So as I mentioned last fall I decided that I was going to ‘restart’ and expand the time frame of my 100+ goal challenge. The new challenge started on July 19, 2020 and I planned for it to run through January 10, 2026 (basically 2002 days–double the normal 1001 day time).

So I’ve been updating this list on-and-off since the first update back in October. One of the things I decided to remove were all of the TV shows that I thought I’d be binge-watching. The reason–currently I don’t feel like sitting down and watching multiple seasons of any TV show. While I may decide to watch an episode or two (or maybe a season)–I just don’t see myself sitting down and binge watching like a total of 20+ seasons of shows over even a five year period.

Then, there is still the pandemic going on–which means that my travel plans (and any plans that requires me to be around other people) are still on hold, and I’m still sheltering in place. While two vaccines have been approved for emergency use (with three more in the middle of phase 3 clinical trials), I probably won’t be eligible for the vaccine until late summer or early fall. Therefore I’m still going to be sheltering in place (and wearing a mask when I do go out and about) probably until August or September of this year. This gives me plenty of time to still try to figure out what my ‘new normal’ is going to be looking like.

So my first check-in on this challenge was in October, and the blog title was ‘check-in on the 150+ goal challenge‘. This was where I first started editing out some of the goals that I didn’t feel were fitting my current projections of what I was wanting to do with my life.

So if you want, you can click on the above link, go read that post and see where the changes have occurred.

Note–some goals aren’t numbered as they’re considered a ‘sub-goal’ of the goal above. But in total (numbered and unnumbered) I do have almost 150 goals on the list.

So how have all the goals been progressing?

