Can't Let the Ball Drop...

I have been neglecting this project so bad. If this project were my child, Child and Family Services would be all over my ass. I can't even tell you the last time I even thought about my Day Zero Project. Seriously disappointed in myself. 

I am here to give a great big update on all completed tasks! Because, yes I have actually completed some of them. I also think there may be some new ones. I'll give an overview on the ones I have completed first, and then I will write up a quick post for each one :). 

Completed Tasks:

6. Have a Baby. 

12. Have dinner by candlelight.

14. Lose all of the baby weight.

32. Learn to use my DSLR camera properly.

56. Give a handmade card.

75. Do a professional photo shoot (where I am the photographer)

So there you have it, it's not as far as I had hoped, but it is a start. And I still have plenty of time. 773 days to be specific. 

The only problem I find, is that some of my goals have changed in the last couple of months. I no longer want to do some of the things that were at the top of my list before. But they are on the list so I will do my best to complete them!

I can't let the ball drop again...

Moving Slowly

I am starting to get frustrated. I have not completed any of my goals yet. Even the ones that I thought would be done soon are no where near being completed. I feel like I haven't gotten anywhere in this challenge. I'm at a bit of a stand still it seems.

I thought I would have had my sewing machine up and running by now. It is sitting, instead, in the storage room, because I have no where convenient to put it. That is why I need a craft room (another goal on my list). However, I don't see myself getting a craft room any time in the near future. I could probably haul the sewing machine out to the kitchen table and work with it there, but it is too heavy for me to be lugging around at this stage in my pregnancy. Besides, we have enough things cluttering up the kitchen table and I don't need a bunch of sewing things adding to the mess. I guess this will just have to wait a little while longer.

Another thing I have been slacking on is learning to use my camera. I've still been experimenting and fiddling around with it a lot. I have learnt quite a bit just from that, but I think I am getting to the point now where I need to actually do some reading and maybe even take a course or something. I've hit a bit of a wall. There are a few functions that I am still unsure of how to work. Yet, as easy as it would be to open up my books and read, I keep putting it off. Maybe my mini-goal for this long weekend should be to actually do some research and work on my photography.

In better news, I have made some progress in the plans to open my own Etsy shop and sell the things I have made. I'm feeling a lot more confident in my skills and I have even started designing my own hats, and one specific, signature hat. I think I might be able to get something going sooner than I had thought. I don't feel quite ready for an Etsy shop, but I think I might try to get something local set up through a Facebook page and see how that goes. Also, Mum has offered to take some of what I make back home with her and she will try to sell it there. Apparently there is a store down there that sells all handmade gifts and what not, and she might be able to get my creations sold there. Not holding my breath on it, but how cool would that be to have my stuff sold in an actual store front? I still have some work to do. Before I do anything, I want to build up some stock. I also have to figure out how much I am actually going to charge for this stuff. But things are looking good and plans are progressing.

So, at least I have one thing that seems to be moving along. And the rest will follow once things get rolling.

I Haven't Forgotten!

Well, things are going pretty slowly. I knew they would. Unlike my 52 Weeks of Pinterest, I am not doing a set thing every week. A lot of these are more long term.

Even though I knew things would be slow, I feel like I am neglecting this blog. So, I am going to give a little bit of an update.

No. 22. Make a stuffed animal. I was never specific on this one. Technically, I have completed this task. Just this morning I finished the crochet teddy bear I was making for my baby boy. However, when I put this as one of my goals, I imagined a fabric stuffed animal that was sewn. Something more along these lines:

I am going to keep that as my goal since that was what I had originally had in mind. However, here is a picture of the teddy bear I made my son, just to prove that I did do it.

No. 2. Learn to Sew. This one is currently in the works. Of course, learning to sew is a long process, but I am starting to learn the basics. I bought a book that looks like it has really good instructions and am intending to follow some online tutorials and classes that look really good, as well. It will be a lot of trial and error since I am teaching myself, but I hope to be sewing some basic projects very soon. I have pretty much everything I need to get started, even a sewing machine...

Which brings me to another task.

