It’s not just about ticking things off a list, but about experiencing what life has to offer and creating some fabulous memories to last a lifetime.
I’ve had a bucket list for well over 15 years, first writing one way back (way, way back…) when I turned 25 in 2005. Inspired by someone else I saw with a “25 for 25” list, I put together a random selection of things I wanted to have completed by the time I turned 30.
I might not have started to use the now common term bucket list for a few years, referring to it as my big list of things to do for a while, but it very quickly morphed from that five-year-plan into a lifelong list of goals to achieve. It’s even become one of the things I and Splodz Blogz is known for – a diary of the experiences of life, and I love that about it.
My Bucket List
My bucket list includes adventure challenges, personal development goals, things I’d like to do or experience just once, things I’d like to learn or master over time, places I’d like to visit, and more. It’s a wish list, a maybe one day list, a list to inspire my weekends and my days off work. And yes, it also includes some of those traditional bucket list items, because however cliché they might be, they sound like fun.
The original list was a combination of silly and sensible. A bunch of things I wanted to do before I was 30, it was designed to help me move away from simply going through the motions in life in the traditional and perhaps expected manner. I used it to inject some fun and adventure into things whilst motivating me towards the bigger things. Not that life was mundane or difficult, you understand, or that I felt in any way trapped, but more that I needed something to help encourage me to outwardly live by my values, and to grow as a person.
Over the five years leading up to my 30th birthday, I realised the list was working wonders in many ways, but in others it had become a rather depressing “never going to make it” trap. Rather than sticking to that one page of ideas, I spent more time adding to it than I did working towards the things on it. It became a bit of a monster, turning into a lifelong bucket list of unobtainable goals.
Bucket List Philosophy
Now in my 40s (sorry, but that is a ridiculous age and I am really not a fan), I feel like I’ve garnered some wisdom when it comes to my bucket list, and these days I look at it a bit differently.
Looking back at 2005, my bucket list has never actually been about ticking things off a list, even though on the face of it, that’s what it might seem like to onlookers. Rather, it was always about experiencing what life has to offer, having adventures of all shapes and sizes, and, most importantly, creating some fabulous memories to last a lifetime.
It might have got a bit muddled somewhere in the middle, becoming a scary thing that made me struggle with my mortality (dealing well with the passing of time is something I am working on). But as all good stories with meaning, I’ve come back around to loving the idea of a documented list of things I want to do and have in this world, as a means to making memories.
Inspiring Myself
Ultimately, my bucket list is my way of inspiring myself. It is how I ensure I am taking the time for the things I enjoy in life – and push myself to see what other things I might enjoy. Taking part in things I enjoy helps make me feel both energised and relaxed at the same time, which ultimately results is helping me avoid burnout. Well, nearly. You know what I mean.
I am happy that I can’t expect to conquer everything on it, but it’s a great thing to have to motivate me to try new things and complete challenges. This is all about trying new things, learning new skills, and having a shed load of fun. Although there are some more serious things on there too, it will always be about the experiences. Life is all about the journey, after all.
Constantly evolving as I complete challenges which lead on to others, am inspired by new ideas and suggestions, and see what others are doing, I have once again made a personal commitment to my bucket list. And with that, I really hope to inspire you to try new things too.
Experience Wish List
Consider my bucket list as my experience wish list, a list to inspire my weekends, a means to encouraging and motivating me to be and push and have and enjoy.
By posting my (current) bucket list here on Splodz Blogz, I’m hoping you will be able to help motivate me in long-term challenges, make suggestions of what else should be on it (I like nothing more than being sent a random Instagram post featuring a ridiculous activity!), and help me with where I might be able to experience the things I’d like to do. Comment away – your ideas are always welcome.
