My 101 Thing in 1001 Days

Hi internet friends!

 

It has been a while since I last posted and a lot has changed. With a new month here I wanted to kick off with a little something different.  I recently stumbled upon the Day Zero Project  and with many things changing in my personal life I wanted to make my own 101 list to complete in 1001 days (roughly 2.75 yrs).  I will keep this post updated as challenges are in progress and completed, as well as post pictures about some of the challenges.  If you feel inspired to start your own Day Zero Project good luck and keep me posted on your progress :)

Start Date: September 3, 2013

End Date: May 31, 2016

Personal Development

1.     Clean basement/bedroom at parents place and donate items no longer need

2.     Encourage someone to create their own 101 in 1001

3.     Reorganize 101 List to Complete in 1001 Days

4.     Complete “Maximize Brand You” course at work (start date: Sept 19, 2013)

5.     Read unread books on bookshelf

6.     Complete 7 goals in a week (0/7)

7.     Grow something from a seed

8.     Perform 5 random acts of kindness (0/5)

9.     Take an archery class

10.   Start writing for blog again

11.   Have a penguin encounter

Healthy Living

12.   Stop biting my fingernails

13.   Go for a bike ride at least once a month

14.   Go to dermatologist

15.   Find out blood type

16. Complete C25K
17. Complete a 'Walk To Mordor' challenge
18. Complete a 200 Sit-ups Challenge
19. lose weight – personal goal 15-20 lbs
20. Complete a 100 Pushups Challenge
21.  Eat three (3) things I’ve never tried before (0/3)
22. Get a pedicure 
23. Get a massage 
24. Cook at home every night for one month (0/31)
25. Don't eat fast food for a month (including Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts) (0/31)

26. Don't eat out for a month (0/31)
27. Don't eat sweets for a month (0/31)

Family, Friends and Love

28. Adopt a rescue pet
29. Volunteer at an animal shelter &/or zoo
30. Research my family tree
31. Help a friend move 
32. Have a romantic weekend away 
33. Take a romantic walk on the beach

34. Enjoy a romantic dinner
35. Call (5) friends I haven’t talked to in a while (0/5)

Being Creative

36.   When possible, blog & photograph the tasks I complete  (started Sept 3, 2013)

37.   Blog daily for 30 consecutive days (0/30)

38.   Leave an inspirational note inside a book for someone to find

39.   Perform a Chinese fire drill

40.   Participate in BookCrossing

41.   Make a list of the 100 best experiences of my life

42.   Write a 101 list of things I have already completed

43. Make a list of the books I have read (start date Sept 10, 2013)
44. Make a list of 50 places I would like to visit in my lifetime (start date Sept 10, 2013)
45. Make a list of my 50 favorite movies  (start date Sept 10, 2013)
46. Make a list of 100 songs that I love
47. Finish novel and submit it for publication
48. Take a photo a day for one year (0/365)
49. Take a photo of the same place very month for one year, then turn it into a calendar for the next year (1/12: start date Sept 1, 2013)
50. Create a photo album from Cross Country Road Trip
51. Create a family photo album 
52. Organize photo collection

53. Create/Organize cookbook of family recipies

Experiences and Travel

54. Visit a Disney theme park during a holiday season
55. Ride in a horse drawn carriage
56. Visit Museum of Moving Pictures
57. Visit Titanic Museum
58. Travel across the Brooklyn Bridge
59. Visit Atlantic City Boardwalk
60. Go pumpkin and apple picking in the fall
61. Go on vacation with a group of friends
62. Take a vacation to a tropical destination
63. Make (realistic) plan for trip to a foreign country
64. Go backpacking
65. Practice derby w/ (5) teams from different states (0/5)
66. Go to a music festival
67. Go kayaking or white water rafting 
68. Watch the sunset on a beach 
69. Visit Gettysburg National Military Park 
70. Witness an electrical storm in tornado alley

71. Visit New Orleans
72. Visit Las Vegas
73. Attend 10 different ethnic festivals (0/10)
74. Attend The Big E
75. Attend King Richard's Faire

Home

76. Organize home office
77. Decorate home for each holiday

Financial

78. Save 1 months’ salary
79. Save 3 months’ salary (0/3)
80. Save 6 months’ salary (0/6)
81. Go 1 week without buying anything (0/7)
82. Go 1 month without buying coffee and instead put money into a trip fund when tempted to buy a cup. (0/31)
83. Create monthly budget 
84. Save $5 for every item completed to spend at the end of the 1001 days 
85. Save my change during the duration of this challenge and cash in my change jar to use for an overseas trip

