Make Your Bucket List
Everybody has a Bucket List, even if it's just milling about in your head. A "Bucket List" is a list of things to do before kicking the proverbial bucket, and it's unique to each individual. This article shows you how to write your own personal Bucket List, and offers some suggestions on turning your 'Someday I will...' thoughts into achieved, unforgettable experiences.
Steps
- Be prepared. Invest in a Make a Notepad Keyring specifically for this purpose. Having a hard copy of your Bucket List is vital - not only will it help you remember everything you want to accomplish, but keeping your list in an easily accessible and coherent place will keep you prepared for when an idea strikes you on a whim at the most inconvenient time. If keeping a notepad with you at all times doesn't strike you as fun or practical, leave it at home and when an idea strikes you when out and about, save it to your mobile phone to record it in your notepad when you return.
- Plan your list. No one ever has a complete pre-made bucket list in their heads, and sitting down to think about everything you want to do in life sounds extremely daunting. The majority of tasks found on Bucket Lists come from the person seeing something and thinking 'Hey, I want to learn to do that!'. Look for ideas everywhere. Collaborate with friends. What most people don't realize with Bucket Lists is that they are your own personal guideline to self-improvement. Difficult feats such as 'climb a mountain', although welcome, are not the only things which feature on a well-planned list; tasks such as 'Jog a mile each day' or 'Get 5 a day of fruit and veg', despite not being as exciting, are far easier to attain and are more beneficial in the long run. In essence, a Bucket List is like a To Do List with no time limit, and actions such as reading that book you've been putting off, or writing that letter to a relative you've been meaning to get around to are all welcome candidates. Take this into consideration when on your search for ideas.
- Write your first draft. No time like the present, the sooner you have some sort of list as a guideline, the sooner you can take the first steps to completing the tasks on it. This is the time to be creative and completely let go of your fears and limits. Write everything that comes into your head, even the ridiculous and impossible! Want to learn how to slay a dragon? Learn every known language? Write it down! The importance of this stage is to awaken your creativity, and a lot of ideas that flow to the page will lead you to think of other, more achievable tasks. Don't be concerned with reality here, just concentrate on getting the ideas from your imagination to the page.
- Refine your list. Now that you have a basis to start from, it's time to get rid of the more impossible or improbable tasks. Be practical without being ruthless, and seriously consider the task before erasing it completely. Perhaps it can be altered to be more attainable? For example, slaying that dragon can probably go (unless you plan on writing a novel or developing a model of a dragon), but what about changing 'learn every known language' to 'Learn French from Scratch'? This step is perhaps the most tricky; while you will need to get rid of tasks you know won't ever be completed, this is a list of self-development and erasing tasks for the reason you don't have the courage, the willpower, or the time will leave you with a poor list with few obstacles or accomplishments. By pooling resources together with friends, many tasks which you would have crossed off can easily be achieved. Learn to find the balance between things you know you can't do, and things that you will need to develop to do.
- Write the second draft for your list. Don't be put off by the fact it looks relatively short, or only has a handful of tasks on it. The beauty of a Bucket List is it will never be fully completed, you will be constantly adding to it when new ideas strike you. Never concentrate on completing a Bucket List, only on completing the tasks on it.
- Just as you will constantly be adding new ideas to it, remove those that lose their sense or desirability. You're not a slave to your Bucket List; you are its master or mistress.
- Start small. Don't rush off to book your round-the-world plane ticket just yet. Have one thing on your list that you can accomplish today. This will give you that feeling of accomplishment that you've made a start to your Bucket List and will motivate you to continue. Concentrating on the easier-to-accomplish tasks first will encourage you to continue working towards the end of your list. Moreover, accept that your experience of the things on your Bucket List is unique; it cannot be replicated, nor can it be compared to someone else's and found wanting. How you experience things is the real value behind the Bucket List for it is not a competition with anyone and it is not about outdoing other people. It's about your personal development and fulfillment.
- Be on the constant lookout for new ideas. Get into the habit of looking and finding new ideas everywhere, from TV and movies, to posters and flyers for events, and by talking with friends. Never give yourself limits; seeing a Be a Street Performer riding a unicycle or movie character playing the harp should be evoking feelings in yourself to do it too. However, it is important to be completing tasks as well as adding them, for a long Bucket List with few checkmarks is pointless. Your tasks are worthless and just words on a page until you take the first steps to achieve them. Remember the Live the Golden Rule: Never concentrate on completing your Bucket List, only the tasks on it.
- Find meaning in your Bucket List goals. In both selecting and achieving your Bucket List goals, the main thing is to find meaning. If your attitude about the goals changes over time, either remove them or reshape them to suit your needs. The idea is to strive for fulfillment and inner growth, not to tie yourself down to things that no longer feel a part of who you are.
Tips
- If the idea of writing a 'life-long' list sounds too daunting, consider writing one for a specific time frame, for example a 'Summer Bucket List' or a 'Before I'm 30 Bucket List'.
- The recent spate of publications of titles such as "1001 places to visit before you die", "101 activities you must try", etc., might be helpful in honing ideas for your Bucket List.
- Check out the Bucket Lists of other people; there are plenty of these lists online for you to read.
- Remember a Bucket List is not a list of feats, but a guideline for self-improvement. Mundane, less-than-glamorous tasks can, and should, feature in your list too.
- It is up to you what you share with other people but it is a good idea to define what you see as private goals and what you see as public ones. The private ones should be those you know you want to achieve but don't want others to denigrate, and they should also include financial goals because those inner workings are not for others to see.
- While your list should be personal and adhere to your abilities and resources, collaboration with other Bucket-List writers will help you to gain new insights and ideas.
- If you are in relationship, be sure to develop your own list, but then develop a list together. It is great to have both individual and shared goals.
Warnings
- Be careful not to turn your Bucket List into a list of consumer wants. This isn't about buying the biggest, best something. It's about experiencing the greatest things life has to offer, the incredible achievements you want to make. Falling for "buying a lifestyle" or "buying an experience" is not an achievement; rather, it's a sign you've lost your way and have stopped thinking for yourself.
- Avoid adding things impulsively as these don't represent your true self and your true desires. Equally, don't chase other people's dreams, only your own.
- While it is encouraged to throw caution to the wind while compiling your Bucket List, remember that illegal or dangerous activities will have consequences. Always bear in mind maintaining your own dignity and respecting the dignity of others.
- Avoid treating a bucket list as putting the rest of your life on hold. Enjoy your life now; the bucket list is about aspirations and inspiration, not about waiting until the grass turns greener in your life.
- Don't limit yourself. You never know what opportunities might come your way, and if you have identified your dreams you will be prepared when the time comes.
Things You'll Need
- PC, laptop, tablet or notebook and pen
- Ideas and inspiration sources
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