Wow. How embarrassing that I completely flaked on updates for my third round of 101 in 1001. I made some solid progress. In round one, I completed 43/101 goals and 50/101 in round two (just at the halfway point!). I think its helpful to note that some goals are often achieved, just outside of the 1001 days notated, which is nice. I still strive to meet them, or consider them irrelevant as a I grow and change. Here's my final update for round three, my worst round yet in terms of completion rates (26/101, hardly a quarter of them), but arguably some of the most meaningful goals I've met. Some felt realistic when I created this list, but quickly became a bit overambitious. Better luck next round? Be sure to keep an eye out for round four, coming soon.

Adventure, Fun, & New Things

01. Travel to five new cities. (5/5)

• 03/10/2022 - Athens, Georgia
• 04/22/2022-04/24/2022 - Hilton Head, South Carolina
• 06/22/2022-06/25/2022 - Denver, Colorado
• 11/20/2022 - Blue Ridge/McCaysville/Copperhill (Georgia-Tennessee line)
• 02/26/2023-03/03/2023 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

It's exciting to note that I surpassed this goal and went to even more than five cities, considering one of my new favorite cities, Montreal!

02. Travel to three new states. (1/3)

• 06/22/2022-06/25/2022 - Colorado

But I took more international trips this year - my first international trips, to be exact!

03. Travel outside of the country.

• 02/26/2023-03/02/2023 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

04. Travel to New England or the PNW. 
05. Go somewhere paradise-y (the Caribbean, Jamaica, Key West, etc.). 
06. Go on a cruise.
07. Go to Disney World.
08. Go wine-tasting in the mountains.
09. Stay the night in a treehouse or yurt.
10. Go whale watching in the wild.
11. Take a girl's trip.
12. Try SUPboarding. 
13. See a movie at the drive-in.
14. Take a birthday trip. 
15. Visit every state park in Georgia. (4/49)

• 03/06/2022 - Sweetwater Creek
• 09/24/2022 - Providence Canyon
• 04/29/2023 - Chattahoochee Bend
• 06/17/2023 - Panola Mountain

16. Visit two national parks. (1/2)

• 05/28/2022 - Great Smoky Mountains

17. Eat at a food truck park or festival.
18. Visit a cat café.
19. Participate in an animal interaction at the Georgia Aquarium.
20. Go to five different museums. (5/5)

• 02/13/2022 - Fernbank Museum
• 03/09/2022 - High Museum
• 03/01/2023 - Art Gallery of Ontario
• 03/10/2023 - Atlanta History Center
• 08/17/2023 - Redpath Museum, McCord Stewart Museum (went to both in the same day!)

21. Eat at 10 new-to-me Atlanta-area restaurants. (10/10)

• 02/13/2022 - Fox Bros BBQ
• 05/11/2022 - Benihana
• 05/15/2022 - Eatalian
• 11/21/2022 - Poco Loco
• 12/16/2022 - Calle Latina
• 12/20/2022 - Yumbii
• 12/26/2022 - J's Mini Hotpot
• 02/04/2023 - Dos Bocas
• 02/04/2023 - KPOT
• 03/08/2023 - Casa Vieja

22. Try five new-to-me Atlanta-area coffee shops. (5/5)

• 03/09/2022 - Refuge Coffee
• 03/15/2022 - PERC
• 03/23/2022 - Hodgepodge Coffee
• 05/06/2022 - Cold Brew Bar
• 05/13/2022 - Victory C.C

I obviously got through this goal very quickly, and have had lots of other Atlanta-area coffee shops too. There are so many! 

23. Go to a museum "After Dark" event.
24. See five live performances (concerts and/or theatre). (2/5)

• 02/28/2023 - Harry Potter & the Cursed Child (Toronto)
• 04/21/2023 - Bad Friends live tour (Atlanta)

25. Go to three sporting events, including one at the Battery. (3/3)

• 02/03/2022 - Atlanta Hawks
• 05/15/2022 - Atlanta Braves @ the Battery
• 11/27/2022 - Atlanta Hawks

Hawks games became a bit of a staple for us, and I went to several others (I'm not even sure how many) - so many that I spoke with a representative and almost purchased season passes for me and A.

