I discovered the hidden, bustling world of 365 projects when I ran across Richard Radstone‘s post in Freshly Pressed.

What the heck is a 365 project?!
Long-story short, it’s a personal mission to do one thing each day, and stick to it for the rest of the year. Some do it to keep their creative juices energized, some do it to form or to dump a habit, some do it for the sheer challenge of a 365-day scavenger hunt.

I think the fact that next year has 366 days make for a compelling case on why 2012 is THE year for you to commit to that personal challenge. Whether it’s taking a hobby to the next level, or starting a scrapbook to immortalize memories, I think a 365-er summed it well when she said that it wasn’t the things you did once in a while, but the things you do every day that counted.

Reading about how exhilarated and enlightened the 365-ers were whilst on their year-long pursuits made me want to do better on my own 365 project (well, it was more of a 365×5). If you’re raring to go too but are not quite decided yet on what to do, below are some interesting 365 projects I’ve found that might inspire a nifty idea in you.

365 Strangers/365 days

The man has taken on the definition of courage — exposing himself to rejection, brutal honesty and laborious efforts, all for his personal mission of befriending 365 strangers in 365 days. Getting a total stranger to open up is hard enough; this guy takes killer portraits and conjures engaging write-ups for each encounter EVERY SINGLE DAY. I can’t even fathom what a whirlwind of a ride it must have been for him. In Richard’s own words, he gushes: “It is becoming a personal mission and a global movement. One that I cannot stop. It drives me every day to reach out and greet the world. And you know what? The world wants to share. It’s awesome!”

The Longest Way’s Face Timelapse

Okay, this guy gets bonus points because, (A) he dedicated a year to WALKING, all the way from China to Germany (Yey for fellow foot-trippers! What a feat!), and (B) he makes mean videos. If trekking’s not your thing, then maybe you can make your own face time-lapse video. I love it when Christoph compares his last day pic with his Day 1 shot, and goes ‘Who was this person?’. With just a few seconds a day and a little discipline, who knows what you discover about yourself?

All New Year: 365 New Things

Learning one new thing a month was one of the many new year resolutions that I’ve broken; this guy did ONE NEW THING A DAY. Aside from all the nifty new skills you’ll have, think of all the drinking stories you’ll have in your arsenal. Wicked. Among his favorite experiences are hurling himself in a trapeze, exercising with Richard Simmons, and driving naked (yes, you read that right). Yes, mankind, we no longer have an excuse now to put off that new thing for tomorrow.

Other cool pursuits:
Flying Mouse’s 365 Tees
365 Mash-ups
Join a community of 365 photo bloggers at 365Project.org
Or how about a Project-52, like maybe 52 Songs a Year?

Still can’t get enough? Check out the 365 blogs below that’s enough to make any head spin with ideas:
http://makesomething365.blogspot.com/
http://yearlongprojects.tumblr.com