101 Things to Do in 1,000 Days: My Personal Road Map to a Kick Ass Life

Have you ever looked at your life and thought, "there has to be something more than this? Something more than waking up, going to work, eat, sleep and repeat? I'm confident that we have all been there and done that. 

The greatest thing is...We are still breathing and on this side of the dirt. That means we still have time to change how we feel about our life. It's not as difficult as one might think. It's about getting out of your head and start living for yourself. 

I've spent a lot of time thinking about what I want the next chapter of my life to look like. Like most women I spent the first part of my adult life living for my kids and husband. Like many women I put my goals on the back burner. That life no longer works for me. 

So I decided to give myself a challenge:

101 things to do in 1,000 days.                                                           

This isn't your typical bucket list.

It's my personal starting-over challenge—a road map for getting out of my own head and back into my life. I'm filling these next 1,000 days with travel, adventure, personal growth, creativity, self-care, new experiences, and some serious work on my money and career.

Because somewhere along the way, I got stuck.

I stopped really wanting to do anything. I got sucked into depression, and honestly... it sucked. I spent way too much time thinking about my circumstances and not enough time doing something about them.

I needed a side quest.

Something to look forward to.

Something that would get me moving again.

And that's how my 101 Things in 1,000 Days challenge was born.

I'm currently going through my third divorce. More on that later.

My life seemed to be stuck in a never-ending cycle, and I'm really tired of it.

So I'm choosing now.

Not someday.

Not when everything is perfect.

Now.

I'm going to see what happens when I spend the next 1,000 days intentionally creating a life instead of simply reacting to the one I have.

I've broken my 101 goals into six areas of my life:

Travel & Adventure • Outdoor & Active Fitness • Personal Growth & Learning • Creative Projects & Content • Self-Care & Experiences • Money & Career

Some of these goals are practical.

Some are completely ridiculous.

Some are going to cost money.

Some won't cost a dime.

Some will push me way outside my comfort zone.

And I'm almost certain some of them will change along the way.

That's okay.

This isn't about creating a perfect life.

It's about creating a life I actually want to live.

1. TRAVEL & ADVENTURE (20 ITEMS)

1. Bought a new car                                             11. Visit all 50 states

2. Go to a dream mystery destination                   12. Spend 13 weeks in the Upper Peninsula MI

3. Go on a Singles Cruise                                     13. Relax and take a bath in hot springs

4. Take a solo trip to Las Vegas                            14. Experience Yellowstone National Park

5. Visit & hike in Honolulu                                   15. Spend a full week at Disney

6. Explore New York City                                    16. Go on a scenic road trip across 3 states

7. Take a beach trip with friends                           17. Stay in a luxury boutique hotel or lodge

8. Travel to Iceland                                              18. Take a weekend mountain getaway

 9. Take a completely solo vacation                    19. Go on a scenic train or railway ride

10. Visit 10 National Parks                                 20. Experience a sunset boat or island cruise.

2. OUTDOOR & ACTIVE FITNESS (17 ITEMS)

21. Complete the 52 Hike Challenge                22. Run a 5K every month for 1 year

23. Attend an adult summer camp                       24. Go white water rafting

25. Learn to Scuba Dive                                     26. Watch sunrise & sunset on different sides of state

27. Sleep under the stars camping                       28. Hike to a hidden waterfall

29. Go kayaking or paddle-boarding                   30. Try zip-lining through a forest canopy

31. Complete a 10K step streak for 30 days         32. Take an outdoor yoga class

33. Rent a bike and explore a new city trail         34. Hike a mountain peak summit

35. Go horse riding in Montana                           36. Try snowshoeing or winter hiking

37. Complete a multi-day backpacking trip

3. PERSONAL GROWTH & LEARNING (16 ITEMS)

38. Go on a blind date                                              39. Read 52 books in 1 year

40. Plant a tree                                                          41. Complete a 30-day daily journaling challenge

42. Read 12 non-fiction or growth books                 43. Complete a professional certification

44. Do a full 7-day digital detox                               45. Attend a personal growth conference/workshop

46. Listen to 50 podcasts                                           47. Write a letter to your future self

48. Take a public speaking or storytelling class         49. Build a 5-step morning routine (stick for 30 days)

50. Learn basic conversational skills in a language    51. Practice daily meditation for 60 consecutive days 

52. Establish a regular evening wind-down routine    53. Complete a 100-day habit tracker challenge

4. CREATIVE PROJECTS & CONTENT (16 ITEMS)

54. Have a professional photo shoot                         55. Host a themed styled photo shoot from scratch

56. Design a brand kit                                                57. Create a custom photo coffee table book

58. Take a pottery or ceramics wheel-throwing class 59. Record a video storytelling series

60. Master short-form video editing and transitions    61. Set up a dedicated studio or creative workspace

62. Try watercolor painting (3 complete pieces)         63. Take a photography lighting/mobile masterclass

64. Design custom merch or promo items                  65. Write a creative essay or mini-memoir chapter

66. Learn professional floral arrangement techniques 67. Collaborate with another creator on a project

68. Complete a 30-day daily photo/video challenge   69. Attend an immersive art exhibition or theater show

5. SELF-CARE & EXPERIENCES (16 ITEMS)

70. Book a full day at a luxury day spa                    71. Enjoy fine dining at a premier restaurant

72. Attend a live concert with VIP floor tickets         73. Spend a tech-free weekend unplugged

74. Buy tickets to a major Broadway musical/show  75. Get a monthly full-body massage for 1 year

76. Treat yourself to a professional styling session    77. Spend a "Choose Your Own Adventure" day

78. Book a staycation at a local luxury hotel            79. Attend an outdoor music festival

80. Try float therapy or a full hydrotherapy circuit   81. Take a scenic helicopter or hot air balloon ride

82. Plan a dedicated "Me Day" every quarter           83. Go to a comedy club for a night of stand-up

84. Buy myself Malficent Ring                                85. Watch sunrise on a quiet beach with hot coffee

6. MONEY & CAREER (16 ITEMS)

86. Launch Tater & Taz pet line                           87. Become monetized on Social Media

88. Pay cash for house                                         89. Build a 6-month emergency fund in high-yield account

90. Automate monthly investments into retirement/funds 

91. Negotiate a raise or higher-paying contract      92. Track every dollar for 90 days

93. Maintain a monthly budget for 12 consecutive months

94. Eliminate all consumer/non-mortgage debt    95. Consult with a fee-only financial planner

96. Generate a steady stream of passive income 97. Launch a secondary revenue stream 

98. Attend an industry conference or summit        99. Complete a "No-Spend Month" Challenge

100. Earn $10,000 from something I created or built myself.

101. Become the woman who no longer waits for her life to begin.

And now comes the fun part... The new beginning. 

I don't know who I will be in 1000 days or even where I will be and that is part of the excitement. Maybe I will have completed all 100 things. Heck I may complete half of them and decide this version of me isn't who I want to be. And that's ok too. 

I do know that I am no longer sitting around waiting for life to happen for me. I'm going to make it happen MY WAY.

And if you are reading this and think, "Damn, maybe I need something like this too." Maybe you do. 

You don't need 101 things. You don't even need 1000 days. You don't even need a perfect plan. You just need to start. Pick one thing that you put off and do it. 

We are still breathing. We are still on this side of the dirt. And apparently we still have a lot of living to do.