 

I started my first round of 101 in 1001 in 2016 and my second round just wrapped up. What is 101 in 1001, you ask? It's a list of 101 goals to complete in 1001 days (about 2.75 years). This is such a fun process because it's really interesting to see how many things you can complete when you set your mind to it (it's almost like a game!), but it's also really cool to see how your priorities and interests change over time, too. This is round three for me, and I'm excited to see the growth that comes from this challenge.

Adventure, Fun, & New Things

01. Travel to five new cities. (0/5) 
02. Travel to three new states. (0/3) 
03. Travel outside of the country.
04. Travel to New England or the PNW. 
05. Go somewhere paradise-y (the Caribbean, Jamaica, Key West, etc.). 
06. Go on a cruise.
07. Go to Disney World.
08. Go wine-tasting in the mountains.
09. Stay the night in a treehouse or yurt.
10. Go whale watching in the wild.
11. Take a girl's trip.
12. Try SUPboarding. 
13. See a movie at the drive-in.
14. Take a birthday trip. 
15. Visit every state park in Georgia. (0/49)
16. Visit two national parks. (0/2)
17. Eat at a food truck park or festival.
18. Visit a cat café.
19. Participate in an animal interaction at the Georgia Aquarium.
20. Go to five different museums. (0/5)
21. Eat at 10 new-to-me Atlanta-area restaurants. (0/10)
22. Try five new-to-me Atlanta-area coffee shops. (0/5)
23. Go to a museum "After Dark" event.
24. See five live performances (concerts and/or theatre). (0/5)
25. Go to three sporting events, including one at the Battery. (0/3)

I can't believe it's been 1001 days since I started my second round of 101 in 1001. And it's been six years since I'd started my first round in 2016. See below for the final progress I've made between April 2021 and January 2022, then head back to my original list of goals to see all I've done since May 2019.

 Adventure, Fun, & New Things

01. Travel to five new cities. I may have made some progress here, but obviously these past 1001 days have been a bit of a mess. I visited Charleston with my sisters, bringing my total of new cities to three out of five. 

11. Take a girl's trip. The aforementioned Charleston sister trip was a weekend girl's trip. I do enjoy a good girl's trip.

14. Go kayaking. YES! One of my sisters and I went kayaking in August and it was incredible. I want to kayak all the time now. 

16. Visit five new breweries. A and I visited a new retail district in Atlanta for a friend's birthday, and low and behold - there was a brewery. So we went to Eventide, and have been back a couple of times. Yum. 

18. Go fruit picking. I went apple-picking in North Georgia with my sister in September

24. Eat five new-to-me foods. 4. At that same cute little retail district, I had real ramen (not that 13 cent stuff, lol). 5. Thai curry beef - omg, I love Thai curry now.

*I have been compensated for this post, but any opinions are my own.


I'm sure I've mentioned it on here before, but I had a really terrible bicycle wreck when I was nine and it really scarred me. I had just been diagnosed with diabetes and was under the impression that if I were to get injured, I wouldn't heal and thus would just... die. I ended up in the emergency room with a broken tooth and three others that were chipped, a busted chin, a scraped up shoulder, wrist, and knee. I was missing skin on much of my face. It honestly haunts me to this day. I bought a bike when I was in my early 20s and tried to ride it a time or two, but became so afraid and overwhelmed, that I couldn't really ride it. It's sat at my parents' house since. But hubby recently purchased a bike and really encouraged me to try riding again. So we stopped by my parents' and brought home my old, rusty bike. Because of hubby's encouragement, I've been riding my bike for a couple of minutes everyday, literally only through the flat parts of our neighborhood. But I'm riding nonetheless, and I've yet to fall over.

So it got me thinking, how do we accomplish the things that we set our minds to, even when they scare us, even terrify us. Below are a few things that came to mind when considering accomplishing those things.



