Checked off goals on the list
It is time again to do a check-in for my current 101 things in 1001 Days. I started back in July 2025 and here we are 400 days in.
Number 19: Go on an arctic expedition → wrote a few posts: Preparation, Countdown, Packing List, Adventure Recap, Mental Challenge
This may be the most important and biggest goal on this whole list. You guys, I did it. It was hard. It was emotional. It was an experience. I would do it again.
Number 20: See the Aurora Borealis. → Northern Lights recap
This was such an amazing experience watching them dance on the night sky. We were lucky that very first night as they were never as prominent again.
Number 41: Get the golf license. → done April 20th, 2026
Happy we made this happen earlier this year and getting into the sport. It is complicated, time intense and expensive but I love being outside for hours on end. And it is something the husband and I did together, learned together and may become our hobby. I love that.
Number 59: Do a dye project. → done Easter 2026
I dyed easter eggs with natural colors besides onion skin what I have been doing for ages. This year I tried red cabbage and curcuma and it was a total fail. So much time invested in a sad sad outcome. Nothing to share and be proud of. But I did try.
That makes 4 goals I completed in the past 200 days and a total of 10 that I have already crossed off the list. That means it took me 40 days for one checked goal. Mhm in that rate I won’t get far.
Goals in progress on the 101 things in 1001 days bucket list
Things I have already been working on but did not manage to cross off in past 400 days yet. Here are some thoughts:
Number 1: Re-take first aid course.
It happens that in my church volunteer group the idea came up to do a course together and we happen to have a person in our group who does that for a living and is licensed. I hope we’ll come up with a date after summer vacations.
Number 2: Educate myself about owning real estate.
I continue listening to the podcast I mentioned at the 200 day post. And just the past weekend I joined a two day workshop on buying your first real estate. I have a mother meeting this Friday about a potential course I could take. Slow progress but progress.
Number 9: Grow a ginger plant and harvest it at least once.
My first attempt has failed. I need to restart but I am intimidated. I guess I just need to be brave.
Number 12: Invest in a course every year to learn a new skill relevant for my business.
November 2025 I took a course on crisis communication. Now I need to look into what kind of course I do in 2026. I am typing with the idea of a real estate course (not the one mentioned above that was free option) but that is really expensive. Need to check if there is funding available. Otherwise I need to find something else that is applicable to funding and fits my skill set.
Number 13: Clean out download file every year.
I half heartedly did it in 2025 and I need to sit down and do it before the year ends. Maybe that can be a project for September? Every day 5 minutes…
Number 14: Clean up desktop every year.
See above. Same thing.
Number 15: Going through my knowledge folder and deleting old white papers and studies.
I need to check the AI tool I started using here and maybe the issue that bugged me was fixed. Otherwise time to think again and tackle it in a different way.
Number 16: Clean out Email inbox & sent mails
I have been chipping away here on and off. Let’s be honest it’s a never ending task. I can’t delete as many as I receive daily. And I never worked with archiving folders. Should I?
Number 17: Work in a different restaurant or co-working space ten times.
I have worked form the library a few times. I also worked in a hotel lobby when I had some time inbetween appointments. Overall only two places so far. Maybe I should make it a plan to go work at the old library by the water one day. They also have a better English book selection. That would be a bonus…
Number 23. Check out five new cafés in Berlin including the newly opened one in the neighborhood.
I went to the one in my neighborhood.No progress made in the last 200 days. This is a bit sad.
Number 24. Go on three hikes around Berlin
2 hikes down but since September 2025 no new one. Sad.
Number 28. See 5 new places
I visited Wroclaw in July 2025 to meet Kyria. No progress made in the past 200 days since we canceled the summer vacation and the DR wasn’t new. I miss traveling so much. But time and money are an issue these days. We just had to push our September vacation. Sigh.
Number 31. Read 150 books – audiobooks don’t count.
As of today I have read 52 books. Continuing like that it means I will have to read a book every six days to hit my goal. This might be a little out of my reach with current reading habits. But I will obviously continue to chip away at the goal.
