Goals

Today I ran across a couple of different blogs talking about 101 in 1001. This piqued my interest. What could this be? This is what I found out it is.


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 organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Goal setting tips

**Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.

**Stay Focused. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.

**Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.

**Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.

**Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.

Now, if you're thinking, like I did when I read 1001 days, "Hell, I can do anything in almost 3 years. I'll just wait until 2 years and 6 months and then I'll truck on", the people's lists that I read varied in length. Some were weekly goals, some were monthly goals, some were even {{gasp!}} daily goals. Looks like there's no workaround here. Frankly, if you're going to do this, though, why would you want a workaround? If you are serious about achieving something, this seems to be as good a tool as any in helping you get there.

So, I'm thinking seriously about doing this. I'm going to start working on my list and see what happens. Anyone want to join me?