Figure Out What's Holding You Back

I think one of the first things to do when wanting to accomplish something that scares you is figure out if it's really something you want to do, why you want to do it, and determine why you haven't done it yet, what's holding you back. For me, I want to ride my bike. I want to be able to get in that exercise and feel the wind blow through my hair as I ride. I had tried to do it in the past but couldn't find balance, either mentally or physically. And it was fear holding me back. Fear is still holding me back, but I'm trying to overcome it, just a little bit at a time.



Practice

They say practice makes perfect, and while I don't wholly believe in perfection, I do agree to some extent. Practicing help to make a process better. So by practicing something over and over, just a little bit at a time, it can add up to being good, even great, at something that you were previously too afraid to even do. By practicing, the fear may dissipate.



Make It A Habit

It's common knowledge that if you do something daily for 21 days, it becomes a habit. Now I don't know how true that really is, but it does make something easier to do more regularly. Just like practicing, by doing something until it becomes a habit it can become something enjoyable, thus less terrifying.



Find An Accountability Buddy

This has always been something that's been difficult for me, especially in the time of corona. But since hubby has a bike and encouraged me to ride again, he's quite a good accountability buddy. Often, when he rides, I'll ride (thought not as far or as long). But it does make me get up on my butt and get moving.



Get Extra Help

Sometimes it's not so easy to do the things that scare you. Sure, a lot of the time those things can help you grow, but sometimes it's just too much to bear. And if that's the case, some extra help certainly doesn't hurt. Whether it's talking to a therapist or considering pure hypnosis, asking for help is never a bad thing. In fact, I always encourage folks to ask for help when they need it, whether it's wanting to lose weight or wanting to clear your mind, there are always ways others can help you.



For example, hypnosis for weight loss in Atlanta is an option to change habits if you're wanting to lose weight, or working with a psychiatrist to find a medication to work for you if anxiety or depression is preventing you from accomplishing goals. Getting help is definitely nothing to be ashamed of and can usually benefit individuals more than harm them.

What a perfect day to share my 101 in 1001 update, because today I am 30!



I completed my first round of 101 in 1001 starting in 2016 and ending just earlier this year. What is 101 in 1001, you ask? It's a list of 101 goals to complete in 1001 days (about 2.75 years). This is such a fun process because it's really interesting to see how many things you can complete when you set your mind to it (it's almost like a game!), but it's also really cool to see how your priorities and interests change over time, too. This is round two for me, and I'm excited to see the growth that comes from this challenge.










Adventure, Fun, & New Things

01. Travel to five new cities. (2/5) Tampa, Fl, March 2020

16. Visit five new breweries. (3/5) Schoolhouse Brewing, February 2020




22. Go axe-throwing or to a break-stuff room. Axe-throwing at American Axes, February 2020








Fashion, Beauty, & Wellness

27. Try CBD for my anxiety. Meh, I gave some a try but didn't find that it did much for me. I'd like to continue to experiment and see how it goes with different brands, February 2020

28. Develop a skin-care routine. I've tried several things over the past few months, but haven't found anything I've loved yet. I'm planning to try the Glossier skincare set next.

37. Visit a salt room. Intown Salt Room, December 2019




41. Try period panties or the period cup. I've ordered the June Cup and a pair of Thinx, so I am excited to give those a try!

45. Start a vitamin regimen. For the past few months, I've been drinking an Emergen-C in the morning and hers biotin gummies (c/o hers) around lunch. I also take a melatonin gummy before bed, if I need it. I'm not sure if it's the most effective regimen for me, but hopefully it's making an impact. Spring 2020

47. Purchase a leather Madewell bag. January 2020





Home

49. Create an outside space we can enjoy. Our new home has a really cool sunroom space that doubles as a back porch and it's great! It's been such a cool place to hang out and/or work since moving in. We're continuing to make the space cooler and cooler, but so far we're enjoying it.