Number 32. Hit 50% in my Read around the World challenge
I have currently read 58 books in my challenge – leaving 40 until hitting the 50%. I would need to read one book every two weeks to make this happen. It could be possible. But I am a mood reader. Tough.
Number 47: Cash in at least three of those vouchers in my drawer.
I cashed in one – the cryochamber.
Number 48. Do a 50 lists blog project .
I have written another three lists 4, 5, 6. I really need to be less strict as what counts as a list post.
Number 52. Participate in NaBloPoMo at least twice
2025 is done. Planning for 2026.
Number 54. Create the first book (plan is going by decade) of our annual Christmas letters.
I have started earlier this year wanting to gift it to the husband for our anniversary but didn’t finish and then let it sit. I want to make this happen so I can gift it in February to our anniversary. Also I could make use of Black Friday Sales.
Number 62. Do fancy DIY nails at least 5 times
No progress made in the past 200 days. I did have painted nails most days though. This was something I wanted to squeeze in today but it’s close to midnight so… no.
Number 70. Spend a day with dad in the work-shop.
Planned for October 2026
Number 72. Have a night out with my best friend & her husband.
Planned for October 2026
Number 73. Expand my vocabulary by 50 words (German)
I have started a list where I collect words. Currently at 12 new words.
Number 74. Expand my vocabulary by 100 words (English)
I have published the list of the first 25 words. I have another 51 on my list so I am over half done here. Not that I remember all words.
Number 76. Achieve a CEFR B2 level in Spanish (currently A2 (?).
I am chipping away at this goal and have streak of 640 days in Duolingo. Duolingo changed the score so I no longer see what level I am at. This sucks. But apparently I am currently in the “order food at a restaurant” stage.
Number 77. Learn to identify 5 star constellations.
No progress made in the past 200 days. I might find Cassiopeia. Maybe.
Number 78. Sign up for three classes at the community college (VHS)
I did one Zumba class. I signed up for another one starting in September. I also signed up for a course on German cursive and Sütterlin script in early November. I will cross this as done once the courses have started.
Number 78: Make one new real life friend.
I find this is a hard one to pinpoint but I feel like I have a connection with someone and we do meet sometimes. So far no visits at home and if I’d move we probably wouldn’t stay in contact. But you gotta start somewhere.
Number 83. Eat 30 times without any entertainment. No TV, no phone, no sound.
Done it ten times so far. Four in the past 200 days. I might have done more without tracking. This should be much easier.
Number 85. Sugar-free Novembers
No progress since last check in. But I could prepare for November by reducing sugar. I am far from where I was last year around this time.
Number 87.Try out 5 sugar free recipes.
I made plum ice cream when my mom needed to get rid of too many harvested plums. I cooked the plums in cardamom, mixed them, added skyr and froze them. Also froze some plain blended fruit. Liked them better. Other than that I need to find some interesting recipes.
Number 91. Spa Day with myself every year
Need to plan something for 2026. Maybe in November when I do another solo weekend at the country home?!
Number 92. Watch the clouds go by for 5 minutes
Done it twice in the last 200 days. Total of 3 times out of 25. Here is room for improvement. But I did look at the stars often. Maybe not five minutes.
Number 96. Save food through the To-Good-To-Go App ten times
Saved food another four times since last check-in. Total of 6 times so far.
Number 99. Work on letting the husband finish his sentences and listen.
This might be the hardest one to achieve and the toughest to track. So far I feel like I make no progress.
The is 34 goals I am actively working on. I am on my way to make things happen.
Goals to reconsider and new goals in the list
Things change. Priorities shift. Life moves on. Some goals I am no longer curious about. Some are just impossible to get done. That is why I am changing out the following:
Number 29. Go to U.S. Open
This is something I was thinking of being a fun gift for the husband’s 50th birthday. Still not sure if I should cancel this and move it to next list and just cross this off as major sports event with the NBA game in January.
Number 88. Manage to jump rope 1,000 times.
Since I won’t count thousand jumps and I do not own a fancy rope that counts for me I am adding “or 10 minutes” to this goal. Either way it would be considered done. So far I can jump 3 minutes but not without breaks/tangles.
