Inspired by Mackenzie Horan’s original challenge–for which I got a lovely shoutout here! Let’s gear up for a third time around now.
Kicking off May 28, 2019 and ending February 22, 2022!

Leftover from last list:

1. No excuses. Finish a first draft of a new novel

2. Attend a type of sporting a event that I’ve never been to before

3. Send everyone in our family a birthday card or present without missing anyone for a year

4. Continue to frame all our prints and other collections and hang on walls–goal is to finish framing all pieces

5. Start real, grown up investing (we’re badly behind on this as adults)

6. Learn more InDesign skills

7. Pitch 4 writing projects a year (0/15)

8. Get ALL credit card balances down to zero (5/5)*

9. Start practicing piano again, possibly restart lessons

10. Visit somewhere in Africa

11. Travel to Iceland

12. Buy an authentic Scandinavian sweater

13. Travel a Nordic country (besides Iceland, clearly)

14. Get a tattoo

15. Find and commit to a volunteer opportunity for a dedicated period

16. Visit three British Great Houses (Blenheim…)

17. See 10 operas, ballets, or classic plays I haven’t yet (5 of 10)

18. Lose 20lbs

19. Be able to squat my own body weight

20. Read every Agatha Christie novel

21. Go on a holiday in the Scottish Highlands or islands

22. Learn how to edit video, even if it’s just using free YouTube tools

New list items:

23. Go on a shopping hiatus once a year (6 month beauty, 3 month personal spending, 2 month takeaway)

24. Travel to Italy with Jeff

25. Travel to Amsterdam

26. Go one month without complaining, track daily!

27. Put £250 in savings every month for a year (12/12)

28. Do something that gets me out of the house once a week for a year, and is totally unrelated to work. Can be a ticketed event, a free activity, socializing with friends, hanging out with my husband, or a solo adventure.

29. Host a nice summer or holiday party for friends.

30. Build a 3 month emergency fund, c. 6k  (3/3)

31. Build a 6 month emergency fund, c. 12k (4/6)

32. Go three months without buying any takeaway coffee (sit down meals acceptable) (3/3)

33. Create a two month capsule wardrobe and blog about it – warm weather

34. Create a two month capsule wardrobe and blog about it – cold weather

35. Track personal spending for a year and blog about it with 100% transparency

36. Take a boxing class

37. Do another 100 books in a year challenge (100/100)

38. New glasses – a must!

39. Take a holiday with a friend/friends once a year (2/3)

40. Do a freelance or collaborative project just for the hell of it. Random podcast? Sure! Weird consulting gig? Why not? The stranger and scarier the better.

41. Watch a new to me, but cult classic TV series start to finish

42. Do another month long blog project

43. Take my vitamins everyday for a month

44. Do something interesting to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary (the date itself doesn’t have to be on the dot, but we much do SOMETHING to commemorate a decade of successful and non murderous cohabitation!)

45. Actually send out Christmas cards one year, like grown ups or something

46. Do a proper date night once a month for a year. Takeaway curry and last minute scramble plans don’t count! (12/12)

47. Take at least two beach holidays. It took until our 30s to discover how pleasurable they are when done right (0/2)

48. Make Jeff take us to at least three concerts as the designated family music guy (1/3)

49. Go to the races. Properly. Hat required.

50. Deep clean our house once a quarter (10/15)

51. Upgrade our bedding to a proper set of coordinated linens

52. Do a high-end/designer cull of my wardrobe and either commit to using those items or reselling them. Not every “investment” purchase turns out to be a good idea.

53. Go vegetarian for a month and blog about it

54. Make and keep alive a sourdough starter, and use it to make at home bread for at least three months

55. Bake something once a week for a year (34/52, and on pause due to The ‘Rona)

56. Read 10 biographies (3/10)

57. Use up $1000 worth of beauty products and blog about it

58. Travel to Croatia

59. Travel somewhere in the Middle East

60. Travel somewhere in South America

61. Get another piercing

62. Do another blog/website design update

63. Exercise twice a week for six months (6/6)

64. Read 10 “classic” books that I should have done a long time ago, but somehow dodged in my erratic education (7/10)

65. Try a Pilates class (switched this up for a combo barre/pilates class and loved it!)

66. Take some kind of cooking class

67. Either renegotiate our rent or successfully move to a new house (without losing my mind or murdering anyone…)

68. Finally book that girls’ holiday with Hannah!

69. Travel to the south of France

70. Keep a gratitude journal for one month

71. Become a pseudo expert in a new subject by reading six books on the topic within six months (6/6)

72. Plant some kind of garden, even if it’s only on a terrace

73. Try to incorporate video into the blog, even if it’s just for a temporary project

74. Get published on a new-to-me platform

75. Do another “listen to one new-to-me-album-a-week-for-a-year” challenge. I vastly expanded my knowledge of music through this the first time round and enjoyed it more than I though I would (31/52)

76. Attend three comedy gigs (0/3)

77. Take some kind of craft or DIY related class to learn a skill or make something new

78. Try 25 new-to-me recipes (25/25)

79. Go golfing with Jeff. It will be hilarious and I don’t know how to golf, but I’m strangely curious to try.

80. Vote in every election between now and the end of the challenge, state/local and federal

81. Engage with a doctor about my mental health and find a way to make changes or get treatment that helps stabilize my emotional swings

82. Make a will

83. Attend a fancy dress party of some variety

84. Finally run a 5k (winces)

85. Visit five new museums (0/5)

86. Do another social media fast

87. Go a month where I prepare all my breakfasts and lunches in advance (dinners optional but highly encouraged!)

88. Make three new friends (1/3)

89. Renew my passport

90. Take three weekend trips around Britain, to areas we’ve never seen before (0/3)

91. Subscribe to two more newspapers (2/2)

92. Pay for someone else’s food or coffee order, anonymously and just for kicks

93. Find an opportunity to go horseback riding again

94. Finally arrange for some therapy. I need it.

95. Visit my sister in Japan

96. Do another month-long yoga challenge, bonus points for trying to throw in some meditation

97. Celebrate our 35th birthdays in a fun and unique way – perhaps a trip or an unexpected adventure. Does COVID lockdown count? I think so…

98. Upgrade my whole lingerie drawer – there is no excuse for old knickers that date from when we last lived in the States!

99. Significantly reduce my use of and consumption of plastics. This is a bit free floating of a goal, so perhaps I’ll tie this to some kind of blogging project or self-challenge to see what lifestyle changes I can make.

100. Take some kind of class with Jeff, whether sporting or hobby

101. Beat my record at these goal lists! Meaning at least 51 ticked off (40/101)