50. Get a house plant. I've ordered a pothos pearl and jade from Pigment and I cannot wait to get it (and hopefully keep it alive). May 2020

51. Buy a home. We did it! We purchased our first home. Yippee. March 2020

53. Buy a new (to us) fridge. March 2020

54. Buy a new (to us) washer and dryer set. March 2020

55. Purchase an area rug. March 2020

57. Complete gallery wall of wedding photos. This goal may have shifted just a bit. We have hung up all of the printed wedding photos we have in small "galleries" around the living room and entryway. But I'm going to say yes to completion on this one. May 2020





Finances

62. Pay off my loans & 63. Pay down my credit cards by half. Still working on this and making progress!





Blog

70. Finally purchase a DSLR. Hubby got me one for Christmas! December 2019





Books, TV, & Music

75. Read all the books I already own that I haven't read yet. Wow, hi. What a joke. This never stops growing. But I'm still reading, reading, reading.

76. Read all Stephen King books. Always working on this goal. I read King regularly (though I'm not sure I'll actually get through this goal).




77. Complete a reading challenge each year. 2019 challenge. Working through 2020.

78. Watch at least five of the tv shows currently on my Netflix queue. (1/5) (Here's my queue from 2016, but it is much longer now.) I finally completed Bloodline, so I've marked one off the Netflix list. The problem is now I've watched lots of shows on other platforms, so this goal has maybe become a little different.

80. Watch 10 cult classics I haven't yet seen. (2/10) When Harry Met Sally, March 2020. The Shawshank Redemption, March 2020.

81. Go to a book signing. I got to meet Ransom Riggs when The Conference of the Birds was released. January 2020.

Challenges can be twofold, right? There are the challenges that we each have that are involuntary. For example, having diabetes is something of a challenge for me and my lifestyle. These are the things we have to work around and work hard to overcome or adjust to. We all have these types of challenges, and they may stem from different aspects of our lives or identity. The lack of those challenges in those areas are privilege. I could go much, much deeper into unique challenges and privileges and how we each may have some of both. Instead, I want to focus this post on voluntary challenges, or goals, that we set for ourselves and strive to meet or surpass.

For example, every few years I set a list of goals called the 101 in 1001 - 101 different goals I hope to tackle in 1001 days (about 2.75 years). I'm currently on my second round of 101 in 1001, and maybe progress regularly.

Within that big goal list, are smaller challenges (or goals) that set. Chances are I may not accomplish every single item on my list, but I am striving to tackle each challenge so I can gain experiences, skills, and bits of happiness from each thing I accomplish.

I also set two reading challenges each year - typically the PopSugar Reading Challenge, which pushes me to read outside of my comfort zone, and the Goodreads Challenge, which is a set number of books I hope to read in the year and I have the opportunity to meet that goal in a way that best suits my needs.

For me, the challenges I set for myself are like to-do lists that help me strive towards bigger goals a little bit at a time. And while that may not work for everyone (for example, many people prefer to be more spontaneous and go with the flow), I need a bit of structure to help move me towards new things. It helps me feel prepared and organized, and quite a bit less anxious.



So how to stay on top of these challenges, while not overwhelming myself, and actually making progress towards my goals? 


I create a post of the challenge on my blog, and I share it often. It helps me keep myself accountable, but can also sometimes help me make progress. For example, book publicists have reached out to me to review books that may meet certain prompts. I've always been gifted complimentary experiences or items that help me work towards my 101 in 1001 goals. Most recently I was able to visit and experience a salt room, which was really cool. Obviously, the receiving complimentary perks isn't something everyone will have access to, and as a small blogger I don't see this incredibly often for myself, but it definitely helps. I also often share on my Instagram and social channels. My IG highlights have become a place I've started keeping track of some 101 in 1001 tasks when I make progress or complete the goal, and I also share my reading challenge info in my highlights.


I keep a copy of goal lists in a Note on my phone. I tried using a physical notebook in the past to keep track of the goals, but I found I wasn't actually utilizing it. So I tend to copy and paste the blog posts in a Note, where I can strikethrough items I've completed, literally at any given time because it's in the palm of my hand.


