Day Zero 101 Second Try

You might want to split this up into multiple readings for yourself. Seriously - it's that long.

I started out with a lofty goal of completing 101 goals in 1001 days. Well, I didn’t quite do it. But I didn’t do too bad. I think the point of this exercise was to get me thinking about setting and truly achieving those goals. To be honest, I don’t know how many people really read this in the first place, but just the fact that it was out there helped motivate me.

I completed 52 out of my original 101 goals (more than half!), and partially completed two. Although to be honest, I fudged a little on the definitions of the goals for a couple. :) As goal 101 states, I adjusted some of the goals as needed. I ended up adjusting eight of them, completing two of those eight, and partially completing three of the revised goals. For those who care to know, here is a list of my successes (and failures), and a few comments from yours truly (in italics/bold):

Successes
4. Decorate my apartment.
6. Eat lobster.
7. Kiss outside in a downpour.
10. Visit a state I've never been to before.
13. Get medical / dental insurance.
14. Write a short story.
18. Read one book a month. [32/32] I did so good! I read a TON of books, It was awesome.
19. Get a new driver's license (do I have to get it in Utah?).
20. Give blood every two months (I have O negative and CMV negative blood, which means I'm the universal donor, and that they can give my blood to babies). [11/16]
23. Write a will.
24. Buy a piano. This was my first big purchase with my real job. I love having a piano in my home.
25. Be at home for my littlest brother's / dad's birthdays for the first time since the year 2000.
30. Go to the beach (I miss it so much!).
32.OLD: Play 18 holes of golf (at least so I can say I did it). NEW: Play 9 holes of golf (at least so I can say I did it).*
35. Go skinnydipping. :)
36. Eat fondue, either at a restaurant, or (more ambitiously) learn how to do it myself at home.
37. Act in a play at the Hale and one at the Scera. [2/2] I performed in Singin’ in the Rain at the Scera, and in “A Christmas Carol” at the Hale (2010 and 2011). Yay!
38. OLD: Shave my head (not shiny, though). NEW: Visit my sister and brother-in-law in Rexburg once or twice a year.
39. Get over her. This was a big achievement. That girl had quite a hold on me. But I’m very happy to say I’ve been happily married for almost three years, and we had a baby girl in September (our first).
40. Give a ridiculously HUGE tip for good service at a restaurant.
43. Go camping in Moab.
44. Learn how to change my own oil.
46. Play baseball / softball on a team.
47. Fall in love again.
48. Get married. The best thing I’ve ever done to this point in my life.
49. Surprise my family with a random trip to see them.
50. Create a wikipedia article.
52. Buy furniture for my new apartment.
54. Get a local library card.
57. Make scones from scratch.
58. Buy at least two power tools.
61. Play roller hockey.
62. Go to a concert.
63. Go to a drive-in theater.
64. Figure out how to get rid of arm bumpies...then get rid of them.
66. Bake a cheesecake.
68. Go for two weeks without any type of food made with refined sugar. When I did the Atkins Diet, I went without any sugar for two weeks. I’m going to go back on it at some point, as I lost almost 10 pounds in that time.
71. Finish re-reading the Narnia series.
73. Register to vote and then vote in the November election.
74. Buy a BBQ and use it for a small party.
75. Stay at a bed and breakfast on the Oregon coast. This was a great trip. The end.
76. Dress up really cool for Halloween one year instead of blowing it off like usual.
77. Go to a tanning salon.
78. Get a massage (hey - it's not just for girls).
80. Be at work early every day for a week.
82. Be the lead in a play again.
84. Go to Disneyland.
87. Kiss under the mistletoe, and at midnight on New Year's.
88. Replace my old wallet (even though I don't want to - I've had it for 8 years). :(
90. Go to a water park.
94. Take another tap dance class / get back into tap. Although I didn’t take a class, I did get back into tap with the play “Singin’ in the Rain.” Awesome.
97. Make a brand new meal once a month. [32/32] We love making new meals. Check out www.melskitchencafe.com. We love just about everything we’ve made from there (which is a lot).
100. Go watch a professional theater production.
101. Adjust any of these goals if they are no longer applicable, and reward myself with a treat for every one accomplished.

