100 ...blank... in 100 days?

Imagine life isn't messy.  

What do you want to get better at?  

What would be your hundred day challenge that you could make or do once a day for 100 days?

It could be pasta, gardening,  scything,  photography,  walking,  or so many other options. If life wasn't so messy,  what's yours?

My own goal would be to take 10,000 steps each day, in any fashion not necessarily walking. Before covid struck, I did 10,000 to 18,000 a day. No problem. But then my focus changed, and it involved a whole lot less physical activity. So over the course of 4 years. I gained weight, lost physical ability, lost strength and endurance. I was averaging 3500 steps a day. Pathetic, for me. So I actually started trying to get back my physical self, starting 8 weeks ago. I put the riding mower into the barn and bought a new self propelled push lawnmower. I’ve managed to increase my average steps to the high 7000s with not only mowing, but walking to get things done. Today I put the ATV into the barn so that I will have to walk to get anywhere in my farm.

I’ve also started doing taichi to regain my flexibility and balance. It’s a nice exercise to start the morning out.

I plan to keep up this habit for far more than only 100 days, but 100 is a nice goal. If I can make it 100 days, then I can make it all the time.

    I would have to go with writing down observations and revelations. I spend a lot of time wandering my gardens and often notice interesting occurrences but rarely record these observations anywhere.
    I just got some small notebooks to keep in my pocket for this exact reason. I plan to write down any seemingly important ideas as they come to me, and will organize these thoughts into a yearly write-up. I think this will allow me to progress my efforts more efficiently and make time for more interesting experiments.

i have done this for several things: most recently running and dog training "challenges"-- now both way past 100. Sometimes the new thing becomes part of regular daily routine, sometimes it evolves into something else.

When life stops being messy, I want to get back to a daily drawing/painting habit. 100 sketches, 100 colors, 100 sunsets. Someday!

Revo Smith wrote:   I plan to write down any seemingly important ideas as they come to me, and will organize these thoughts into a yearly write-up.

I would be happy if I would just remember to use the "note" feature on my phone to write down the tasks I spot while doing other things on my homestead. If I did that every time I saw one for 100 days, maybe I'd be a bit more organized at getting them done, rather than wasting time going, "what was that thing I was supposed to do near the _____?"

Jay Angler wrote:if I would just remember to use the "note" feature on my phone to write down the tasks I spot while doing other things on my homestead.

the note thing is great, but i personally would be lost without the sending-a-message-to-myself thing. I use messaging services (whatsapp, telegram) that make it easy to send messages to myself or to "groups" that are... just me! (I have one for things to remember short-term [and i delete things from teh thread as i resolve them], another for recipes, another for things to buy when i travel internationally and have everyone requesting stuff, for example). It helps that in these apps you can just take a picture and use that. Maybe you've got something similar?

Get on the bike for half an hour. It does wonders for my blood pressure and mental health.

If life were not messy, I would want to build / make something that I could either keep or sell once a day for 100 days.
For instance, one day I would make a batch of soap.
Perhaps the next I would make a shave horse.
Day 3 I would put some built-in cupboards in between the studs in my wall to hold my tools, drills, etc.
You get the idea...

100 in 100 ... an opportunity to focus methinks.

- minor messes I've been avoiding
- minor unfinished projects that clutter
- minor corners that need tending
- minor conversations I should make happen

This could be a variation on the "10 things" rule my Dear Wife taught me. It's like this: I can't fix it all, it's too much, but regardless I can do 10 Things that move us forward. It gets me started and moving -- and once there is momentum, 10 things turns into 100 in short order. The rule of tens, perhaps?

Su Ba wrote:My own goal would be to take 10,000 steps each day, in any fashion not necessarily walking. Before covid struck, I did 10,000 to 18,000 a day. No problem. But then my focus changed, and it involved a whole lot less physical activity. So over the course of 4 years. I gained weight, lost physical ability, lost strength and endurance....

I am right there with you Su! Slowed down, gained weight, lessened my exercising.

While I am working on a similar life plan, I need to accomplish more tasks. With my lowered energy, my completed task list is accumulating...repair the mower, organize the garage, spring cleaning, clean the weed eater carburetor, repair one of the generators, etc. I can work to do one of my to-do list items each day over the next 100 days.

Good one, original poster! I love it! 😃👍👏 💖

1) health: weights/ strength training program -different muscle groups daily
2) well-being: clean up / chuck / donate / in some corner of my home every day
3) fulfillment: do one creative piece a day (sketch/draw/paint/cut/sew/sculpt/ form)

100 journal entries.
Or 100 songs on the harmonica.

