Saturday 2 January 2010

101 in 1001

*Bumping this one up as it's been over a year since I started it now. I still don't have 101 things, but am happy to say that in the past year+, out of (previously) 66 items, I've completed 25 and have another 12 in progress. (January 2010)

As seen on Day Zero
(I don't usually have trouble completing task lists, although this one is a monster. It is a hugely refreshing task in that it allows me to see what will be accomplished 3 years from now, and that's a lot!)

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).

Start date : 11 November 2008
End date : 9 August 2011 (I'll be almost 35!)

Key:
Not yet started
In progress
Complete


House
1. Paint 2 bedrooms
2. Finish the table I started stripping
3.
Install ceiling fans in 2 bedrooms
4. Complete porch
5. Redo front bathroom
6. Redo main bathroom
7. Install heat
8. Install air conditioning

9. Get new front windows
10. Complete games room
11. Paint laundry
12. Ship container from US
13. Buy new lounge suite
31. Begin a vegetable garden
32. Make the pomegranite tree healthy again
40. Get veranda on porch (possibly a 5+ year project)
41. Remove wall heater from lounge
42. Remove oil heater & tank from dining room/outside wall
43. Get rain water tank
46. Redo walk-in closet
51. Replace carpeting in 3 bedrooms
53. Put screens in windows
54. Put fly screen on vent bricks to get rid of the bees
59. Get new curtain rods for the front rooms
64. Plant a lime tree
65. Make peach tree healthy
66. Install new water heater
67. Replace windows in 3 bedrooms
68. Replace windows in dining room and kitchen
69. Replace sliding door
70. Get light-blocking blinds/curtains in 3 bedrooms, kitchen & dining room
71. Fix roof
72. Get house painted
73. Replace floor in kitchen/hallway

Personal/Professional/Cultural
18.
Successfully form an International social group in Adelaide that includes Aussies
20. Invest time in 3 new friendships

21. See a play
22. Find a place in Adelaide to go to for good massages & pedicures (and go once every 3 months)

25. Begin an herb garden
26. Convince hubs to have a planned date once a month
27. Attempt to begin writing professionally
44. Make 2 purchases per year from USA Foods
52. Learn to cook a proper lamb stew or tagine
55. Get a full-time job I enjoy!!!!
58. Attempt to home brew some beer
60. Hike Waterfall Gully to Mount Lofty

Sightseeing/Travel

28. Visit Melbourne
29. Visit Tasmania
33. Go to the Mt Lofty Botanic Garden

34. Go to Tandanya
35. Go on a tour of Parliament House
36. Attend Fridays Uncorked at the Wine Centre
37. Beer tasting at Cooper's Brewery
38. Try Horus Egyptian Cafe & Shisha House
39. Visit Canberra
45. Go back to Hahndorf for a Rueben and Pot Belly pies!
56. Attend an Adelaide United Game
57. See an SA baseball game
61. Suss out Chili Mojo and Norwood
62. Visit Hallett Cove
63. Hit every Irish pub in the Adelaide area at least once

Health
14. Develop a regular yoga routine
15. Drink 3 glasses of water a day
16. Take a multi-vitamin every day
17. Learn to cook 5 (very good) vegetarian meals (1 per week for a month)
19.
Get up in time to either do yoga or have breakfast before work, 3x per week
23. Stop drinking juice and eat 2 pieces of fruit per day instead
24. Bring lunch to work at least 3 days per week
30. Go on a hike once a month
47.
Eat oatmeal or cereal for breakfast 4x per week
48. Eat plain yogurt or toast & vegemite as a morning snack 4x per week
49. Eat veggies or fruit and nuts as an afternoon snack 4x per week
50. Begin a food tracking blog and blog what I eat each day for 2 weeks

Friday 1 January 2010

Two Years Up

In just about three months, I'll have been living in Australia for two years (consecutively). When I first got here, I told myself I'd give it two years. Most resources for expats will tell you that it takes an average of two years to start to feel settled in. This isn't to say I was planning on leaving after two years if it didn't work out, only that I made a conscious decision to be especially patient with myself, my environment, and others around me for the first two years. Making that decision probably helped to keep me sane these last couple of years. I highly recommend this to new expats.

Happy New Year!