I've spent today laying the groundwork for #Yes100 and working out how best to integrate all of these new commitments into my life. Here's what I did and learned.
PHOTO OF TODAY FOR INSTAGRAM
Today's photo was me working at the computer, as most of the day was spent. I love making things happen and creating the #Yes100 website, starting this blog, loading photos and also seeing how many other people are adopting #Yes100 has already made the day worth it. I think this photo sums it up!
30 MINUTE POWERNAP
Still groggy from a trans Atlantic flight yesterday and the ubiquitous post flight cold, I needed today's 30 minutes!
RECALL A MEMORY FROM A PAST ADVENTURE
Today's was easy, an image of Dale Sanders, a good friend who I met 5 years ago as I paddled the Mississippi. My first day of #Yes100 was spent in Dale's house in Bartlett, TN.
MOVE OUTSIDE
It was in the high twenties when I finally emerged from the dark basement. The sun beat down hot and I jogged, side stepped, stretched and ticked off two other tasks at the same time...
50 PRESS-UPS + 50 SIT-UPS
It's been a while so I broke these up into stints of 10 and 15 in between little jogs.
PAUSE AND LISTEN
Seth Godin's Tribes is my audio book of choice at the moment. He was explaining the difference between leaders and managers and the ability of small companies or even individuals to reach wider markets with the right idea.
TAKE A PORTRAIT
My portrait today was of Dale Sanders, my host, winner of the Canoe and Kayak Spirit of Adventure Award in 2016 for his length of the Mississippi paddle last year, at the age of 80.
10 MINUTES OF WRITING
I travelled downtown with Dale in his campervan, and picked his brain about his recollection of my 2011 Mississippi River journey. I took 500 words of notes, slowly pulling together pieces of my time on the river before and after Memphis.
DEVELOPING MY WEBSITE
Today's task was easy, and although I spent way more than 10 minutes on it creating the #Yes100 page on my website was super fun. I also created the #Yes100 challenge page on the SayYesMore site, so other people can share their challenges with the world
CREATING A FILM
Clips sorted and cut into a manageable amount from last weekend's kitesurfing training. Ready now for final edit tomorrow
READ
Bobby Robson's 7th chapter of Farewell but Not Goodbye is taking us through his dislike of Maradona following the 1986 world cup quarter final, and maradona's little cheating fist.
SAVE £1 A DAY
Easy, a pound is in the pot.
LEARN A LANGUAGE
With a length of Japan journey approaching in November this was step one towards being able to express myself. Started with 0 to 10! Ichi, Ni, San, Shi/Yon, Go, Roku, Shichi/ Nana, Hachi, Kyū/ Ku, Jū
LEARN SOMETHING NEW ABOUT A DEVICE FAMILIAR TO ME
Correct a mistake with a shake! If you make a mistake while writing a note, an email or a post on your iPhone, just shaking the phone pops up an option to undo your typing and start again. Genius! (I feel like I'll write 'genius' after each of the 100 things I'll find in this project!)
LESSONS:
I ended today feeling a sense of achievement I haven't had in quite sometime. Not only had I ticked off 15 tasks, but I'd done plenty more, seen lots of others start #Yes100 with a bang, and did the groundwork to make sharing the next 99 days much easier.
If I'm going to be off grid for a period (like I will be next week unless I decide to get a sim card with data (doubtful) I need to plan ahead to share and schedule the commitments that require internet - this led me to realise a few other things I needed to plan ahead for, too.
Each task doesn't have to be completed alone. I hopped out of my dark basement for 30 minutes of movement, and incorporated my 15 minute audio book session with 50 press ups and pull ups as part of this. Tick, tick, TICK!
I also realised that learning new something about my computer/ device could be done on the toilet! Tick, plop!
If I spend ten minutes an hour working on something it's going to achieve the same as if I just worked on it for an hour, but thinking time throughout the task helped me gain perspective.
Already I can visualise what some of these tasks will look like when multiplied by 100, especially the photo projects and learning Japanese! Small but manageable pieces, collectively powerful.
Just stopping to read for 15 minutes gave my eyes a rest from the screen.
As time goes on I probably won't take quite as long as the allotted time for some of the tasks like telling a story or taking/ sharing a photo.
There's not just one way to cook a cat, or learn a language. If I'm going offline on a train, copy some information about basic Japanese on my phone. If I'm having a bath - simply play an audio language book. There's never just one way to do something.
