003: Take part in a car safety training

What's this about?

Car safety trainings are usually whole days offered by various organizations where you learn to control your car in extreme circumstances and to assess what can be done in terms of breaking etc.

Why do I want to do this?

I commute to work now, and that includes all kinds of weather and situations. I want to feel more secure and to know my car better.

How will I know when I've done this?

I will have done an at least 6 hour car safety training course with my car.

I'll record this

In this journal when I'm done.

004: Get my hearing checked twice

Why do I want to do this?

I am hard-of-hearing in my left ear, the severity of which varies from 30 to 70% depending on the frequency. I want to assess whether my hearing levels are staying the same or are changing and for that I will need to get it checked several times.

How will I know when I've done this?

I will have requested my last hearing test results from my old ENT doctor and have been to two more hearing tests with at least 1 year between them. I will ahve talked to a doctor about the results.

I'll record this

In this journal after each visit.

005: Read the Grundgesetz

What's this about?

The Grundgesetz is the constitutional law of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has 146 articles and came into effect in 1949.

Why do I want to do this?

I want to become a better informed citizen and knowing the basic law of my country is a major part of that.

How will I know when I've done this?

I will have acquired a print copy of the law and have read all articles of it.

I'll record this

In this journal.

006: See three plays, a musical, a ballet, and an opera

Why do I want to do this?

I am not very well-versed when it comes to these cultural activities - I can't remember when I last saw a play or a musical and I have never seen a ballet or an opera. I want to experience these things.

How will I know when I've done this?

I will have been to the theater three times to see a play, seen one musical, one ballet and one opera.

I'll record this

In this journal. after each event.

007: Implement Dreamwidth's new memory system

What's this about?

In April 2010, I picked up Bug 210 - Overhaul "memories" in Dreamwidth's bug tracking system. It describes a complete overhaul of what is now the memories system of Dreamwidth into a more modern tag-based system.

Why do I want to do this?

I have been putting this off for way too long. It will be a very good exercise in a lot of things (databases, OOP in Perl, interface design) and will be a wonderful addition to the site.

How will I know when I've done this?

I will have submitted patches for version 1 of the new memory system and these patches will have been committed to the site.

I'll record this

in this journal when the patches are first submitted and when they are accepted.

008: Learn a programming language each year

What's this about?

From The Pragmatic Programmer:

Learn at least one new language every year. Different languages solve the same problems in different ways. By learning several different approaches, you can help broaden your thinking and avoid getter struck in a rut.

Why do I want to do this?

I like programming and I like learning new stuff. I have actually been pretty much doing this th last few years (2010 it was JavaScript, 2009 it was Perl) and continuing to do it will keep me into programming and will also be good for my career.

How will I know when I've done this?

For 2011, 2012, and 2013, I will pick one programming language I want to learn and then work through two books or large online tutorials dedicated to these languages.

I'll record this

Here when i decide on the language and at the end of each year.

009: Solve a Rubik’s cube

What's this about?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubik%27s_cube

Why do I want to do this?

Because it looks like fun :)

How will I know when I've done this?

I will have solved a Rubik's cube.

I'll record this

In this journal when done.

010: Learn to bake 10 types of cake/cupcakes/cookies

Why do I want to do this?

I like baking, I just never seem to get around to it. So I want to learn to bake 10 different types of cakes, cupcakes or cookies from scratch.

How will I know when I've done this?

I will keep a record of each type I bake and will have done this 10 times.

I'll record this

For every type, I will post the recipe here.

011: Donate 20€ 33 times

Why do I want to do this?

Because I want to get into the habit of donating. I figured 20€ is a good amount that I will be able to keep donating even if I should lose my job or something.

How will I know when I've done this?

I will have made 33 donations of at least 20€ to 33 different causes/charities.

I'll record this

I'll update this post every donation.

1: DayZeroProject, February 6, 2011

012: Visit 5 botanical gardens

Why do I want to do this?

I love botanical gardens, but have problems finding the time to visit them. So I am going to make the time and visit 5 different botanical gardens.

How will I know when I've done this?

I'll have spent at least 1 hour in 5 different botanical gardens.

I'll record this

In this post.

013: Visit 10 museums in my hometown and 10 in different cities

Why do I want to do this?

I don't go to museums enough, especially ones in the city I live in.

How will I know when I've done this?

I'll have visited 10 different museums in my hometown and 10 in different cities for at least 1 hour each.

I'll record this

In this post.

014: Visit 5 zoos

Why do I want to do this?

Because I love going to zoos :)

How will I know when I've done this?

I will have visited 5 different zoos for at least 3 hours each.

I'll record this

In this post.

015: Donate blood 3 times

What's this about? Why do I want to do this?

I don't have such a good history with donating blood - I have done it twice and fainted afterwards. My blood pressure is naturally low and my hemoglobin levels are usually borderline. Still, I want to donate it as long as I still can (there being a chance I might need medication that will prohibit me from donating at one point).

How will I know when I've done this?

I will have donated at least 400 milliliters of blood three times.

I'll record this in posts in this journal

016: Squat 80% of my body weight and bench press 40% of my body weight

What's this about?

Squats and bench presses are two very fundamental parts of free weight lifting and two I particularly enjoy. According to an article I found, squatting 100% of body weight is considered 'good' for a woman, as is 40% for bench pressing.

Why do I want to do this?

I like free weight training, but it's not something I have set goals for before. I think it would really help me stay on track with it and also very much help with the weight loss goals.

How will I know when I've done this?

I will have managed 3 squats with 80% of my body weight at that time and 3 bench presses with 40% of my body weight at that time.

I'll record this in exercise_every_day and on my computer as I train for it and with a post here when I have accomplished this.

017: Get back down to 70 kilograms

What's this about? Why do I want to do this?

I used to be around 60-62 kilograms most of my late teenage and adult life (I am 1.68m tall), until I gained weight in 2008. I am not quite sure how much I weight right now, but it's probably around 80 kilograms. I want to get back to where I was most comfortable, and that will start with my first goal of 70 kilograms.

How will I know when I've done this?

For two weeks in a row, my scale will be showing less than 70 kilograms. That will put me at a BMI of 24.8

I'll record this in this journal

018: Get back down to 60 kilograms

What's this about? Why do I want to do this?

I used to be around 60-62 kilograms most of my late teenage and adult life (I am 1.68m tall), until I gained weight in 2008. I am not quite sure how much I weight right now, but it's probably around 80 kilograms. I want to get back to where I was most comfortable, and after I have reached the 70 kilograms goal I want to focus on 60 kilograms.

How will I know when I've done this?

For two weeks in a row, my scale will be showing less than 60 kilograms. That will put me at a BMI of 21.3 and allow me to wear size 38 again :)

I'll record this in this journal

019: Make a photo album of me and the boy

What's this about?

Keeping pictures of me, my boyfriend, and what we did.

Why do I want to do this?

There are almost no pictures of me and him in existance even though we have been together for almost three years. I want to collect the ones that exist and make a photo album of us.

How will I know when I've done this?

I will ahve a photo album with at least 30 pictures of us.

I'll record this here