1. Transition into an industry position. Currently thinking of either remote/contract or possibly freelance to start (mainly due to the pandemic). But also thinking of possibly doing freelance and then also finding a ‘in-house’ position doing something slightly different.
2. Learn a programming language (python or R–ties in with #6). I have downloaded a python program, and will be starting to work through some of the e-courses that I bought that deals with python.
3. Finish various e-courses that I’ve bought, but in particular:
4. Clinical Research Coalition (Advanced Cheeky Scientist Program)–started watching the videos in this program recently.
5. Medical Writers Organization (another advanced Cheeky Scientist Program)–need to finish the writing and editing assignments
6. Data Science Syndicate (another advanced Cheeky Scientist program)–finished this on September 3rd 2020.
7. Program Management Consortium (another advanced Cheeky Scientist program)
8. Management Consulting Firm (yet another advanced Cheeky Scientist program)
9. All other courses–see additional lists in the journal. Decided to make things a little easier–I have a list of courses that I would like to finish in 2021, and if I manage to finish all of those, then I will go back to the master lists in the journal.
10. More interacting on LinkedIn. This section is hard to score. I’m doing the best with the first one, and trying to improve on the second and fourth ones.
    • Sharing articles from various biotech pages, and other science pages. I usually manage to share at least two to four articles a week from the Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News site.
    • Commenting on posts. Trying to get better at this
    • Giving/Asking for recommendations–need to start doing this
    • Start writing my own posts. I’m slowly trying this, but have started by trying to share photographs and/or inspirational quotes to begin with. I also need to work on the frequency of posts as well.
11. Creating monthly/weekly/daily calendars for above goals. This is something that I’m still working on. I’ve realized that while calendars are good, I also like the flexibility of deciding what or when to post. Mental block that needs to be worked on.
12. Renewing professional memberships. I need to decide on which association I will be renewing first, as I had mentioned in a previous post I currently don’t have enough money to renew all of them at once.
13. Become fluent in Spanish
14. Become fluent in German
15. Become proficient in French, Norwegian, or Swedish
16. Read at least 300 personal/professional development books. This is also including books from my previous attempts at 1001-day challenges as well. I have over 300 books on the list (actually probably closer to 400), and I would like to get through at least half of them before adding any new ones to the list. In addition I’m reformatting the goal slightly and aiming for at least 30-40 non-fiction books a year (so the total number may only be 90-120 instead of 300). Counting in the books read during the previous attempts (2018-2020) I’ve already read 73 books (though I considered 12 of them to be ‘reference’ books on a topic). I’ve also finished 3 books this year. That means in theory to reach 300 books, I need to read another 224 books over the next 1802 days.
17. Finish the books on scientific writing (tied in with #16)
18. Start building a portfolio of work (writing/data analysis/other ideas)–may mean either another website, renaming this one and reformatting what I have posted.
19. Develop a daily writing habit–I usually manage to write in my journal a little every day. Sometimes it is just to make note of the workout I did, or card spread for the evening.
20. Write a letter to my future self
21. Paint and frame at least one original painting
22. More photography–haven’t done as much as I would like so far for 2021, mainly due to the temperatures and not getting outside as often. But I have been updating/adding pages to the bird section
23. 365-Day Photography Challenge (aim for 365 different pictures). I have a couple of ideas for this, just need to fine-tune one or two of them and hopefully will be starting this challenge again within the next few months.
24. Updating photography pages on blog. I’ve been adding pages to the bird tab on the website, with the goal of hopefully one new species page a week (with pictures), in addition to pages for the bird order & family. I will also start adding in other pages under the photography and travel tabs throughout the spring as well.
25. Make my own jewelry
26. Learn to cross-stitch–I started doing this the other day. It will be something that takes practice at to be good at. I do enjoy doing it and will try to practice at least every other day.
27. Get a new sewing machine–on hold. Possibly once I move and am willing to take the risk that I’m getting a machine with a defective bobbin winder.
28. Make a new quilt for my bed–on hold (see #27 for reason)
29. Make a set of drapes for the bedroom (mainly for backdrop for zoom calls)–again on hold (see #27 for reason)
30. Start a new afghan (after mending other two and writing a blog post on it)
31. Showcase crafts on blog–need to have some crafts actually either started or completed
32. Start writing a book–I have an idea or two for this
33. Learn Photoshop
34. Write in journal daily (answering questions/prompts from various books & free thought). Have been doing this–though sometimes it is just noting that I did my morning workout.
35. Create my own coffee-table photography book
36. Learn basic sign language
37. Start a virtual book club–question though is, would it be non-fiction or fiction?
38. Create monthly budges–currently this is just paying off the bills
39. Credit card debt down & hopefully paid off monthly–some are still a little high (due in part to impulsive book buying and investing in myself (a couple of courses were rather expensive)
40. Declutter the house (way of earning extra cash)–need to place a couple of declutter orders over the next few weeks
41. Savings account up another 20K (hopefully)–this is tied with a few of the other finance goals. In truth the goal should be trying to get my savings to where it was before I started my reboot break
42. Talk with financial personal about short-term investment possibilities
43. Continue doing small surveys as a way of earning a little extra cash
44. Finish the various financial e-courses, and then decide when/how to start investing
45. Get into the best shape of my life
46. Multivitamin & supplements daily–I think I’ve only missed a few days here and there
47. Make it through the following Beachbody programs (at least once):
    • Morning Meltdown 100–First round was finished on 9/15/2020
    • Yoga Booty Ballet (Abs & Butt Series)–~3/4 of program completed by 11/14/2020
    • 10 Rounds–1st Round completed on 12/26/2020
    • Barre Blend–Will be starting this on Monday 2/8/2021
    • Insanity Max:30
    • LIIFT4–2nd round finished on 11/14/2020
    • 22-Minute Hard Corps
    • T20
    • Insanity
    • Insanity: Asylum 1
    • Insanity: Asylum 2
    • 4 weeks of Prep
    • 6 weeks of the Work
    • T25 (have already done this program once)
    • Brazil Butt Lift
    • 21-Day Fix (already done once; 2nd time will be the ‘live’ version)
    • 21-Day Fix Extreme (already done once; 2nd time will be the live version)
    • Country Heat (already done once)
    • CIZE
    • Muscle Burns Fat–First round completed 1/17/2021
    • Muscle Burns Fat Advanced–First round will be completed 2/7/2021
    • Let’s Get Up–Shawn T’s new one
    • 9-week control freak (dumb bell option)
    • Shawn Week
    • 80 Day Obsession
    • Brazil Butt Lift: Carnival
    • Shift Shop: Proving Grounds
    • P90
    • Core de Force
48. Manage 5 push-ups on my toes (I’ve been practicing & managing between 4-10 on my knees)
49. Manage 10 push-ups on my toes
50. Hold a 2 minute forearm plank
51. Hold a 90 second plank
52. Meditate nightly–have been doing, though sometimes its only been for a minute or two
53. 60-80 oz of water daily–getting close though some days its probably between 40-50
54. Stretch daily
55. Get at least 10,010,000 steps (breaks down to 5K/day)–on my way to meeting this, as I usually manage to meet monthly goals
56. Finish YouTube for bosses course
57. Finish YouTube course creation for bosses course
58. Finish blog to biz course
59. Launch a YouTube channel
60. Launch a online course
61. Get blog traffic to 500+ views a day
62. Rebrand myself & website (?)
63. Get instagram followers to constant 800+
64. Get pintrest followers to constant 400+
65. Get twitter followers to constant 1000+
66. Publish at least two blog series
67. Editorial calendars (monthly/weekly/daily)
    • Blog
    • Instagram
    • Facebook page
    • Twitter
    • Pintrest
68. Get becomingJessi (or new name if I change) to 1000+ likes/follows on Facebook
69. Various top 10 author lists
70. Various top 10 book series lists
71. Launch a podcast
72. Launch a etsy store
73. Full & New Moon Goals
74. Create my wiccan/pagan altar
75. Daily oracle card readings
76. 15 minutes outdoors in the morning (coffee only)–weather permitting; basically start in spring
77. Keep at least 3 plants alive
78. Design a science based board game
79. Create and update a digital vision board
80. Reorganize my storage unit
81. Put in at least 1 flower garden around the house
82. Help put up a partial privacy fence in backyard
83. Start downsizing number of clothes I own & creating both different ‘minimum’ wardrobes (work/professional/casual; home/casual/working out) & dressing for my now body
84. Start downsizing the rest of my things as well–would like to be able to live comfortably in a smallish size house (or apartment)
85. Develop at least 10 different 100-day challenges–will include 100 days of iPhone photography and 100 days of doodling
86. Re-pierce my ears
87. Go to at least 1 scientific conference & present at a scientific conference
88. Go to at least 2 professional networking events
89. Move to a new (or maybe not new) city for job
90. Visit at least 3 new (to me) countries
91. Visit at least one new (to me) national and/or state park
92. Visit at least one new (to me) national and/or state monument
93. Visit at least one new (to me) zoo
94. Visit at least one new (to me) aquarium
95. Fly out and/or land at 3 new (to me) airports
96. Visit at least one new (to me) city
97. Visit at least one new (to me) state
98. See the northern lights
99. Attend at least one blogging conference
100. Attend at least one author-reader conference
101. Swim with whale sharks
102. Parasailing
103. Buy fabric and foam and make new cushions for chairs
104. New couch and chair(s) for living room
105. New dresser for bedroom
106. New mattress & box spring for bed and/or new bed set
107. New TV & stand
108. New desk/craft workstation
109. New dining table

