As I wind down my first 101 in 1001 list, I wanted to hit the rest of the highlights in one quick post, as well as check in on what I didn’t achieve (by choice or by negligence). At just over a 50% completion rate, I definitely think I can do better on my second list, which I chose with a lot more intention behind the items and a healthy dose of realism.
First of all, the items I got through but didn’t blog (yet):
#40: Double my savings.
I’m so proud of this one – and considering I had plenty of money saved at the inception of my list, this was a pretty massive goal. I banked my tax returns annually, set up recurring monthly transfers, set my Venmo to transfer straight into my savings account, and received an inheritance after my grandma Lo passed away which also went straight into my account and has remained largely untouched. Going forward, I put this one on my list again, but depending on lifestyle changes and what the next few years hold, I don’t know how realistic it is to try to double again. We’ll see…either way, this was a major financial achievement for me and I’m really thrilled to have the added security of a healthy savings account.
#41: Put $20 into savings for every item on the list completed.
This ended up being such a quick and easy way to add a little extra to savings every month. With 57 total items checked off, that’s a total of $1,140 added to savings over the last three years. Doing the transfers in such small doses meant I barely noticed it was gone, but it’s the equivalent of several car payments, a month’s rent, or all my season tickets to Minnesota arts events. Nice to have saved it with virtually no impact to my financial bottom line.
#27: Buy my first cashmere sweater.
I did complete this one…with a heather gray J.Crew v-neck…but I was so disappointed in the quality and fit that I returned it immediately. Cashmere shouldn’t be see-through! And a v-neck doesn’t have to mean “hey, here’s the point where my ribcage meets in the middle.” Points for effort, and I still dream of finding the perfect luxe cashmere sweater to add to my forever pieces, but this one missed the boat.
#90: Get and regularly use a museum membership.
I became a member of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts about a year ago, and have completely loved it. My mom and I went to Art in Bloom, their signature fundraiser, last April…a gorgeous fusion of floral design and classic art. I also checked out “Seeing Nature” with her last summer, and went back for a ramble through the photography on a cranky day in December. I was super sad to miss the Martin Luther exhibition this winter, but according to Hannah (who went), it was so oversold and claustrophobic that attendees could barely see the pieces and it was just generally unenjoyable.
As for what I gave up on/didn’t accomplish:
The bulk of what I failed at hinged on personal fitness and health goals, which really saddens me. I didn’t run a 5k (#21), let alone a half-marathon (#22) – what was I thinking? Along those lines, I didn’t wear a bikini (#26) or a strapless dress (#28)…with my body in the shape it’s in, those just weren’t realistic goals. Most disappointingly, I didn’t reach the healthy BMI range for my height/age (#20)…a goal that matters so much to me, I rolled it forward to my second list.
Other randoms I missed:
#43: Join the Junior League.
When I started this list, I was fresh off a terrible breakup and feeling really friendless and isolated. I thought getting involved in a community like Junior League would help me connect with friends and rebuild a life, but I realized about halfway through the 1001 days that JL was never going to be the right way to do that. Instead, I sought organic, natural communities through the social circles I already had established, and focused on cementing high quality friendships that are enriching my life in so many ways on the regular.
#78: Finish the Brunch Challenge.
God, I haven’t written about brunch in a long time, have I? Part of the back-off on brunch comes from the realization that I couldn’t meet health and fitness goals while mainlining mimosas weekly. Further, brunch is freaking expensive, and 100 brunches in 1001 days would have seriously impaired my ability to hit savings goals. Finally…with so many amazing brunch places in the Twin Cities, let’s be real…the Brunch Challenge will NEVER be over.
There you have it, campers – the highlights and lowlights of my first 101 in 1001. And with this post, I officially check two more off… #77, “Blog every item as I complete it,” and #101: “Create a new 101 in 1001 after the first 1001 days have passed!”