Mission 101 Attempt 3

Mission 101 attempt no. 3

by the disappearing blogger

Introduction

Every couple of years I attempt to start a new list. I've not yet been able to successfully complete one. Here's my latest attempt wtf. To help me with this list, I've been doing some research and what have I found? That I'm actually pretty blessed and privileged. For example, in the top 101 things list, things like going camping and sleep under the stars are some things on top. I live in a country where these activities are common and probably taken for granted. It's unusual to live here for so long and have not had the opportunity to do it even once. Of course, this just means that there are many opportunities that don't present itself so readily to me. This is me actively seeking those opportunities, I suppose.

The Mission:

Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:

Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?

Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Dates:

My start date is: Thursday, 1st of January, 2015

My end date is: Monday 28th of September, 2017

In progress

Completed

Stuff to do with work

1.     Start doing events/duty

2.     Finish Gold Duke of Edinburgh

3.     Become AYM

4.     Get two kids into Nationals

5.     Get a team to place in District Competitions

6.     Get a job

Education/Learning something new

7.       Go snowboarding and/or skiing

8.       NZ Sign Language

9.       Read 12 books

10.   Learn how to play chess

11.   Start my 2^nd degree

12.   Get 2 A's in class

13.   Drive Manual

14.   Attend a TED event

Travel

15.   Go whale watching

16.   Northland Twin Coast Discovery

17.   Tongariro

18.   Otago Rail Trails

19.   South Island Road Trip

20.   North Island Road Trip

21.   Get a New Zealand passport

22.   Visit Norway/Travel Scandinavia

23.   Visit one new country I've not been to

Something New – Food

24.   Hangi

25.   Kangaroo

26.   Be able to make 12 different things

27.   Open a cookbook to a random page and make whatever is on it

Health

28.   Symbio 14 day challenge

29.   Greenleaf Organics

30.   No fizzy drinks for one month

31.   No deep fried food for one month

32.   No fizzy drinks for one year

33.   Vegetarian for a month

34.   Keep a food-fit diary

35.   Gym twice a week for six months

36.   2.4 km in 12 minutes

37.   Drink at least 2L of water per day

38.   30 day AB Challenge

Something New – Experiences

39.   Watch 26 movies I've never seen starting with each letter of the alphabet

40.   Read a book before I see the movie

41.   Read an entire magazine

42.   Go to a concert

43.   Ask a stranger for a date

44.   Watch a sunrise

45.   Watch a sunset

46.   Gay bar

47.   Make out with a girl

48.   Write a letter to myself to open in 10 years

49.   Acting role

50.   Commercial role

51.   Send a secret to PostSecret

52.   Complete a 30 day photo challenge

53.   Complete a 365 day photo challenge

Greed

54.   Buy a MacBook

55.   Buy a complete anime or manga collection

56.   Buy entire set of Flashpoint

57.   Buy a Polaroid camera

58.   Buy a house

59.   Buy Little and Friday

60.   Buy a cook book

61.   Buy a piano

62.   Go one month without buying anything unnecessary

63.   Keep a track of spending for a year

64.   Buy a selfie camera

Fun with friends

65.   Go on a picnic

66.   Tree Adventures

67.   Spookers

68.   Bungee Jumping

69.   Take a train from Auckland to Wellington

70.   Thames trail

71.   Build a sandcastle

72.   Go Snorkeling

Creativity

73.   Build a (city?) model

74.   Complete the 1000 piece LOTR puzzle

75.   Find 12 DIY on Pinterest and try it

Numbers

76.   60

77.   55

78.   50

79.   200,000

80.   5,000

81.   10,000

82.   15,000

83.   20,000

Vanity

84.   10

85.   Stop biting my nails for fuck's sake

86.   Get my fortune told

87.   Try a hot stone massage

88.   Get a manicure

89.   Set up an emergency fund

90.   Buy a homeless person a meal and a drink

91.   Pay for a stranger when they are missing change

92.   Put change in someone's expired parking metre

Generosity

93.   Donate blood

94.   For everything I don't accomplish, donate $1 to a charity

Mission 101

95.   Mission 101 scrap/photobook

96.   Write a letter to myself to open when the 1001 days are over

97.   Start another list on the 1001^st day

98.   Save $5 for everything that I accomplish.

99.   Influence one person to start a Mission 101.

100.Make a list of 101 songs I could listen to forever

101.Identify 101 things that make me happy

Wish me luck? I'll need it since I've not yet been successful at all.

- essenity xx

My 2014 in review

2015 will be a new chapter in my life. For a long time I thought yes this is the start of my working career. Except I don't have a career. What job can I do with an arts and science degree? I don't even know. What I do know is that there's something I've ignored for a long time and I'm going to start working towards it. I may never get there but at least 20 years down the road I won't be sitting somewhere full of regrets of not even trying. 

But I've got to set things up so I can support myself. For this I feel I need to complete my health science degree - in either podiatry or physiotherapy. Pod is three years and physio is four. But I'll most likely be studying part time and working full time. This is assuming I even find a job.

Regardless, I will look back upon this 2014 and think about what significant events have happened to contribute to my development. 

January

The first most significant event was my week long escape to Taiwan. My childhood friend from Fiji visited Hong Kong with two of her friends. I was in Hong long at the time and we explored the city together. Their plan was to continue to Taiwan for a week as my friend's family lived in Taiwan. It was a fantastic trip. I met two new friends and I left feeling like I must return soon. We visited Taipei, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Donggang, and Taichung. My money-well-spent item of the month? I bought two suitcases from a train station. Sounds like excessive spending but if you know anything about luggage prices in New Zealand, then it's actually a deal for me. 

