Five of Fifty + A Year of Challenge.

I love – absolutely LOVE – crossing things off of lists, which is probably why I have always been so down with the idea of 101 in 1001. But guess what! 2013 will be my last full year to finish my 101, so I have got to get busy on it. Marcie is constantly updating her blog with the things she’s checking off her 101 list, and I realized that if I just sit around and hope that I stumble into crossing off the remaining 90 or so things, I’ll fail. I need a plan.

I just spent a few hours going through my 101 list and making a plan for the year. A plan that will get 49 tasks on my list crossed off. That’s huge! In the past year, I’ve only managed to cross off 15 things. There was no plan, I just occasionally remembered the list and tried to find the most convenient thing to cross off.

I’ll spare you the 4 pages of notes in my notebook, but the main thing is that every month, I’m going to take on a different challenge. You are more than welcome to join me; either pick the same challenge I’m doing, or come up with your own thing. Or hey – you should start your own 101 in 1001 list. I’ll help you cross a few things off!

Here’s a list of what my monthly challenges are for the first half of the year. I’m scheduling blogs to post on the first day of each month with a specific list of what my goals are for that month, and I’m not letting any of them be vague!

January: A different outfit every day for a month {#13}
February: Wear pink every day for a month {Happy Valentine’s Day!} {#78}
March: Write 1,000 words every day for a month {#8}
April: Pray for someone I don’t like every day for a month {#86}
May: Take a picture of 101 things that make me happy {#65}
June: Leave 101 encouraging post-its {#24}

What do you think?

{16-20/50 questions that will free your mind}

16. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?
Well first, what makes me happy? Baby elephants, the color pink, glitter, when people say or write my name, colors in the sky, going on walks, driving for a long time in the car. Some of them are just my personality. I’m easily pleased at the hands of other people. It doesn’t take much. The other things, like colors in the sky, walks and driving long periods in the car are more about my desire to soak up every detail that I come across in life. I want to live slowly, fully and completely aware of the beauty of everything around me.

17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back?
Start my people project, a chance to share other people’s stories. I want everyone to know and connect with everybody I know. The thing that holds me back is being insecure and uncertain. It is hard for me to start something until I am positive I’ve carefully planned it out, and this is something I need to jump into and figure out as I go, not worrying about making mistakes or finding better ways to do it after it’s started.

18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?
Yes; aren’t we all? For me, I’m holding onto the fear that I’m not good enough or important enough. It’s like that friendship bread stuff, where once you get it you’re supposed to give some of it away, but it keeps growing and you’re stuck with it forever unless you give it all away. I let go my insecurities, but keep just enough to let it grow. Every time I feel let down, overlooked or unimportant, it helps my fear grow until it’s a giant monster I have to deal with again.

19. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?
The obvious and easy answer is Portland, Oregon.. but since it’s a mere 5 minutes away, I’ll go farther than that. I’d probably move to Pasadena, CA. It is one of my favorite cities in the whole world, close to a bunch of people I love. I lived close enough to it, but I’d make sure my address had Pasadena on it. Sometimes I wish I was trying to find a seat at Starbucks in Old Town, going for walks with the Carroll babes, or eating hard boiled eggs with the Gray family. Obviously that’s the past and the present there would be different, but still.

20. Do you push the elevator button more than once? Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?
Haha… yes, I do.. but it’s less about thinking it speeds up the elevator and more for reassurance that I actually pressed it. I don’t press it multiple times at once, but if it’s taking awhile I’ll press it again just so I can be sure that I pressed the right button.