Project 101 in 1001 is over. Done. Complete. I will admit. I got discouraged in the end and may/may not have waited to post this debrief because I was ashamed that I did not, in fact, COMPLETE the task.
The following words are straight vomit from what I have felt, where I am in comparison to where I thought I would be in three years, and what is next.
Some goals were a little obscure and honestly when I set the “goal” in January 2011, I planned to completely check it off the list. I realize now, that 1001 days later that the original reason behind the goal may not have been completely achieved, but there was progress or even a form of finishing that I didn’t originally plan. For example: Pay off student loans. 1001 days did not pay off the car, undergrad, graduate, or my husband’s degree. 1001 days did equal being intentional about paying down student loans. I can honestly say that we made HUGE progress. Paid off my car. Paid off one student loan. Not a complete check mark, but according to the Debt snowball, it is enough motivation to keep us going and moving forward. I am thankful for our progress in these 1001 days.
Two goals went unidentified. Proof that if you don’t name your goals, you are less likely to actually achieve them.
Some goals never made any progress. Proof that we grow and change over time, especially in 1001 days. 2 ½ years ago I thought exchanging a list of movies with someone else would be fun and would expand my horizons. Said list never happened. The past 2 ½ years I realized that real time together, rather than sitting in silence was better for my soul than sitting in a room for 1 ½+ hours saying nothing and not really having quality conversations with someone else. Don’t get me wrong. I still love movies, still go to movies, but far less often than I did/planned to 2 ½ years ago. Priorities change, hence why 13 items never got started or crossed off the list.
I could not have done this project without Conner. He pushed me to complete certain tasks, planned dates that incorporated some of the goals, and constantly encouraging me to take the next step towards my project. For that I am grateful.
Looking back, I will say this project was a success. It caused me to be more social, be intentional with my relationships of family, friends, and husband. It caused me to see beauty even in the common things and to be grateful which sometimes is so hard when life is so busy. I will say that after 1001 days I have experienced new things that I never thought I would have gotten to see/do/touch/experience three years ago. Overall the project helped me to define what matters most and run hard after that. Always. I would call this project a success.
What is next? Marriage. Having a husband and working to make that the best example of God’s love and grace is hard and a great challenge. Loving well is at the root of making marriage work and that is a focus today and always. This journey is so fun and worth every minute of intentional time and effort. That is my focus. Thanks for following along with in my 1001 day journey. Here’s to the next 1001 days and what lies ahead.
Goals Complete: 78/101 Goals In Progress: 10/23