I review my goal lists regularly. Because they're in a Note on my phone, I can pull them up whenever to see if I've completed one without realizing it, or I can review the goals to see if there's something I have an opportunity to complete.


I really enjoy seeing my personal goals as challenges. It speaks to the part of me that in competitive, and though I'm not competing against anyone, I'm working to make myself "better" or more experienced than I was the day, or week, or month before. It's a friendly competition with myself, which surprisingly works wonders.



















This post is in collaboration with the #LoveBlog2020 link-up. Today's post is co-hosted by Brita from Belle Brita, Charlene from Enduring All Things, and myself. Please visit my co-hosts and link-up below. You can find the prompts for the entire month here.

An InLinkz Link-up

I completed my first round of 101 in 1001 starting in 2016 and ending just earlier this year. What is 101 in 1001, you ask? It's a list of 101 goals to complete in 1001 days (about 2.75 years). This is such a fun process because it's really interesting to see how many things you can complete when you set your mind to it (it's almost like a game!), but it's also really cool to see how your priorities and interests change over time, too. This is round two for me, and I'm excited to see the growth that comes from this challenge.










Adventure, Fun, & New Things

01. Travel to five new cities. (1/5) Queens/Manhattan, June 2019

02. Travel to three new states. (1/3) New York, June 2019






12. Experience Oktoberfest. ☑ Helen GA, September 2019

16. Visit five new breweries. (2/5) Hixtown Brewing,  June 2019; Printer's Ale, November 2019

20. Chill with alpacas on an alpaca farm. ☑ L&R Alpaca Haven, May 2019





21. Try 15 new-to-me restaurants. (15/15) ☑ Farmer's Table, May 2019; Taste of Thai, May 2019; Grindhouse Killer Burgers, May 2019; Revolution Doughnuts, June 2019; Iron Age Korean Steak House, June 2019; Queens Jamaican restaurant, June 2019; Queens Chinese restaurant, June 2019; Queens Bodega, June 2019; Tick Tock Diner, June 2019; Rose's Pizza, June 2019; Victory Sandwich, June 2019; Poke Bar, July 2019; Raging Burrito, July 2019; Troll Tavern, September 2019; Kuroshio Sushi Bar & Grill, November 2019; Bagel Meister, November 2019

24. Eat five new-to-me foods. (3/5) Thai coconut soup, May 2019; Pâté, June 2019; Chopped cheese, June 2019

25. See five live performances (concerts and/or theatre). (1/5) Disrupt Fest, June 2019





Fashion, Beauty, & Wellness

44. Get a Brazilian wax. ☑ September 2019

45. Start a vitamin regimen. I've tried two different vitamins for a few months each. I am trying to find what works best for me still, and I'm definitely open to suggestions.

46. Buy a pair of Everlane Day Gloves. ☑ Got a pair in pink.





Home

52. Update our bedroom furniture. ☑ My parents and sister actually got up a set for Christmas, December 2019

61. Donate or throw out 50 items and do not replace them. ☑ Had a yard sale and got rid of a lot, October 2019.





Finances

62. Pay off my loans & 63. Pay down my credit cards by half. I've been steadily paying them down since I started a new job. So I'm making progress.

65. Open a joint checking account at a credit union to use for bills. ☑ July 2019

67. Save $500. ☑ July 2019




Books, TV, & Music

75. Read all the books I already own that I haven't read yet. I'm working through reading what I've got, though I'm still regularly getting Book of the Month picks each month.

76. Read all Stephen King books. Working through them. Make sure to check out the previous link for updates.





77. Complete a reading challenge each year. Not sure I'm going to completely finish the challenge, but I still work through them each year. I've very excited for the 2020 challenge.

