So, how'd I make the list?

The responses from everyone who knows that I'm doing this have been overwhelmingly positive. Everyone seems to want to make their own list, too. And they all want to know how I came up with the 101 items that I did. So here's why I chose what I did:

Things I've wanted/intended to do for awhile but I've kept putting off
These would be things like reading the classics (#12), writing more (#4, #5, #6), watching movies (#57) and decluttering (#15). We're definitely busy around my house, and these things seem to be the most easily pushed aside because, "I don't have time." But I'm tired of making that excuse. So instead, I'm making time to do them.

Things that really challenge me
These are the tasks that will take some planning and considerable motivation to complete, and which might require a significant push from myself (and others) for me to be able to do them. Truthfully, the thought of doing some of these things scares me: competing in a race (#28) seems a bit daunting, as does taking an active role in my family's finances (#30) -- I can hardly balance a checkbook! And I'm more than a little intimidated by doing things like looking people straight in the eye (#40), conversing with strangers (#60), and saying "no" more often (#59). So why'd I put them on the list? Because I didn't want this 101 challenge to be easy -- it's a challenge! If I do them, I'll be better for it. And if I don't quite succeed - at least I tried!

Things that bring out my adventurous side
When your everyday routine starts to feel a little blah, you need some adventure! Doing something physically adventurous (#45), visiting a foreign country (#42), and visiting a fortune teller (#75) are so far from my everyday, somewhat mundane routine that they'll definitely shake things up a little bit. And, with any luck, inspire me to seek out even bigger adventures. Even things like trying new restaurants (#77) and new cuisines (#8) help break some of the monotony.

Fun stuff!
Because I wouldn't be doing any of this in the first place if I didn't think it would be fun, I had to have some purely fun tasks on my list, like road tripping with my mom (#69), a weekend in NYC (#48), and taking cooking classes (#9). I've done all of them before, but I enjoyed them -- so it's time to do them again!

Fillers
Coming up with 101 tasks was quite a task in itself - so, yes, some of the things on this list are fillers! I searched other peoples' 101 lists, the great list from Glamour called "30 Things Every Woman Should Know Before She's 30," and did a Google search of other "Life To Do" lists in order to find some fun things that I really hadn't thought of including. Things like going to the symphony (#22), finding a signature fragrance (#18), and going to a professional sporting event (#41) are definitely all things that I've thought about at some point, but they were never priorities. They still might not be priorities, but at least they're on the radar. And they may be just what I need to do to give me the encouragement and confidence to try something even bigger and more demanding. At the very least, I will have fun and smell good.

So there's the lowdown! And for all of you who have told me "I should make a list too" - DO IT!! I dare you! And if you want to snag some of my tasks, feel free -- we can even do them together.