86.  Get a new Mac
87. Start an emergency fund
88. Save $500 in an emergency fund

Food and Entertainment

89. Read comic collection
90. Complete 5 unfinished video games currently in my gaming library  (0/5) 

91. Take a formal cooking class
92. Cook an Indian meal from scratch
93. Learn to make Steak Diane without setting anything on fire
94. Go to the Ben & Jerry's factor
95. Drink only water for 1 week (0/7)
96. Watch all of IMDB'S Top 250 Movies (0/250)
97. Watch a movie at a drive-in
98. Go see a musical 
99. Go on a zipline
100.  Make bubble tea
101.  Go out to a fancy restaurant for dinner 

In Progress

Completed

Impossible Dreams

I have always been a bit of a big dreamer, setting goals for myself that I know would take a lot of hard work, time, and of course a bit of patience.

When I was younger those dreams were about professional dancing and figure skating. After years of pursuing dancing and figure skating, to the point where instructors were talking Olympics, I realized that they were trying to guide my dream and I stopped figure skating. I became involved in ice hockey, both playing and instructing, while still maintaining my interest and skills in dance. Today, I have not played any hockey for about 3 years, not from lack of wanting, but as a result of priorities when the amount of free time is limited. As for dancing, I am currently looking for a good dance school to maintain my skills and to follow my real dream. Now, I have my eyes set for the Hollywood Hills, be it the original Hollywood, or the new, up and coming Hollywood East. But for now my quest has brought me to the Big Apple to face my first few windmills, honing my craft.
“To dream the impossible dream,” that is our quest. We are all our own version of Don Quixote, the man of La Mancha, reaching for that unreachable star. But is it unreachable? If you believe in your dream and in yourself, and work hard, you can reach that star. Of course you will have to overcome your own various monsters and windmills, that may turn out to be dragons, but if you are willing to fight the fight and push yourself, you will succeed. But how do you start your journey? Where do you turn for that first step? This I cannot tell you for you must find your own way, but I can give you a few tips from my own personal experience to achieve my dream. However, you must keep in mind that I can only speak regarding motion picture/television production industry, but I believe the general rule will apply to any path you might decide to travel.
When I started out, I had absolutely no connections into the film world, and no friends who were interested or working towards joining this world. I felt lost until I came across a listing on Craig’s List for an internship with the Rhode Island International Film Festival. It was there that I met my first contact, Jess. Jess was the festival’s intern supervisor and she gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. Through her I was able to make connections with several filmmakers who introduced me to methods for locating work in the New England area. Of course most of these are through the internet and others through their contacts, but the ability to reach out and take advantage of these job opportunities would never have been a realistic path had it not been for the events Jess had given me to work.
Since then, I have continued to rely on the connections I made through the years working film festivals in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, as well as frequently researching online resources and entertainment newspapers. By now you know that the entertainment world is truly a place of who’s who and who you know. But once I found a path that enabled me to get my footing, I began to find ways to search opportunities of any type that would help lead me to my ultimate dream. At that time I knew my best hope would be to acquire as much hands on experience in as many different areas as possible, making myself as versatile as possible. I felt that my ability to provide a variety of skills, plus my passion and drive would be the things that would allow me to stand out in the crowd. For the next few years, I took advantage of every listing I could find, I did not allow rejection to discourage me, and I have faced each challenge head on. However, there is still one challenge that I am still trying to overcome or at the very least, accept as one that will always exist, and that challenge is to learn patience.
Even though I am currently holding a position, the idea of the unknown future taunts me. Like Heidi Klum says, “One minute your in, the next your out.” I don’t fear being out. It’s the waiting between jobs that makes me nervous. I know that there is always some position out there to find, but through the process of interviews and auditions I have come to realize that you could be interviewed on a Monday and not hear from anything for several months. Currently I am waiting. I recently went to a casting call in upstate New York, and I’m still waiting for a response. I know that since the shooting schedule for this project does not begin until mid-August, and that any scene or part I might be offered will not come for at least another month and perhaps I could be waiting until November, until such time as the part is filmed.
So if you have already begun your quest, or if you are just beginning, take these words of advice… Don’t be afraid to seek or obtain knowledge and experience in areas that you may not believe are relevant to achieving your dream. The more you know, the more you have to offer. If you have sample work, put it out there to be seen. You never know who could be looking. Never be afraid to try, for trying will help you find your likes and dislikes. Finally, always put your best foot forward and remember to be patient. There are only so many times someone can say “no” before you start getting call backs. So good luck to you and keep in mind that there are many paths and you may need to try them all before you find the right path for you. May your travels be safe on your quest towards your ultimate dream.