This year, life has really changed for many people, and changed in a number of ways. Job losses, working from home, health issues, loss, mental health, and other things can all occur when there is a global pandemic. So if you’re thinking of next year, and hopefully, things getting back to some kind of normality, then you might have a renewed feeling of seizing the day and ticking off all of those things that you have wanted to do. Life is short, as we know, so it is important to do things when you want to, and not have regrets.
Have you heard of making a bucket list before? This can often be related to travel, but really, a bucket list, just in case you did not know, is a list of all of the things that you want to do before a certain age, or before you ‘kick the bucket,’ so to speak. There are a number of lists out there, with things that people think is a must to see and do, but making your own bucket list needs to be personal. What you want to do might be quite niche compared to others, so you need to make your own list, and not rely on what other people think you should have on there. So if you want to embrace life a little more and create your own bucket list, then where do you start? Here are some of the things that you can do, to help you to create your own list, helping you to live life to the fullest.
Start with the simple stuff
No doubt, you will already have a few things that you know that you want to be on your list. There might be a destination that you have always wanted to visit, or perhaps a life experience that you have wanted to do for a while, such as bungee jumping or deep-sea diving. You might have wanted to dye your hair a certain color or make changes to your appearance such as getting veneers or a tattoo. Start off creating your bucket list with all of those things that you know you want to do, and then you can go from there.
Think back to your childhood
There can be a number of things that you might have wanted to do as a child, or own as a child, but you just never did. Finances might not have allowed for you to travel to certain places or to get certain toys. You might not have been able to get a pet that you wanted to, simply because your parents said no. But now you are grown and have your own home and family, you can start to think about those things from your childhood that you could add to the list. It could be anything like ‘being an astronaut’ which could translate these days to going on a space simulator, to riding a horse like a princess or a knight. Think back to your childhood and you can make all of those childhood dreams come true, now that you are the one choosing and the one who is in charge.
Add in some predictable ideas
No matter how creative you try to be, there are always going to be a few predictable things on your list. And you know what? That is totally fine! You might want to swim with dolphins, like many thousands of other people do. But dolphins are awesome, so it is easy to see what that is on so many people’s list. You want to fly to a different continent, eat croissants in Paris, or see the Northern Lights? Again, all awesome choices, so who cares if they are a little predictable? Fill your list with all of the things that you want to do and it will really make a difference.
Throw in some niche or quirky things
Perhaps you have some quite niche things that you want to do, before you hit a certain age milestone. You might want to help Peruvians make some jewellery, or help out at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand. You might want to go to an improv class or train to get a color belt in karate. If you have the goal to do something that is a little more unusual, then why not add it to the list? You are much more likely to achieve your goals once they have been written down, so get them on the list, and then you can make a plan to help them to be ticked off. And when it is something so specific to you and what you want to do, it will be all the sweeter when it gets completed.
Think about overall experiences
When you are thinking about what you want to do on your list, then it is a good idea to think about what you want to get out of the overall experience. For instance, if you want to run a marathon, is it the training and dedication that you will get the most from it, or is it that you want a medal and the pride of being able to say that you have done it? If you want to visit a certain country, what is the reason behind it? Is there a particular tourist attraction that you are keen to visit, or is there an experience that you can only get in that country that you are desperate to try? Thinking about the overall experience of what you will get from a particular thing on your list, will help you to be specific. Then you will know what you are doing and why you are doing it. If you don’t, you might end up feeling a little disappointed once it is achieved, because you might be left wondering why you even did it.
Get inspired
The things that we read and the things that we watch can inspire us in our everyday life. So why not inspire us when it comes to creating our own bucket list? If you have read a book and it is based in a real location, then that could be motivation for something on your list. If you have heard about an experience or seen someone else attend a certain place or festival on Instagram, then why not get inspired and add it to your list? We can get inspiration and ideas from people all around us, so if you like the sound of it, add it to your list.
Don’t feel like you have to write it all down
For some people, a bucket list is something that they write down, laminate and stick on the wall, ticking things off as they go along. Now, don’t get me wrong, writing things down can make your goals more likely to happen. They can also give you a boost when you’re able to physically tick something off your list. However, this isn’t going to be for everyone, so don’t feel like you have to write it down. If you just know the things that you’d love to do, then they can just be in your head until you make plans to get them done. This also means that you can shift the priority of things, as and when, as things will change in your life meaning demand or need is elsewhere.
What would you add to your bucket list? It would be great to hear what you think and what some of your life goals are.
