101 Things in 1001 Days

A few times a year I am asked to write an article for the Scrap Girls newsletter. I had one of my articles published in the newsletter this week and wanted to share it here. You can see the entire article as part of the newsletter HERE or scroll below to read it. And I'm including the layout I created to accompany the article here, as well.

All supplies used to create this layout can be found in the Ang Campbell section of the Scrap Girls Boutique 

Two years ago, I clicked on a link shared by one of the community members in the Scrap Girls Forum. That link sent me on a journey that has now been two years in the making, with several months left of the experience to look forward to! I wish I could remember who shared the link to the Day Zero Project because I would thank her personally for the adventure I've been on! Whoever you are, THANK YOU!

Day Zero Project is a free service website that claims to be "the largest community of challenge-based goal setters in the world." Whether that's accurate or not mattered very little to me. What I loved about the Day Zero Project was the spark it ignited in me personally to set goals, big and small, and start conquering them. The criteria was simply to choose 101 realistic but challenging tasks I wanted to complete with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined and to complete those 101 tasks within the 1001-day time frame.

Creating my list of 101 tasks was trickier than I expected, but it was fun. I set simple goals and lofty goals, silly ones and serious. I decided on skills I wanted to learn and talents I wanted to refine. I chose tasks that would introduce me to new places, flavors, experiences, and cultures. The site provides an easy tracking system for marking off tasks as they're completed, and as the months have gone by, I have thoroughly enjoyed completing tasks and proudly checking the box to show that I've done it! I still have a lot of tasks to complete in 2014, but with my 1001-day deadline looming on November 21, I'm moving forward with determination! I've already decided that if for some reason I don't quite complete all 101 tasks, I'll add those incomplete tasks to a new list of 101 tasks that I will begin on November 22!

I know that it's impossible to read all those itty-bitty words on my layout, so I figured I better share a little sampling of my 101 tasks so you know what I've been up to and what I'll be working on this year!

A few tasks I've already completed (in addition to those pictured and described on the layout):

• Participate in 12 races in 2012

• Watch the sunrise and sunset over the ocean in the same day

• Take part in a "real life" book club discussion

• Reach 100 followers on my blog

• Be a Scrap Girls Club featured product designer

• Get a mammogram for the first time

• Take each of my kids on a one-on-one "date"

And here are a few tasks I look forward to still completing:

• Pay off my personal credit card

• Make a special treat for my kids for each major holiday for a year

• Memorize and learn to play by heart the song Tribute by Jon Schmidt on the piano

• Run a total of 1,000 miles

• Audition for something

• Get my eyebrows threaded

• Learn to tie a tie

You can check out my entire list of tasks here. And better yet? Create a list of your own and start your personal journey of 1,001 days!

For those who want to create a Love Wall

Between comments on Facebook and the comments here on my most recent blog post I had quite a few people express interest in creating an "I Love You Because" wall in their home. I was really tickled by the thought of this concept spreading far and wide and it made me grin to consider all my friends' families writing each other little love notes in their homes!

Here's my personal reality though. I see an idea that I love. I roll it around in my brain and think of ways to tweak it to make it more personal. I consider colors and placement and variations. And I come up with a great plan to implement the project idea that inspired me.

And then I do nothing.

And the idea joins the countless others that I've been momentarily passionate about and then tossed aside in pursuit of other! cooler! more exciting! projects.

This happened to be one project that I actually acted on and I'm so happy with how it's affecting my family! I figured I could make this project easy for you to actually take from concept to hanging on your wall, too. I packaged up what I had already created for my home, added a few alternative options (5x7 and 4x6 sizes included, three different patterns, eight total colors and a choice of black or white wording) and put together a simple Assemble Your Own: Little Love Notes product just for you. If you've got some basic photo editing software and can work with layering .jpg files and .png files you can make this work and have some lovin' art in your home in no time!

The Assemble Your Own: Little Love Notes product is available in the Scrap Girls boutique HERE right now and by happy coincidence there's a sale going on through Saturday night for 40% off all Assemble Your Own products so the timing couldn't be more perfect. I was almost giddy when I saw the email blast from Scrap Girls in my newsletter a few minutes ago telling me about the sale. Perfect perfect perfect!! Enjoy :)

If you don't happen to have some basic photo editing software but you want to do this project for your walls and you know which size/color/pattern/wording combinations you'd like I can assemble them for you and email them to you ready for printing. The cost for my time in assembling the Little Love Note in your specifications and sending it to you for your personal use only will be $1 per love note. Not bad for a quick splash of color and sentiment on your walls right? If you're liking the concept but have a different color or wording in mind, just drop me a line and we can work out the details of your request.

And please, please, pretty please be sure to snap a shot of your Love Wall once it's hanging! I'd LOVE to see it!!