Partial Success (also carrying over to the next wave) – What happened?
16. Take the GMAT / apply for business school. I finally took the GMAT in March (I got a VERY good score), and I’m very excited to hopefully get into a business school to start this fall!
22. Audition for and act in a film. I auditioned for a small, independent film last year – I didn’t get it. I don’t know if this is going to happen, as it’s a lot of time to take off to do a film, but here’s hoping!
67. OLD: Read at least five minutes from the scriptures every day. [0/1001] NEW: Attend a session at every Utah temple [6/13]* We’ve attended sessions and/or done sealings at the following Utah temples: Salt Lake, Draper, Jordan River, Mt. Timpanogos, Provo, and Manti. Before we leave Utah, we need to hit Logan, Ogden, Bountiful, Oquirrh Mountain, Vernal, Monticello, and St. George. Payson, Brigham City, and the second Provo temple aren’t open yet.
86. OLD: Don't refuse an invitation to do something just because I don't want to go / be social. Only refuse if I have a genuine conflict. NEW: Go on a couples date once a month. [12/22]* We’ve been pretty good about hanging out with other couples. It’s good to get more socialization. I think this is even more important now that we have a baby.
83. OLD: Write one missionary a month. [0/32] NEW: Write my little brother (on a mission) as often as possible.* I've been a bad pen pal so far with Jacob, who is in Brazil, but I resolve to do better!

Goals to Carry Over to the Next Wave - Where I Am Currently
1. Go to the Grand Canyon and watch the sunrise.
2. Finish writing my book, and get it published. I’ve finished writing it – I’m still in the editing phase.
3. Lose about 4 inches from my waist, and add 1 inch to my arms.
5. Learn how to ride a motorcycle.
8. Whiten my teeth.
9. Go horseback riding on a date.
11. Sell something on eBay. I’ve got a whole slew of old electronics just right for eBay-ing!
12. Organize and print off all my journals.
17. Plant a small "garden" (at least with potted plants).
21. Pay off all debt...early.
26. Highlight or dye my hair (for the first time) just for the heck of it.
27. Go one month without eating out (fast food or otherwise).
28. Visit Washington, D.C.
29. Hike Mt. Timpanogos at night and watch the sunrise from the top. Hopefully I can do this before I start school.
31. Pay for a stranger's meal at a restaurant.
33. Travel to at least one LDS church history site.
34. Babysit a new baby.
42. Be in a dinner group (start one if there are none to join).
45. OLD: Get a physical. NEW: Lower my cholesterol to safe levels.* I got a physical recently and they told me I need to lower my cholesterol levels.
51. OLD: Go on a 45-minute (at least) bike ride once a week. [0/143] NEW: Get bike fixed, and go on a bike ride.* I will make it happen this summer.
55. Have a week-long (or even month-long) Facebook fast.
56. Play outside in a thunderstorm, including - but not limited to - jumping in puddles.
59. Save 35% of my take-home pay (put it in savings and don't touch it).
60. Make a shelf or display cabinet of some sort for my shot glass collection.
65. OLD: Pick up on a girl I don't know and get her phone number. NEW: Surprise my wife with a random gift. This is good to always keep on there – keeps me in good graces.
69. Buy a homeless person a meal (and eat with them).
70. Record songs in a real recording studio.
71. Learn to snowboard.
79. OLD: Get the trackpad on my computer fixed...finally. NEW: Buy a new computer.* I will need one for school.
81. Buy a kite. Fly it.
85. Write in my journal at least once a week for a year [0/52]
91. Get at least one custom-made, French-cuff shirt.
96. Learn all the articles of and amendments to the Constitution (don't have to memorize word for word).
98. Read Les Miserables.
99. Visit my little brother's grave.