Number 98. Volunteer at Operation Christmas Child every year
Well, for the best reasons this might be a goal we have switch out or redefine since my sister will have her little girl by then. And depending on how things go a 4 hour shift may not be possible. We deiced later this year if we can continue our sisterly tradition. I would love to.
Only three goals to reconsider. That is pretty good. Everything else is still interesting to me. Yeah.
Next check in will be on day 600 which is February 27, 2027.
What goal would you ditch immediately this second? Which goal are you envious I have achieved already? Which goal of these should I focus on checking of rather sooner than later? How many goals do you think I manage until next check-in? Name one goal that would make your list!
11 comments
I think you are doing great just having so many goals!!
Thank you so much Ann.
Any sports-related thing would be crossed off immediately for me. LOL. Golf? Tennis? Jump rope? LOL. No, thanks! But if that works for you, that’s awesome.
I’d focus on social goals – dinner with friends, less tech at dinners, making friends – but that says more about where I am in my life than about you!
No… I love sports and was so athletic in a previous life. I am hoping to get a tiny fraction back. But I am no longer 20 so it’s all very hard earned. Watching sports is also so fun to me. I feel I am athletic just watching but I am not. Ha!
Social goals a fun too. Making friends is so so so hard as an adult but I am trying. And less tech should be so easy. I love that these are goals you would focus on. I bet you are a wonderful person to just sit silently on a park bench watch the surroundings and then getting up saying bye that was nice and both of us would be happy.
It’s so interesting to read about your goals, and I think you have accomplished an amazing amount of things! The one I’d cross off immediately is jumping rope. When I was a kid, I took part in a “jump-a-thon” where we raised money for some charity, and I hurt my heel badly. I’d forgotten about it until just now! It should have been my first clue that I get injured easily!
I think the Arctic Expedition is worth about 40 goals! It’s a HUGE deal, and it took many smaller goals to achieve it. I’m in awe of you for achieving that goal. To me, getting your golfing license is the most fun of your achievements. What could be better than doing something you love with someone you love? Of all your goals, the one I’d cross off the list is jump-roping. When I was a kid, I took part in a jump-rope-a-thon, where we raised money for a charity. I bruised my heels so badly I couldn’t walk for days afterward – and I never want to see a jump rope again!
Hahaha A jump-rope-a-thon. Things I didn’t know existed. I am sure your have filled your jump-rope cup many years ago and don’t ever need to do it again. I used to jump rope a lot as a kid too and was rather good but it was always for fun so I stopped when I didn’t feel like it anymore.
The Arctic was indeed a huge deal and so many smaller things went into it. I might have filled its own list.
The golf thing is so fun. We are actually starting a trial membership tomorrow. I kinda hope we have that for the next 12 years because it would be the best deal financially – better than the full membership where we are on the waiting list.
I agree with Michelle – you may have felt like you didn’t make as much progress as you’d hoped, but you crossed off a HUGE goal, which was the Arctic expedition. And considering how much effort it took to prepare and the emotional/physical toll you were dealing with afterward, you are doing well!
Thank you Stephany. It’s a big goal and if I had only one to cross of this would be on the top of the list. I am rather proud I’ve done it. Now off to find new exciting things.
Maybe we can cross off one instance of going to a new cafe while I am in Berlin?
Email – I do use archive folders which helps a lot to keep the email inbox in line. I have some folders for things I’m working on for church, my parents, personal admin (plus and archive folder for each of these) etc and then others that I archive to for things I may need to refer to but don’t need to do anything about like online receipts, holiday bookings (they each go in their own holiday folder). Work is on outlook so that is separate and I have a open tasks folder, waiting folder and then everything else just goes in the archive
I would do the jump rope, but yes for a time because who can count that long without messing up and jump the rope at the same time!
Yes let’s plan a little café visit when you are in Berlin. I am looking up a new spot around your hotel & museum island that I haven’t been at yet.
Interesting how you organize your emails. I have ton of different accounts so this helps with sorting but everything is in the inbox. I need to think on it.
The jumprope is fun but I need to take it more seriously if I want to make progress here.