100 minutes of focused guitar strumming, twice a week, spread out. I need to get back in shape. Accompanied by focused voice work, for the same reason.

An aside -- meet one of my two-fisted voice coaches. The band is Disturbed. The song: Sound of Silence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9Dg-g7t2l4

I think I would do something art every day.  I do better when I can start my day off with art but one of the things I avoid is drawing practice.  So half an hour of drawing a day seems like a good place to start.  

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:100 minutes of focused guitar strumming, twice a week, spread out. I need to get back in shape. Accompanied by focused voice work, for the same reason.

Same: guitar, ANYTHING. Just pick it up! Voice, SAME! And go to the gym I pay for!

Those and pray/worship God first thing. Pour boiling water on the weeds in the driveway. And write something and post it to the Instagram I have with gardening devotionals.

I literally could tie most of them together. I need a more predictable job.

I am sure practice works. Maybe not exactly 100 days, but any-way.

Just before I saw this thread I read through the thread on nettles for fiber (both thanks to the daily-ish e-mail). I re-read everything I wrote there during a few years. So I noticed: I know a lot more on processing stinging nettles for fiber now. And when I remember my first cordage and I compare it to what my hands are able to make now ... Yes, 'practice, practice, practice!'

That's what I always tell people too when they remark I am 'talented' (drawing). I say: I practice it since my childhood, I followed drawing/painting courses, I did a '150 days of sketching' challenge twice (so that's almost a year of sketching daily). Maybe my 'talent' is that I like drawing and I am motivated to do it often. But if I'm better at making a drawing then some others, it's because of 'practice, practice, practice'. And I think it's the same for every skill.

r ranson wrote:I think I would do something art every day.  I do better when I can start my day off with art but one of the things I avoid is drawing practice.  So half an hour of drawing a day seems like a good place to start.  

Most of the sketching for the '150 days' challenge I mentioned I did on my way to work. I traveled by train and then walked to the office. I took a train earlier, so I had about half an hour more for that walk. Those 30 minutes were the right amount of time to find a nice spot to sit (not always on a bench), take out my paper and pen, and sketch whatever I saw in front of me (a house, a tree, animals, even garbage bins ...).

The only thing needed is 'motivation'. My motivation was this official challenge someone started at the internet (it was a facebook group then, about 10 years ago). The 'need' to have something to show in the group, that helps. Telling others about what you are doing, or what you want to do, can be helpful too.

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:...

- minor messes I've been avoiding
- minor unfinished projects that clutter
- minor corners that need tending
- minor conversations I should make happen

...

Those are exactly the things I try to practice now!
I am good at making a mess, but I want to be better in tidying up after that.
I am good at collecting 'stuff that could be usefull for a future project', but if that project never comes 'decluttering' is what I want to do (without feeling guilty).
I am very good at 'being on myself' and 'keeping myself busy'. But conversations, communication with others, that's very important! And being a good host when a friend appears at my door ... (I found out because a friend did, in a terrible rain storm, I could not let her go on with her bicycle!)

r ranson wrote:Imagine life isn't messy.  

What do you want to get better at?  

What would be your hundred day challenge that you could make or do once a day for 100 days?

It could be pasta, gardening,  scything,  photography,  walking,  or so many other options. If life wasn't so messy,  what's yours?

One daily thing, done for or spoken to my lifemate, which nurtures open communication and deeper connection.
Something, anything, that would advance my ability to handspin and weave, with the purpose of turning it into a source of income.

What a great opportunity to reflect! and to explore what's holding me back (the barriers). And to further explore how to overcome those barriers (If it's ignorance, ask. If it's lack of knowledge/skill, then learn. If it's lack of materials/tools, then strategize obtaining them.).

I started a 100 days of homemade challenge.  Can be anything that you don’t normally make.  I’m feeling good about it so far!

Welcome to permies, Leah! Would you consider stating a projects thread in this forum: https://permies.com/c/permaculture-projects
to document the 100 things you made at home for this challenge? It would be great to see and could well inspire others to give it a go!

What if it was just 10 days?

Would you do it?  Just to see what the behaviour change feels like?  

Drink 8 glasses of water a day for 100 days ...

Doesn't sound hard at all.

Anne Miller wrote:Drink 8 glasses of water a day for 100 days ...

Doesn't sound hard at all.

Not as easy as it sounds ...

Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:

Anne Miller wrote:Drink 8 glasses of water a day for 100 days ...

Doesn't sound hard at all.

Not as easy as it sounds ...

That is why this is a challenge ...

https://permies.com/t/218871/Favoite-Healthy-Drinks