Goals I’m Dropping – Why?
15. Write a short play. At one point, I really wanted to do this, but if I’m honest, I don’t really care to write a play anymore – I’m happy just performing in them/directing them.
41. Be able to immediately snap in and out of character when acting. Although I’m not sure I can necessarily do this yet, I feel I’m fairly good at it. Also, I feel it’s too difficult to measure, and goals should be measurable.
53. Stop getting road rage. I don’t drive as much as I used to, so I’m already a happier driver. I also feel that as I strive to be a better person, this will take care of itself.
72. Get a fish as a pet. I have a wife and a kid– pets aren’t really up there on my list anymore.
89. Write a freelance article and get it published somewhere. I’m content with publishing on my blog.
92. Re-memorize some of the poems I learned in 5th grade (Casey at the Bat, Sick, The Little Blue Engine, The Gettysburg Address, first page of Paul Revere's Ride). These are fun, but I’d rather memorize other things / spend my time doing other things.
93. Write a song (this is getting pretty ambitious). I’m okay with just singing other people’s songs.
95. Read books to kids at the library. I’m happy to just read to my nieces, and very excited to read to my own baby.

61 New Goals!
1. Graduate from business school.
2. Get a good internship.
3. Get a good job post graduate school.
4. Make a pie from scratch (that doesn’t end up with the pie plate shattered all over the kitchen).
5. Dress up with my wife and little girl for Halloween again.
6. Act in a play after grad school is over.
7. Create and use a budget.
8. Get down to 150 lbs. and maintain it (lose the belly fat!).
9. Hang out with my little brother once a week.
10. Continue giving blood every 8 weeks.
11. Visit another country.
12. Buy a house.
13. Have another baby.
14. Read a book a month. [0/32]
15. Go to Alaska.
16. Blog once a week for 3 months straight.
17. Get my bottom teeth fixed.
18. Set up a savings account for my daughter.
19. Do family history and submit a name / do the temple work.
20. Buy IPO stock (preferably Facebook when/if it does its initial offering).
21. Start my own business (this may roll over into the next 101).
22. Get our Halloween pumpkins from a pumpkin patch.
23. Cut down our own Christmas tree.
24. Get my UK driver’s license renewed (somehow) – expires May 16, 2012.
25. Get my passport renewed.
26. See Wicked.
27. Get up early and watch the sunrise.
28. Make homemade ice cream.
29. Learn how to use my smoker (and charcoal) well, and make delicious ribs.
30. Only use my phone for making phone calls/work emails for a week (no internet/games).
31. Go a month with no soda.
32. Do my home teaching every month [0/32]
33. Eat at the dining room table 3 times a week for a month.
34. Have a Passover dinner.
35. Have a movie series marathon (i.e. X-Men, LoTR, Star Wars, Harry Potter).
36. Go berry picking.
37. Make butter from cream.
38. Read the Ensign cover-to-cover every month. [0/32]
39. Learn how to program Excel macros.
40. Go to a professional sports game.
41. Buy a crossover/second vehicle.
42. Solve a Rubik’s cube.
43. Go paintballing.
44. Learn how to strum on my guitar well.
45. See Garth Brooks in concert.
46. Buy a kayak (or two).
47. Create a picture frame using a router for detail work.
48. Go to the zoo.
49. Go camping.
50. Visit Yellowstone.
51. Do my best to never pass a street beggar without offering them something.
52. Go to a city council meeting.
53. Read the Old Testament from beginning to end (including the Psalms and Proverbs).
54. Take Kristen back to my mission.
55. Vote in all national, state, and local elections.
56. Visit three new states.
57. Visit the spiral jetty.
58. Visit the Hollywood sign in California.
59. Go water skiing.
60. Go on a cruise.
61. See a film at Sundance.

There - told you it was long. If you stuck with it, you're a rockstar. I will try and update at least monthly on where I am. In fact, that's a good idea - I'll post on the last day of each month where I stand with my goals. Peace!