I loved Taiwan! It may have been due to the rushed nature of the trip, but everything I took in, I was falling in love fast. The food, the environment, the scenery. It was like Japan, but ten times cheaper and speaking Chinese.

Everything was really cheap. Even cheaper than Hong Kong! We felt like ballers.

February 

I had to think long and hard for this one. I didn't know if it was my visit to Melbourne on my return to New Zealand or whatever. But for this entry, I will pick a purchase. I bought a handbag from Agnes B. and while at the time I didn't think much of it other than fulfilling a compulsion to buy something, now I think it's the best purchase of this year. It's cute but practical. Small and suitable for many occasions. Due to its small size, it's forced me to keep my bag clean (uncluttered) inside. I can't just keep chucking things in and letting it get heavier and heavier as it won't fit everything. I stopped carrying around rubbish and unneeded items. Using this bag made me feel like I've moved up a class as a person. I don't feel like I'm a kid lost in an adult's world. Like I have a purpose, if you know what I mean.

Before Taiwan, I decided against buying it. But after I returned (AKA "oh look, I still have money left"), I bought it after consideration. The one thing I'm peeved off is one of the leather bits attached to a zipper broke off.

March

Perhaps this month was a rather insignificant month. Or a very significant one. Many things began this month. I started my last year of undergraduate, I met a friend and for the first time, I dropped a paper because there was too much reading. The last one might have been a regret but I am determined to not have regrets. It's something you wanted at that given time.

I think I changed someone's life. I met a girl in one of my classes. She mentioned being interested in pursuing social work and I introduced her to a youth programme she could volunteer for. Over the months, I saw her grow a bit as a person in terms of responsibility and stepping out of the square, taking the plunge and going beyond expectations. This is something I'm proud of. It isn't my own achievement but I contributed. It made me feel like I could do this again. This being whatever. I don't know.

April

April was an odd month. Earlier in the year, I applied for a part time position in a large company. It was a long shot and so I never truly took it seriously. The hiring process is long and difficult. If you aren't prepared to jump through hoops, don't bother. Somehow, I passed through their different levels and made it through all their interviews... only to be told they weren't hiring for part time at the moment. Of course, my first thought was "eh then why even advertise in the first place! Wasting our time?!" They must have liked me enough because they decided to keep my file while I finished my year at university. I have no update at this moment, even though the year is over.

May

For some reason, I don't have much recollection of May. I had to check Facebook to remind myself. Two things happened this month that lead to things I decided to do in the following months. The first was, a friend recommended that I watch Criminal Minds. I spent two solid weeks doing nothing in my free time except for watching Criminal Minds. The significance is that after only listening to them speak, I started to talk like them - a kiwi customer commented on my "American accent".

The second thing was Ylvis. I have heard of them before but I've not truly appreciated their talent. But this time... it started with their performance with The Intelevator and quickly spiraled through their other works. If you've not watched it, go to YouTube right now! I was awed by their genius and it made me want to just step out and push for something. Tentatively reach out to maybe touch my dream?

June

Kim Kardashian Game. 'nuff said.

What I learnt: sometimes, you just have to be a bitch.

July and August

I took the plunge. I enrolled in a beginners' American Accent Course (which I continued - it's a monthly thing) and I acted in a student film and was an extra on a movie. I've not watched them yet and I don't think I ever will get the chance to. It's a pity, but I don't regret doing it. Then, I signed up for on screen acting classes and got myself a personal trainer. It was a very expensive splurge, and I'm semi struggling to keep at it. But I'm determined to continue. The acting classes are over but I'm still going to weekly sessions with the personal trainer.

September

Two things happened this month to do with food. I have concluded that maybe I've developed an intolerance/allergy to duck but I'm not tempted to experiment again. I spent a whole day throwing up and then a week unable to really eat a whole meal. A year ago, it happened as well (less severe) but I didn't think much of it. 

The second thing is baking. With a friend I love dearly, we ventured into the expensive hobby of baking. It's been good. =) It's been delicious. I don't regret signing up for a personal trainer.

October

This month is another purchase. In a fit of rage, I threw out all my bras and went to spend approximately $160 on lingerie. Luckily for me, they were on sale. I bought five sets in total which would have cost me close to $500 I bought them at full price. All five sets were Elle Macpherson. I'm still on the lookout for a couple others as I've not found it in my size. *sigh*

ONE DAY, I WILL ADD YOU TO MY COLLECTION!!!

November

This is an obvious choice: my trip to Coromandel. I wrote a blog about it so you can go read all about it there instead. It's very picture heavy. Apologies in advance.

December

One of the kids I've been spending a lot of time training and teaching this year got accepted into the national competition squad as a competitor. This was the proudest moment of my life. This is saying a lot because I also finally completed my Bachelor's conjoint degree this year and my kid getting through trumped my academic accomplishment? That's saying a lot.

I've spent six years working for this day. I wasn't training her specifically for six years but I'm so glad that someone I had a hand in training and teaching finally got in. It's not even something I can truly brag about as my own accomplishment. She did all the hard work, made all the right choices and gave the right amount of effort to make it there. All I did was support and provide to the best of my ability the opportunities to get there. Fucking proudest moment ever and I'm still reeling from it. 

I doubt there would be many people who can understand or relate but I'm proud of her. As long as I keep my head down and focus, I will make it. I helped her make it, I feel like I contributed in changing her life. So lets make my own future; pave my own road, create my own opportunities, reach for things and make 2015 count.

Signing out with a photo of my last gathering event of the year 2014. For some of you, there's still a few more hours left of 2014, make it count!