101 Achievements

A 1001 days ago (plus 3) I published this list; My 101 Things In 1001 Days. To be honest it feels like only a few short months ago, the fact that it was over two and a half years ago is really rather shocking. Where oh where does the time go?

The idea behind the 101 things in 1001 days is kind of like a list of New Year Resolutions or personal goals but rather than having just a year to complete them in this gives you a longer and in my opinion more realistic time period. Writing the list initial was harder than I anticipated, as I wrote at the time, on this post, “The first 30 or so things just jumped right out but after that I found myself totally overwhelmed by the options and decisions and, if I am totally honest, very close to calling it quits.” Without some helpful encouraging emails from Marie Rebelle I probably would never have finished it but I am glad I did.

Over the course of the 1001 days Rebel has been a constant whisper in my ear, reminding me of the time frame as it ticked by and encouraging me to write about my progress. I have, unlike her, utterly failed to do that. She has been the most wonderful and supportive 101 partner and without her goal No. 69 would never have been achieved. She has also been much more diligent about her list than I have about mine. Writing regular updates and working with far more dedication than I to achieve her aims.

But what of my list? Well once it was published I pretty much just let it sit there, although it was always in the back of my mind I never really worked on it with a concerted effort instead just let things happen when opportunities arose. In the end I completed 42 of the 101 things which might not sound very good but actually I am rather pleased with that number considering my complete lack of focus on the list.  When I wrote it 1001 plus days ago it really did reflect my goals and ambitions at the time, which is evident by the writing goals. However since then my focus has moved more towards my photography, which is reflected by the fact that I achieved lots more of the photograph related goals than the writing goals. Did I fail with my writing? Far from it, I just achieved different things from those listed here and that can be said for a great deal of the list. The personal kink related items, we did some of them, we didn’t do other but we did do a hell of a lot of wonderful kinky fuckery in that time including being blessed with a wonderful significant third in our lives. Something we are both very happy to have experienced with someone who remains to this day a very close and special friend to both of us. What the list has taught me is that I don’t need it to achieve amazing wonderful positive things in my life. It was an interesting exercise to put together and have as a reference point but I now know I can be productive, creative, focused and allow myself more space to follow what feels right for me at the time, without it.

I think it could be very easy to believe that all the things on the list that remain uncompleted are my failures but I don’t think that is true, they have just not been completed yet! Just because the opportunity has not arisen so far, does not mean that it won’t and so all those things that remain uncompleted also continue to have potential for the future. I like that thought, I think life would be very dull if we managed to get everything done. Having things to aspire to is by its very nature inspiring. It is one of the things I love about our kinky relationship, there is always something to explore, to discover, to try, to learn. So I am not sad about the things I didn’t complete I am hopeful for the future that the time will come when they will be achieved and when they are, that I will always have the type of outlook on life that results in me constantly adding new goals to the list.

Which brings me nicely to the future of the list. Yes it is officially at an end, the 1001 days have been and gone but that does not mean I have to give up on those things I didn’t achieve. There is still plenty on the list to challenge me and most of them are still things that I want to do in some form or other; I still want to be hunted in the woods, visit Vegas again with @domsigns, and get more tattoos, to name but a few. I am hopeful and positive that time and opportunity will result in these and other things from the list, eventually being achieved and so for now I am going to leave the list exactly as it is and see where the future takes me.

Ps. If you are interested in starting your own list or finding other people who have done so then check out the group listing page. The linky tool will remain open but I am not adding any new images to the page.