practice the flute at least once a week.
77. Read 70 books I've never read before (20 of these must be non-fiction).
78. Get a tattoo. (yeah right! ;-) )
79. Finish my movie-database.
80. Finish my book-database.
81. Get juggling balls back from Mads.
82. Learn to juggle with 4+ balls.
83. Build a snowman.
84. Reread LotR and/or GWTW to see if my opinions of them have changed.
85. Beat DH at Trivial Persuit.
86. Throw a party.
87. Hold a slumber-party
88. Sing Karaoke in public

For others:
89. Give blood.
90. Sign up as a bone-marrow donor.
91. Just once, collect money for a worthy cause.
92. Find a (different) worthy cause to donate money to on a regular basis (set amount a month)

Travel:
93. Go on a religious retreat.
94. Go to London with DH.
95. Go on a romantic vacation with DH.
96. Take a trip where at least half the time I am looking at scenery I have never seen before.
97. Travel to a country I've never been to before.
98. Go back to New Zealand.
99. Visit my hostfamily (in Australia).
100. Visit Anne (ditto)
101. Go skiing with DH, Henni and Dennis at least once more

Carefully Flying...

When talking to Anne earlier today, she told me that one of the things that had REALLY helped her get back on the Flywagon, was posting in her blog a list of her daily chores. Not just listing it once, and then having it over with, but listing it every day, and then crossing off the items as she got them done. This way, she was kept accountable.

I asked her, if this worked, and she replied YES! sooo... I thought I'd give it a go. And since I've yet to find anything to use this journal for, it may as well turn into an 'improvement journal'. I don't know if it'll work, seeing as I'm pretty much counting on no readers, and therefore nobody to have to explain to why I'm not crossing off the items. On the other hand, I can't imagine this being of any interest to anybody else - after all, I usually just skim Anne's entries - so why bore other people with them. Besides, even my boss has noticed I like crossing items off a list, so you never know ;-)

And after that insanely long and rather pointless explanation, here's my ToDo-list for tomorrow morning:

• Make my side of the bed.
• Hair, face, jewellery?
• Swish and swipe (I need a convienient place to keep the cloth)
• Read Bible (I'm getting pretty good at remembering this)
• 2 minute fire drill

It's on purpose that it's short - I'd rather feel proud of myself that I managed to complete the entire list, than crash and burn too quickly.

If - for some really strange reason - you happen to be reading this, would you please leave a comment. I'd love to know that there's somebody out there.