Bucket List as Motivation
When I was 40, I embarked on a road trip, driving my camper van from New Jersey to Alaska and back. I was working on Wall Street at the time and had just over three weeks of vacation to make the journey. Even at that intense pace, it was a dream come true for me, born out of an item on my bucket list.
A bucket list is a record of experiences you’d like to have or activities you’d like to do before your time on earth is up (i.e., you kick the bucket). Some people love bucket lists, some loathe them. Others have gentler terms for them, like life experience lists. Whatever you call it and whatever form it takes, it can be a good practice to pause and note what you’d like to experience in your lifetime and then actively turn those desires into reality.
From a wellness standpoint, these types of lists can inspire and peak curiosity. When we’re in this state of exploration, our presence deepens and we can feel our level of engagement and happiness increase. Such lists are also reminders that this lifetime is finite, and there’s no better time to take action than right now.
When we use a tool, like a list, to articulate what we want to explore, create an actionable plan, and being moving toward it, we begin to prioritize our time in an intentional, meaningful way. Bucket lists also give us a way to take reasonable risk, overcome fears, and combat the monotony that comes with responsibility and daily routines.
If you’d like to create your first bucket list or dust off one you created a while back, here’s how to go about it:
Brainstorm: This is the part of the process that doesn’t need to makes sense. Cast a wide net and don’t self-edit. Here are some questions to get you started: What makes a good life for me? What would I do if I had unlimited resources (money, time, support)? What experiences am I curious about? What would I like to learn? Where have I always wanted to go? What have I always wanted to do? What would help me grow? What would be fun, thrilling, inspiring, etc.?
Categorize: Categories can be based on aspiration (meaning, inspiration, connection, engagement, positivity, etc.) or they can be more concrete (travel, adventure, relationship, health, creativity, etc.). Pick the headings that work for you and categorize the items you collected in your brainstorming session.
Prioritize: Get a sense of which ones can be done quickly and easily and which ones will take some planning. Find a general order to work through the list based on resources and your level of enthusiasm for the activity.
Select: You can work on multiple items at the same time, but for those just getting started, it’s beneficial to focus on one thing. Where’s your highest level of interest and enthusiasm? That’s usually a good sign.
Plan: Even if the activity feels beyond your current means, you can still create an action plan. What will it take to do it? The more granular the steps, the better.
Start: What’s the smallest step you can take today? Perhaps you can do research, schedule time off, renew your passport or buy a new carry-on. Nothing gets momentum flowing quicker than taking action.
Share: Find ways to share your aspiration and the progress you’re making to bring it into reality. It’s a great way to stay motivated and find a supportive community.
Lastly, be flexible. Your aspirations will change as you do. Delete anything from your list that no longer makes your heart sing and stay open to new experiences that do. Above all, have a blast making your dreams come true.
Journal Reflections: How do you keep track of what you’d like to experience in your life? What’s at the top of the list? What’s one thing you can do today to move closer to making it a reality?