No. 62. Get a sewing maching and learn how to use it. Half of this is done! I have a sewing machine. It is a pretty basic one that I got second hand, but it will do the job while I am learning. There was a piece missing that we have to get. Once I do I will get to work learning how to use it. Hopefully I will be sewing some easy projects in no time. I have even bought some fabric and thread to make something for the baby. I'm still trying to decide what exactly, although I will probaby make a taggy blanket first, and then maybe a crib sheet or a change pad cover. I'm very excited about it and hope to get to it soon. This task should be complete within the next week or two.

No. 27. Write a list of 100 things that make you happy. I've started my list. I have 17 things so far. There are probably more, but I didn't write them down as I thought of them. I'm kind of just trying to jot them down as they come to me. Every time something makes me smile or feel happy, I put it on the list. So far a lot of them have to do with my dogs. :)

No. 32. Learn to use my DSLR camera properly. Again, I'm kind of self-teaching with a lot of experimenting and stuff. I did find an article online that explains all the functions and what not, but I have yet to read it. Right now I am just having fun discovering how they all work on my own. I've actually gotten to know my camera pretty well just by fiddling around. I'm a lot more comfortable with it and adjusting it for certain light settings and what not.

No. 40. Keep a blog or journal of this challenge. Well, what am I doing right now?

No. 43. Complete the 5000 questions survey. I am a 5th of the way through! I just recently finished 1000. I find some of the questions difficult to answer because they simply do not apply to me, but there are some good ones that make me think about myself and answer truthfully.

No. 54. Make a pregnancy scrapbook. I find this hard because I don't have all of the supplies I need to finish the pages I have been working on. I do have two pages started however, and a plan for all of the other pages. It is just a matter of actually creating them now.

No. 72. Put away _____ from each pay. Right now Erik puts away $50 per pay in to a savings account. Of course, this number will probably increase once we are finished buying stuff for the baby, and then again when his pay increases at the end of the year. So far we have been pretty good about it, I think. If we keep it up we will have a good saving going on and a good start to having a down payment on a house maybe...

So, there you have it. I am indeed working on my tasks and have not simply forgotten all about this project or put it off. I guess I needed to reassure myself that I was actually getting some stuff done. :) I will make some official updates when I actually get this stuff done.

The Day Zero Project

Welcome to elli-m-f's Day Zero Project blog.

I called this blog Achieving, Not Just Living because for a long time now I have felt as if I have simply been living, waiting my life away. I felt like I was in a kind of limbo between my teenage years and my adult years, just kind of waiting until the next chapter would start. This past year I have really felt like my adult life has begun. Erik finished his training with the military, we got married, and now I am six months pregnant with a baby due in May. I feel like I have actually accomplished some things, goals that I have had for a really long time now, and it feels great! I want to accomplish more!

The Day Zero Project is the perfect way to get me started on achieving the goals I have for myself. The basic concept of this challenge is to make a list of 101 things or goals you would like to achieve in 1001 days (approximately 2 and 3/4 years). As you complete them, you check them off the list and at the end of 1001 days, hopefully you have completed them all! However, the main goal of the challenge is not to achieve all of the things on your list (although that is a big bonus!). I believe that the main goal is to get people achieving the things they want to do. They might not get to all of them, but even if you do only some of them, it is more than you had done before you started. It is about creating new memories and experiences and something to be proud of yourself for.

Goals don't have to be big to make a difference or make you feel like you have accomplished something. Some of my goals aren't very significant at all, but they are things that I want to do that I just haven't yet. Also, it is good to have big goals, little goals, and all goals in between. The easy ones are the ones you will accomplish first and that will give you the confidence and motivation to reach for the bigger ones. It's all about balance. You will see what I think is a nice variety of goals.

A nice thing about the Day Zero Project is that it also has the Someday List. A list of goals you want to achieve eventually but maybe are not very realistic to accomplish in the 1001 days. It will be a great place for all of those places I want to travel to and things I want to see and do that might take a little more time. I will have a section of this blog for that as well.

I hope that I achieve all of my goals and that when the 1001 days are finished, I continue with another 101 in 1001, and another after that. I always want to be able to feel like I have accomplished something with my life. I want to have no major regrets when I reach the end of my life.

Enjoy! And maybe this will inspire someone else to take charge of their life and achieve, not just live.