So while I removed one program from my professional development goals–I added another in it’s place. I also made a list of courses to work through for the year, instead of trying to debate between courses and never getting any done. I’ve already watched three of the small courses from Skillshare during January.

I’ve also realized that I’m behind on writing quite a few posts (such as my thoughts on the Data Science program offered by the Cheeky Scientist Association, and several book reviews). I’m also hopefully going to be done with the Medical Writing Organization program this month (once I block out enough time to work through the various writing and editing assignments).

I’m doing well with the fitness/health goals. I made a bingo card for the next two years (2021-2023) with different programs (1st, 2nd, or 3rd rounds) on it. I made it a goal to make it through 9 programs this year (which includes doing the 2nd or 3rd round of a couple of programs), and then hopefully 7 programs next year.

As I mentioned previously–I’m leaning heavily in the direction of going freelance/online/remote for work. Now I’m thinking on what type of combination of things I want to be doing (such as writing, data analysis, project management, or data entry), and then also stick with something in the personal development/hobby realm as well. The dual, multiple focused combination actually appeals to my mixed-styled multipontialite personality.

This then raises the next question of either changing the name of the blog/site, and possibly archiving older posts, or keeping this as my personal blog and then starting another site from scratch. I need to inquire with various people on their opinion (change name/archive/delete or keep and start a second one from scratch).

I’m also still working on developing an editorial calendar/to-be accomplished list that works for me. Besides swinging between two extremes: trying to cram way too much stuff into a day or not getting anything done, I am also still working my way out burnout (more on this in a later post).

So I am making decent progress with some goals, and need to start working on others. The main thing I need to remember: “Progress over Perfection” and to start embracing the learner and intellection parts of my personality again.

Next check-in will be coming in mid-May.

Have you tried a 101 goal in 1001 days? How did it go?