Just over a year ago, I challenged myself to 101 awesome goals in 1,001 days.

In 376 days, I have completed 32 goals.
37% of the time has passed and I have only finished 32% of my goals.
I really NEED TO GET ON IT.

13 of the goals I have changed since last December. Not because I knew I couldn't finish them, but because finishing them for the sake of finishing them isn't the kind of goal setter I am. I'm not setting goals to win a prize, to pat myself on the back, to cross things off this handy list or impress anyone.

Goals have a purpose

Every one of these goals has a purpose to make memories (#7), for me to become more of the person God has called me to be (#22), to push myself in my career (#35), to strengthen my body, my mind, or my health in general (#9, #25, #85), to further my relationships with John and my friends and my family (#13, #24, #96).

Last December seems like a hundred years ago. More than a hundred things have changed. Looking at the 32 goals I have finished.. some of them have straight up changed my life. #14, for example, or #92 (the magazine!).. Reaching these goals has done everything I intended them to do and more (always more, much more!), and setting those goals, just simply writing them down, motivated me to make them happen.

But if achieving a goal doesn't get you closer to its purpose, let it gooooo

I removed 13 goals from my original list. Why? Because things change.

I used to make the funniest YouTube videos. (I am the humblest person I know.) And one of my original goals was to make *FIFTY* videos, because I had sooo much fun & I wanted to have 50 times the amount of fun. But when I realized that I had to choose between making the magazine (super fun) or making the YouTube videos- I couldn't choose the videos simply because I had told myself I would. There is definitely something to be said about discipline, for sure, but I had to evolve with my career, my life, and my goals had to evolve, too.

Not achieving a goal is not the same as quitting

Think about all the goals you've had in your whole life. I had a goal to keep growing my hair out until I was married.. can you imagine how long & gnatted my hair would be now?! I had a goal to speak learn how to say 1-10 in every language until my best friend told me once "That sounds like a complete waste of time." I was like.. you're totally right. (Although still kind of fun?). I used to have a goal of getting my master's in Speech Therapy and doing photography like maybe a little bit on the side. Can you imagine how much less fulfilled I'd be in life if I spent all my time (and DOLLARS) on a degree in something I realized I wasn't passionate about anymore? Nope, nope I cannot imagine it. Thank goodness.

We have a limited amount of time, of energy, of resources ,of excitement, of passion.
Using that time, energy, resourcefulness, excitement and passion on the wrong things is not the right thing to do for the sake of achieving goals.

So, to you out there whose goals have changed, I am proud of you

I am proud of you for recognizing that you need to check-in with yourself, you need to update your dreams, you need to chase your passions, whatever they may be, and write your goals down *for sure*, but don't trick yourself into thinking that crossing things off a list is the same as achieving your dreams.

But as the Scriptures say, “No one has ever seen, no one has ever heard, no one has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” - 1 Corinthians 2:9

My Updated 101 Goals List

All completed goals are bolded.
All new goals are italicized.

Started: December 2, 2014
Ends: Thursday, August 31, 2017 (right after my TWENTY EIGHTH BIRTHDAY OMGOD)

Go on a cruise
Get a new office space
Host 3 clothing swaps (January 2015, May 2015, October 2015 and one more in January 2016!)
See Banff
Buy an h2o dispenser and USE IT Christmas 2014
Have a conversation in Farsi
See New Orleans
Go on a 2 day minimum road trip September 2015
Go to yoga 10 times in 30 days
Make Beau frozen baby food February 2015
Get a blog design I am proud of January 2015
Take another photoshoot of my parents together November 2015
Take John to yoga February 2015
Start taking high school senior photos April 2015
Get my belly button re-pierced January 2015
Go to Portland
Have lunch in Central Park
Take a hip hop dance class December 2014
Visit Denver January 2015
Go ice skating on New Years December 31, 2014
Spend a weekend unplugged
Join a Bible study
Go laser tagging
Take Beau for a full day by ourselves
Get a SLO library card for free audiobooks
Help Tom with a home project
Go on another week long motorcycle ride with Dave
Throw a surprise party
Start doing my taxes BEFORE the year is over
Go sailing
Go horseback riding January 2015
See a ballet in Seattle
Make an ebook or an ecourse
Photograph for a local clothing line
Write 100 blog posts
Host a SLO What? event
Sell a photograph of mine as a piece of art
Save $10 for every goal I reach
Go to Harry Potter Land in Orlando with CJ & Alyssa March 2015
Do another guest post on a blog December 2014
Get Beau to learn my name
Teach Beau a few French words
Make a posing guide
Start a personal vlog
Throw pottery
Get 500 followers on Blog Lovin
See Antelope Canyon September 2015
Go to the Hot Air Balloon Festival in New Mexico
See Kelly Clarkson live. Again. August 2015
Blog about 50 things on this list
Make my own headshot back drop
Send out yearly calendar for Christmas
See Niagara Falls
Make a sand castle
Have graduation invites designed March 2015
Go camping in Big Sur
Wear my retainer full time for the 2 months prescribed
Take just a book and myself to Jo Mama’s and read March 2015
See Sam Smith in concert
Memorize my passport number (again..)
Pay for my car tags on time just one freaking time
Interview at least 3 local business owners and blog/write in the magazine about it
Photograph another international wedding
Buy another camera for my second shooter
Place first in Fantasy Football
Play volleyball at Meadow Park
Go on a camping trip with my parents in their trailer
Braid my sister’s hair February 2015
Go to Hawaii
Find the perfect pair of booties
Do a photo shoot in my prom dresses
Donate my prom dresses
Go on the graffiti tour in LA
Go dancing in Hollywood
Make a website for my mom's Jarling Treats
Scout ten different locations in SLO
Be in town every weekend for a month so I can go to church 4 times in a row
Go to Switchfoot Day in San Diego for Haley's birthday at least one more time
Go scuba diving
Buy a new Prius
Throw my parents a wedding anniversary party
Photograph all my favorite baristas
Rent a car March 2015 in Florida!
Have a bonfire on the beach and make s’mores Oct 2015
Learn how to make myself dinner
Start morning walks again when it’s not freezing
Get tags made for my beanie shop
Hang and start using my scratch off world map
Make my family cookbook and gift it
Hike the P December 2014
Find out if I can still do backflips
Start a magazine
Learn how to knit
Get 10 new “You are Here” Starbucks mugs (Denver, Colorado, Orlando, Florida, Houston, Boston, Cambridge, Washington, Phoenix, Portland!)
Have a Catch Phrase game night August 2015
Teach my friends the card game Hands & Feet
Plant an avocado tree
Print out John’s family photos Mother's Day 2015
Cut my hair shoulder length December 2014
Learn how to film artsy videos
Vote on something I actually know about and care about

Would you like to make your own list? I thought you would. Cause you and I, we’re a lot alike. And we like lists and we like life.

I should retitle my blog “Life in lists.”

I have written you a How-To guide so you can make yourself an exciting, fabulous, attainable but nonetheless a LITTLE out of your comfort zone 101 Things in 1,001 Days list!

It’s gonna be great.

Tons of love,

Asia

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Why you're allowed to change your goals: 101 goals in the next 1,001 days