Stop Dreaming about your bucket list and start living it.
Annette White
Close your eyes and imagine you’re on your deathbed. What would you have liked to do before your passing?
This is thinking from the end a strategic way of thinking from the 7 habits of highly effective people (link).
The purpose of a bucket list is to create the experiences we want to have before the end of our life. It is collecting all your desires for your life and making them obtainable.
Thinking this way may seem sad but the purpose of it is to create a sense of urgency. It will help you put things into perspective as to what you would really like to experience. Time waits for no one so instead of letting it pass you by, it’s time to start using it wisely.
In creating this list of things, you desire to do, you are connecting with your true self and getting more fulfillment in the process. Learning about the things you may want to do could possibly scare you too as it may be outside of your comfort zone. This means you must truly do it to grow and realize your true potential. This list will keep you dreaming, motivated and persistent. It also will help bring more enjoyment to life.
Bucket list ideas can be as awe-inspiring or as ordinary as you like. They should line up with who you are and what you deeply care about. Your interests, purpose, and passions should be a guide for this list. This list should excite you every time you see it.
It is simple just dream about it, write it down, and then take some action. At first, it may be difficult to do it right off the bat. Self-reflection is something that takes time and should be done the correct way.
If you struggle with coming up with ideas, you have nothing to worry about as this article can provide some insight. Here are some bucket list ideas to encourage you.
What’s a bucket list?
Generally, a bucket list is a list of adventures someone wants to embark on during his or her life. There are books that can assist you with planning out your life from personal goals to anything else you’d imagine.
This list will be different from your partner’s, brother’s or friend’s and it should be. This is your list and what you want to experience. This bucket list will show your values and desires on full display.
Is it necessary?
Of course, you should have a bucket list! Do you want to live life or casually just exist? That is a question that will help you figure out the significance of a bucket list. It helps motivate you to live out your dreams. Dream big and act on them because no one else will. There are some pros and cons to a bucket list.
Pros
It’s a way to track your progress.
The bucket list you create is a roadmap that you follow that allows you to stay on course, categorize and allocate your dreams. Again, it’s smart to have a life plan but it should also include things other than your professional milestones. The dreams that you have should be on there too.
You’ll have things to look forward to
Making a bucket list will give you hope which could be a spark that you need. That spark and anticipation will help when the days seem to drag together. These goals are excellent extrinsic motivators that could be included in your personal reward system.
It gives your life purpose.
Bucket lists help you expand from your 9-5 or career to what you dream about doing all the time. Life can become repetitive doing the same thing every day but with the list, you’re able to add fun to it. It encourages you to seek out these new experiences. You get to step out of your everyday life and see what opportunities the world has to offer.
Cons
The fulfillment is short-term
Sadly, most of the experiences people have on their lists can be short-lived. It is mostly for that moment and then it becomes a memory. No matter how fun the experience it is but a moment and the moment will pass.
It will only work for those who put meaning behind the list.
Many people are satisfied with enjoying family time or having a stable job while this is good for them it may not be the case for you. Other people daydream with grandiose dreams. This type of imagination is what is needed for developing a bucket list. Especially for young adults with their whole life ahead of them and developing a bucket list can aid them in finding their own type of fulfillment.
It may seem like you’re failing.
Having things on your lists that haven’t been crossed off may discourage you. It may be especially discouraging if you wanted to experience something at a particular age. You may be faced with self-doubt and feelings of failure. The unfulfillment of not achieving those dreams could potentially damage your self-esteem.
How to create a bucket list?
Develop the bucket list how you would like to see fit. Include everything that interests you in it. This can range from career goals, travel destinations, health, finance, or relationship goals. It can be long or short and simple. If you can dream it, you can do it.
This may take some inner work to start and some self-reflection. That is why I recommend engaging in activities that can assist you in understanding your deeper thoughts. These activities are meditation, journaling, yoga, and prayer.
The different types of bucket list ideas
The list can be as long or as short as you want it to be. If it becomes overwhelming in the process of developing the ideas, break it down into categories. Here are some examples of different bucket list ideas:
- Life Goals
- Fears you want to face.
- Dream destinations
- Hobbies you want to learn.
- Foods you’d like to try
All the ideas from the list will help you relate them to your interests. Focus on creating a list that is centered around your career, likes, and hobbies to turn them into favorable bucket list ideas. These ideas can be scary and challenges that you always wanted to pursue.
50 ideas to put on a bucket list
Go bungee jumping
Visit New Orleans during Mardi Gras
Try kayaking down rapids
Learn how to play an instrument
Learn a new language
Write a book
Eat from a dish from a different culture
Go camping in the desert
Try a zipline
See a show on broadway
Join a public speaking club
Try a new hairstyle
Learn a complex recipe and cook it for yourself
Go to the spa
Run a marathon.
Coach a sport game
Mentor the youth
Attend the Olympics
Ride in a hot air balloon
Do karaoke
Swim in all four oceans
Volunteer at your local shelter
Go skydiving
Adopt a pet
Earn a second degree
Become debt-free
Walk on the Great Wall of China
Go vegetarian for a month
Retire early
Find a career you love
Make a meal with food entirely grown in your garden
Drive a race car
Get physically fit
Learn yoga
Develop self-discipline
Visit all 50 states
Climb a mountain
Go kite surfing
Get on a live tv show
Read a new book
Go snow skiing
Deep sea fishing
Go on an African safari
Design a website
Go to Hawaii
Play volleyball
Stay on a yacht
Visit a science museum
Visit a castle
Sleep in a cabin
Making the list real
Now it’s time to make the bucket list into a reality. The first step to bringing it to a reality is writing it down first. List your goals in a journal to process them and make them feel more real. There are no bounds or rules to the journal. You can write as much as you want. If you’re having trouble here are some techniques to consider:
Vision journal: If you’re visiting a castle or going to an African safari, you want to write about how you would feel and experience it. Make it present and open yourself up to the possibilities.
Gratitude Journal: write about and reflect on the things you’ve done so far. This will keep you motivated during tough times.
Idea Journal: This is a mind dumping of ideas or ideals that you will have for your bucket list. The dreams and ideas can start flowing to you anywhere and you’ll need to keep this handy. Don’t filter anything, write as much as you want.
Daily Journal: Use this as a daily reminder or to set daily goals to reflect on your experiences and document your adventures. This will help you discover what activities are the most meaningful to you.
If you don’t like pen and paper, there is another way to create your list. It can be made on a computer document or spreadsheet. These are virtual tools that can assist you in developing your bucket list.
Closing thoughts
Having and adhering to a bucket list is a form of self-care. You are the priority; life is meant to be lived not. Many people spend their entire lives working to make ends meet, that isn’t the case for you, nor should it be. Lastly, life should be fun again like when you were a child. The world can be cruel to you and your dreams that’s why this list is vital. It will invigorate you again and give you hope.