79. Create five mood playlists on Spotify. (4/5) GRL PWR, Spooby Fall Bops, Pretty AF, A Few of My Favorite Tunes





Love & Marriage

90. Take a four-year anniversary trip or experience. ☑ Helen GA, September 2019

93. Celebrate Andre's 30th birthday in a big way. ☑ July 2019





Give Back

96. Donate books to a free little library. ☑ May 2019





97. Give out five care packages to friends. (1/5) #1, May 2019

98. Pay for the person behind me. ☑ September 2019





Career & Development

100. Get a promotion and/or raise. ☑ Began a new job with pay increase at a different institution, June 2019.

One of the things I truly look forward to each November is the release of the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge for the upcoming year. The 2020 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge was just announced and I am so excited for what 2020 holds in terms of reading accomplishments. But look, in terms of 2019 - I am very behind on my reading challenges. I still have 20 prompts left for the 2019 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge (Yikes! That likely won't get finished), and I've got to read 15 more books to complete my Goodreads challenge. It's not that I haven't been reading - I have! But I've made it through my fair share of Stephen King books this year, and we all know how long those can take. I also graduated with my master's, started a new job with a longer commute (and I don't do audiobooks). So it's been one heck of a 2019, which is fine, but let's keep our figures crossed in terms of me finishing some reading challenges here, okay?


You can always keep up with my progress at the top of the page (under the 'books & reading' tab, you'll find all of my previous and current reading challenges). You can also catch me on Goodreads and Instagram!

I've included POPSUGAR's printable graphic below, which I usually save on my phone so I can mark as I go. Feel free to grab it to keep up with your completed prompts, too!




2020 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge


01. A book that's published in 2020 ☑

In the true spirit of adulthood, we're hoping to purchase a house soon (but haven't yet, so this is all pre-meditated, wishful thinking). So, I - being the dramatic human that I am - thought maybe we'd go the extra mile with the party planning, right? Maybe be a little extra and create an entire housewarming party invitation kit, complete with invitation, RSVP card, registry information, and directions all inside a fancy little pocket to keep it together.

I checked out the website over at basicinvite.com and explored all the options they have available and let me tell you - there are so many. I decided to choose from the wedding invitation sets and there are over 1000! I chose a couple different options including the new hearts moving announcement and for the full set I went with the flowing ferns wedding invitations, thank you cards, and response cards alongside the floral celebration registry cards and directions cards all enclosed inside the basic invite traditional pocket. Even though these options came from different sets, I was able to customize the colors and fonts to create a consistent look between the different cards.

















While I was sifting through all the options available on Basic Invite, I may have come across a few random options too.




Graduation announcements

I know it's been a few months, but I worked long and hard to earn my master's while working full-time and I'd like everybody to know, okay? Don't judge me. So, I compiled a few of my wedding pictures taken by the wonderful Sarah and popped them into the finally done graduation announcements because HELLO - it took me an extra year but I freaking did it!






Business cards

On my second round of 101 in 1001, I talked about finally ordering some business cards for the blog and social channels, and so this was a perfect opportunity to give a few options a try. I am absolutely loving the clear and frosted options Basic Invite has (including wedding invites!), so I knew I wanted to try out the big intro clear business cards and the big name clear business cards. I opted for one to be totally clear and the other to be frosted.









I'm still deciding between the two. Which one is your favorite?




Wedding invitations

Okay, okay. So I actually got married almost four years ago. And I really liked our wedding invitations, but these forest watercolor seal & send wedding invitations are so cool. They're pre-addressed and include a tear-off RSVP postcard to send back. It's everything you need all in one and I am obsessed. These would've gone perfect with our fall whimsical woodsy wedding. I'm also a huge fan of these fall coasters wedding favors, though I actually really loved the Whitter button pins we had on our big day.









Seriously, Basic Invite has so many options, there's bound to be something you're looking for regardless of the occasion. Everything is fully customizable (as you can see from the fact I made wedding invitation sets into housewarming invitations). You can pick the colors and fonts and move everything around. There are so many different paper options to choose from (I chose different papers for all the different items above). And it's the only site I've found where you can actually order custom samples so you can truly see what your order will look like in your hands before ordering full sets of multiple invitations or whatever.