Welcome, one and all, to the home of my 101 in 1001 blog... where you can follow my adventures as I try to complete the 101 in 1001 project.
For those of you that have followed my previous blogs, you'll know that this is my third attempt at the project. For those who are new to my blogs, read on to find out more...
If you want to check out my first two attempts, the blogs are here: Attempt 1 and Attempt 2. Now you may be sat in front of your computer, tutting out loud and saying to yourself something like:
"This ridiculously handsome man has failed twice before... why should we possibly believe he'll succeed on the third attempt?"
Well to you, I say this... 'shut it'. We've all heard the phrase '3rd time lucky'. Well that's been scientifically proven, y'know. Probably.
Anyways, onto the project. For those unfamiliar with the concept of 101 in 1001, it's fantastically simple. Here's a description I've copied from one of my previous blogs:
"Come up with 101 ideas, goals, ambitions and dreams... and then complete them in 1001 days, which is roughly 2.75 years. The items on the list can be anything you want, from crazy life-changing experiences (go into Space, travel the World) to things you've needed to do for ages but just haven't had the motivation or time to do (write a Will, declutter my stuff)."
And it really is that simple. I'm starting today, Saturday 2nd July 2011. I've chosen this start date for 2 reasons. First up, it's Pride London today, so I get to celebrate the start of my project with a MAHOOSIVE party in London with lots of gay and gay-friendly peeps (I like both those types of people!). Secondly, starting today gives me a finish date of Friday 28th March 2014. That in itself isn't a particularly interesting date, but the plan is to take Saturday and Sunday off, and start a whole new 1001 days on Monday 31st March 2014... which would then lead to a finish date of Christmas Day 2016! So this project is potentially going to last the next 5.5 years, just a few weeks short of my 35th birthday!!!
My list is up to 74 items so far and I intend to add more, taking it up to the high 90s, in the next couple of weeks. So without further ado, here is the first 74 of my 101...
1. Get a job as a pilot
2. Save a deposit for a house
3. Achieve and maintain a healthy BMI
4. Take self-defence classes
5. Declutter my possessions properly
6. Get my paragliding licence
7. Learn sign language to at least a basic level
8. Read through all my ATPL books again
9. Send 101 postcards via Postcrossing
10. Go on holiday with a group of mates: 'Epic Holiday' or 'Epic Residential'!
11. Write a letter to myself on Day 1 to be opened on Day 1001
12. Learn to play some chillout tunes on my guitar
13. Visit a butterfly house
14. Watch 101 movies that I want to see
15. Edit and upload my flight training video blogs (inc. any future ones!)
16. Say 'Yes' to every opportunity for 1 day, then 3 days then a week!
17. Try 20 new youth hostels
18. Perfect the Moonwalk!
19. Mend a broken friendship
20. Throw a dart into a map and go there – local
21. Throw a dart into a map and go there – national
22. Throw a dart into a map and go there – global, eek!
23. Be a film extra
24. Learn to bake 3 different cakes/puddings really well
25. Complete the 'Couch to 5k' program and run a 5k
26. Get horrendously drunk with my best mate
27. Fly lots of different types of aircraft (need to be more specific)
28. Cycle from Crawley to Brighton
29. Cycle from London to Paris
30. Cycle from Lands End to John O'Groats (possibly for charity)
31. Complete a course in a subject that interests me, but that is not work-related (perhaps film-making, CGI, special effects, etc)
32. Finish sorting through my photos and videos, burning my saved ones to disc
33. Send all my funny clips to You've Been Framed
34. Go on a gameshow
35. Camp in the Cairngorms again (or somewhere similar)
36. Create an amazing website (think 'The Oatmeal'!)
37. Put together a photography portfolio of some of my best pics
38. Copy all important VHS videos to DVD/digital format
39. See Eddie Izzard live
40. Make at least 5 items of clothing using EL-wire, LED's or funky lighting!
41. Volunteer with an LGBT charity
42. Continue to fundraise for London's Air Ambulance up to £10,000
43. Take part in an “It's a Knockout” competition
44. Visit Canada
45. Learn how to fly aerobatics
46. Visit an active volcano
47. Improve my rollerskating skills
48. Run a 10k
49. Help Mum to trace the family history
50. Try out canoeing again
51. Build a target board for my slingshot
52. Build my '1000 Things' up to over 500
53. Learn how to draw cartoons
54. Become a crack shot with a rifle (if easy to arrange)
55. Get some of my favourite arty photos printed onto canvas
56. Write and publish an e-book
57. Create something amazing with materials from somewhere like Hobbycraft... think Wallace and Gromit (maybe a money box)
58. Visit London as a tourist
59. Learn basic massage
60. Create a YouTube video that gets over a million hits
61. Skydive again
62. Turn £10 into £1000 by buying from charity shops and selling on eBay
63. Take Dad flying
64. Climb a mountain
65. Change something in the World by using an online petition
66. Study for and pass a GCSE (Spanish, perhaps?)
67. Set up a cool lighting system in my room
68. Live/work in another country (the USA!?) for a couple of months!!!!!
69. Throw an amazing 30th birthday party
70. Take Mum for a supercar day
71. Visit Santorini
72. (personal)
73. Take a face photo once a month and create a collage over the course of the project
74. Get a funky haircut
So there we have it.... 27 more to come up with, but plenty to keep me busy in the meantime.
There are a few that I could get started on later today at Pride. No.11 - 'Write a letter to myself on Day 1 to be opened on Day 1001' is obviously something I need to look at during some point today. It may end up being done on Day 2 if I go out clubbing after Pride. I could also start chatting to various organisations about 41 - 'Volunteer with an LGBT charity'. All very exciting.
Well, it's almost 2am, and the parade is at 1pm, so I suppose I should get to bed.
I'll add some more in my next posts about me and why I'm doing the project. Thanks for reading and (hopefully) subscribing, and here's to the next 1001 days!
Phill
