Gandhi's 52 Things in 2014 Challenge

In the last post I started the new year with an intent to make some positive constructive changes and improvements to my lifestyle. Although a noble start, it was in no way a concrete plan of what I needed to do during this year to achieve said goals. While scouring the internet searching for inspirations and ideas to implement my goals I stumbled across this gem of a post. 

Basically you list 52 (since there are 52 weeks in a year!) things that you want to do in the new year in a bulleted format and track your progress in achieving said things. Since some of the tasks can be quantified, it's a good idea to set a numeric target to help measure your distance to your goal. The clincher is the fact that you put this list up for the whole world to view and share your progress report (and experiences achieving them) with everyone.

Taking a cue from Lady Kell I decided to publish my own list of 52 things to do in 2014 and intend to share my progress over the course of the year with all my readers.

Each week I'll update the progress on my list and also share my experiences meeting my goals. The following Colour format should help with a quick summary of my progress - 

Green - Completed
Orange - In Progress
Blue - Not Started

Health/Well Being

1. Reach my target weight of 85 kg.
2. Log a 500 km cumulative walking distance on Runkeeper.
3. Sign up and run a 5K event.
4. Go for a morning walk at least 3 times a week (0/156)

Travel/Treks

5. Plan a trip to Hong Kong/Macau.
6. Plan a trip to Cameron Highlands.
7. Go on a cycling trip to Pulau Ubin with the wife.
8. Go for a trek to Bukit Timah with the wife.
9. Go for a trek to MacRitchie Reservoir Park.
10. Visit LegoLand in Johor Bahru
11. Visit 5 new attractions in Singapore (0/5).

Finances

12. Spend no more than $5 for lunch for an entire week. Have at least 12 such weeks in the year (0/12).
13. Complete the 52 Week Money Challenge (1/52).
14. Complete the Monthly Money Challenge (0/12).
15. Pay myself $10 for every task completed in this challenge. (0/52)
16. Pay all my Credit Card Debt

Family & Friends

17. Go on intimate date nights with the wife more often. One every month at least (0/12)
18. Get a professional couple photograph taken of the wife and I.
19. Host at least one movie marathon at home.
20. Call/Skype with family back home at least once a week (0/52)
21. Go out with friends at least once a month (0/12)

Hobbies & Interests

22. Go for a photo walk every month (0/12).
23. Submit my photos to a contest.

Reading

24. Read 24 books (0/24).
25. Complete the following books before buying any new ones
1. A Dance With Dragons
2. Shantaram
3. The Wolf Of Wall Street
4. Matterhorn
5. Last Train to Istanbul
6. Trojan Horse
7. Dongri To Dubai
26. Read at least 6 Non-Fiction books (0/6).

Blogging

27. Write at least 2 blog posts each month (1/24).
28. Additionally blog weekly about the progress of “Gandhi’s 52 Things In 2014 Challenge” (1/52)

Self Improvement

29. Journal 5 times a week (2/255).
30. Take a selfie every-week (0/52).
31. Create a time-lapse of selfie images.
32. Go a week without eating any junk food. Have at least 6 such weeks (0/6).
33. Go to bed before 11:00 PM for a week.
34. Don’t stay in the same role at work by the end of the year.

TV & Movies (This list may grow as we go along)

35. Catch-up/ Complete watching the following TV Shows -
1. Boardwalk Empire
2. Breaking Bad
3. Californication
4. Downton Abbey
5. Dexter
6. White Collar
36. Re-Watch all episodes of the following TV shows -
1. That 70s Show
2. The Practice
3. The Wonder Years
37. Watch 12 new movies released in 2014 (0/12)
38. Watch the following critically acclaimed movies -
1. Apocalypse Now
2. Platoon
3. Milk
4. Frost/Nixon
5. The Wrestler
6. Raging Bull
7. Lawrence Of Arabia
8. Amadeus
9. Annie Hall
10. Fargo
11. Taxi Driver
12. My Left Foot
13. Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels
14. Trainspotting
15. The King’s Speech
16. No Country For Old Men
17. Rush

Charity

39. Donate Blood.
40. Sell/Donate excess electronics and gadgets

New Experiences

41. Eat at 1 new restaurant every month (0/12).
42. Watch at least 1 musical.
43. Get a Tattoo.
44. Learn to mix a new cocktail every month (0/12)
45. Sketch more often.
46. Cook one new recipe each month (0/12).
47. Learn to play poker
48. Learn to make mulled wine.

Purchases & Collections

49. Get a Mac Mini
50. Build Blu Ray disc collection with one new addition each month (0/12).
51. Upgrade to a new DSLR camera body.

And Finally…

52. Make a new List for 52 Things in 2015 Challenge!

So there you go. My 52 Things in 2014 Challenge to make me a better person before the next year!