Out With Resolutions – In With 101 Things

One of the reasons I prefer the 101 Things list over typical resolutions is that there are no open-ended goals; no vague goals like “eat better” or “exercise more.”

I know my willpower and motivation don’t work like that. Some combination of anxiety, depression, and ADHD always say to eat the chocolate and drink the beer. They say that inertia is more pleasing than motivation.

I know this is not something likely to change for me. Sometimes it’s a matter of working around myself in spite of myself.

Sometimes I have to trick my brain into moving toward values.

All the time-based goals are for a specific number of days, not a specific month. I’ll use the concept of “dry January” as an example. Let’s say on January 3rd, I get an invitation I can’t refuse and go have a drink; if no alcohol for January is my goal, then I’ve just done gone and fucked it up. So now, why bother until next month? Might as well give up. The same goes for things like “go for a walk every day for a month” – if I tie my goals to calendar months, I tend to throw my hands up if I mess up. But if I say, “30 days,” then I can have a compassionate moment of “ehh, we all make mistakes, better get back to it” and then start again the next day, rather than giving up until the next month. For others, the opposite may work better.

Do your list in a way that works for you.

I put a couple of expensive things on the list – all related to travel – but I didn’t put 30 specific events and locations I want to visit. Who knows, I could win the lottery (though maybe I should put “play the lottery” on my list). But I know I’m not going to ride a rickshaw through India or visit all 50 states in the next 2.75 years. I’m definitely not going to see the sun rise and set on all seven continents.

It’s a balancing act between competitiveness and perfectionism.

I also don’t want to get bogged down in the idea that I have to do all 101 things to call it a success (I doubt I’m going tornado chasing, but I put it on there because it is a specific activity that sounds right up my tornado alley).

Thus, my last item is to NOT do all 101 things, effectively eliminating the possibility of doing so.

Because if we’re thinking about it through a values lens, the point of my 101 things list is not completion. The point of reaching and growing toward a value is not an expectation of an endpoint. The point is to live the journey authentically in a way that serves who you are.

Also, I’m leaving a few TBDs on there, and reserve the right to change goals along the way because this is my list and I can do what I want, damn it.